You’ve built a beautiful life…
and yet, something’s missing.
What if what’s missing is . . . YOU?
When everything looks fine…but doesn’t feel that way
You’ve worked hard to make everyone happy.
You’ve shown up when needed.
You’ve created what you thought of as the good life.
And still, it doesn’t feel the way you thought it would.
You feel discontented, even though you imagined you’d be happy by now.
You catch yourself thinking,
“This is what I wanted, so I should be grateful for what I have.”
Underneath that, other questions show up:
How did I get here?
What’s even missing?
What’s been missing is you.
Over the years, often without realizing it,
you gradually went missing from your own life.
To keep everything together, you had to let go of some things.
Your own needs, wants, and dreams were among them.
Over time, you stopped checking in with yourself.
Eventually, you forgot how.
The Cost of Putting Yourself Last
Here’s how this pattern may be affecting your life:
Your energy feels depleted, no matter how much you rest
Resentment creeps in, even toward people you cherish
Time keeps passing while you wait for "someday" to choose yourself
You struggle to name what you want and need
You second-guess your choices and have trouble trusting yourself
This way of living leaves you feeling increasingly disconnected from yourself.
There comes a moment
You notice how exhausting and discouraging
this way of living has become.
Maybe that’s where you are now.
You start to wonder what it would be like
to make space for yourself again.
So what becomes possible when you do?
What Becomes Possible
Some things begin to shift.
Including yourself in the care you give to everyone else becomes part of how you live.
Decisions come with greater clarity.
Saying no when something doesn’t align feels possible.
Your relationship with yourself changes.
Trust begins to rebuild.
You give more weight to what you feel and need.
You gain clarity about what brings you pleasure and meaning.
You make room for those things in your life.
Hard days still come.
And you respond to yourself with more kindness, even then.
You have ways to steady yourself.
You stay anchored in what matters.
Your life begins to include you again.
Question the stories you’ve been living by.
Get the free journal:
Break Free From Midlife Myths: A Guided Journal
5 myths to question ~ 5 thoughtful dares to try
The Break Free from Midlife Myths: Guided Journal helps you identify the decades-old myths shaping how you see yourself in midlife.
Explore 5 common midlife myths that limit what feels possible and try 5 thoughtful dares to help you grow your confidence and freedom at midlife.
About Andrea
I’m Andrea. I’m a therapist and coach with over 23 years of experience working with women in midlife.
I created Dare to Midlife as a coaching space for women who to explore who they are at this stage of life and begin shaping their lives on their own terms.
Throughout my work with midlife women, I saw the same pattern. Capable and responsible women who were deeply committed to their families and careers reached a point where the way they were living no longer felt workable for them. Dare to Midlife grew out of that observation and the desire to offer a space for women to slow down and reconnect with their inner voice and a deeper sense of presence.
Dare to Midlife is offered as coaching, not therapy. This work is not treatment and does not involve mental health care. Coaching allows us to work collaboratively and focus on how women want to live now, without framing their experience as something that needs diagnosis.
The Blog & Newsletter
Weekly reflections offering perspectives on all things midlife.
Who Am I Now?
On-line Course
A guided course for women navigating identity shifts in midlife and ready to explore who they are now, beyond roles and expectations.
Monthly Midlife Conversation
Live 60-minute Zoom / $15
A monthly, live conversation on themes like identity, boundaries, self-trust, and change, with practical takeaways you can use right away.
How We Can Work Together
There are several ways to begin. You can start where it feels most comfortable.
Break Free from Midlife Myths: Guided Journal
5 myths ~ 5 thoughtful dares
A free guided journal that explores five midlife myth that are paired with thoughtful dares that support new ways of thinking about your midlife experience.