
Sign up to save your podcasts
Or


There’s something strange that happens in midlife that I don’t think people talk about enough.
You stop performing.
Not all at once.Not dramatically.
But quietly.
You notice yourself becoming less willing to tolerate things that once felt normal.You stop over-explaining.You stop managing other people’s emotions.You stop shrinking to maintain harmony.
And at first, it can feel disorientating.
Because so much of womanhood — especially for our generation — was built around accommodation.
Being pleasant.Useful.Flexible.Liked.
But somewhere in my 50s, I realised I no longer wanted to build my life around being palatable.
I wanted to build it around being honest.
That shift changes everything.
The video I shared this week touches on some of that — but what I’ve realised more deeply lately is that midlife isn’t making me harder.
It’s making me clearer.
And clarity is a form of freedom.
By with Beryl DingemansThere’s something strange that happens in midlife that I don’t think people talk about enough.
You stop performing.
Not all at once.Not dramatically.
But quietly.
You notice yourself becoming less willing to tolerate things that once felt normal.You stop over-explaining.You stop managing other people’s emotions.You stop shrinking to maintain harmony.
And at first, it can feel disorientating.
Because so much of womanhood — especially for our generation — was built around accommodation.
Being pleasant.Useful.Flexible.Liked.
But somewhere in my 50s, I realised I no longer wanted to build my life around being palatable.
I wanted to build it around being honest.
That shift changes everything.
The video I shared this week touches on some of that — but what I’ve realised more deeply lately is that midlife isn’t making me harder.
It’s making me clearer.
And clarity is a form of freedom.