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What If Your Values Are Your Real Medicine
A Friday afternoon text that says “we think you have a brain tumor” is the kind of moment that splits your life into before and after. Dr. Renea Skelton lived that moment, then did what so many high-performing women are trained to do: she shoved the fear into the background, put on her game face, and kept leading. Renea joins me to share the full arc, from a traumatic childhood and joining the Air Force at 17 to 22 years of service, a post-military pivot into coaching, and the brutal wake-up call that forced her to stop pushing through at all costs.
We talk about pituitary tumors, cortisol chaos, insomnia, weight gain, and what it feels like when symptoms are dismissed until they become an emergency. Renea walks us through an early surgery that didn’t solve the problem, the fallout of brain radiation, and the turning point that came when she finally called Mayo Clinic. The story is intense, but the message is practical: self advocacy saves lives, second opinions matter, and you’re allowed to ask better questions when something feels off. If you’ve ever been told “nothing is wrong” while your body is screaming, you’ll feel seen.
From there, the conversation widens into midlife reinvention. We unpack the hidden cost of being the strong one, the helper, the woman who stays relevant by staying needed. Renea shares the values-based tools she now uses to make decisions, set boundaries, and rebuild joy, including a simple filter question you can use at any crossroads: “Would the person I claim to be do what I’m about to do?” We also get into over-explaining, second guessing, and why replacing “should” with “could” can change your entire nervous system.
If you’re navigating midlife burnout, stress, identity shifts, or just craving a clearer voice and a truer life, hit play. Then subscribe, share this with a friend who needs it, and leave a review so more women can find our circle.
Connect with Brenda and get your FREE Midlife Clarity MAP
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YouTube
Buy Lady and the Tribe; How to Create Empowering Friendship Circles
Join the Save the World Sisterhood
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By Brenda Billings RidgleyA Friday afternoon text that says “we think you have a brain tumor” is the kind of moment that splits your life into before and after. Dr. Renea Skelton lived that moment, then did what so many high-performing women are trained to do: she shoved the fear into the background, put on her game face, and kept leading. Renea joins me to share the full arc, from a traumatic childhood and joining the Air Force at 17 to 22 years of service, a post-military pivot into coaching, and the brutal wake-up call that forced her to stop pushing through at all costs.
We talk about pituitary tumors, cortisol chaos, insomnia, weight gain, and what it feels like when symptoms are dismissed until they become an emergency. Renea walks us through an early surgery that didn’t solve the problem, the fallout of brain radiation, and the turning point that came when she finally called Mayo Clinic. The story is intense, but the message is practical: self advocacy saves lives, second opinions matter, and you’re allowed to ask better questions when something feels off. If you’ve ever been told “nothing is wrong” while your body is screaming, you’ll feel seen.
From there, the conversation widens into midlife reinvention. We unpack the hidden cost of being the strong one, the helper, the woman who stays relevant by staying needed. Renea shares the values-based tools she now uses to make decisions, set boundaries, and rebuild joy, including a simple filter question you can use at any crossroads: “Would the person I claim to be do what I’m about to do?” We also get into over-explaining, second guessing, and why replacing “should” with “could” can change your entire nervous system.
If you’re navigating midlife burnout, stress, identity shifts, or just craving a clearer voice and a truer life, hit play. Then subscribe, share this with a friend who needs it, and leave a review so more women can find our circle.
Connect with Brenda and get your FREE Midlife Clarity MAP
Website
YouTube
Buy Lady and the Tribe; How to Create Empowering Friendship Circles
Join the Save the World Sisterhood