“It’s a new damn day and I’m rolling braver, bolder, better,” C. René Washington.

Welcome to Midlife Woman Redefined, a podcast for women near retirement who are ready to step into a new chapter of freedom, travel, and fulfillment. If you’re ready to focus on figuring out who you are and what you really want, this is the place for you. Here’s your host, master certified life coach, travel addict, and midlife maven, René Washington.

Hello, Mavens, your life coach and midlife maven is here for episode 19 of Midlife Woman Redefined. We are coming to the end of the series End Like You Want to Begin. And did you realize that there are 41 days left in this year? 41 days until we enter a new wonderful decade.

And I looked up the number 40 and religion defines it as an important time, or a long time. So while 40 days, 41 days doesn’t seem like a long time, so many things can happen in 40 days. And I am challenging you to choose to bust through fear, our topic for today, and end this year like you want to begin.

Before we delve into fear, what do we do? We celebrate. What can you celebrate? Pause and take a moment to celebrate something that you’ve accomplished, something that you’ve achieved, something personal to you.

I’m celebrating my 2020 mission. Mavens, you can call me the fear buster. All year, I’ve been challenging myself and my clients to do it afraid, whatever it is. My clients said no to their fears and yes to walking towards their dreams. And what happened? A few of them are moving into new homes.

Another is weighing two big-ass job offers against which best aligns with her dream life; not just what looks good and sounds good, but what will be good for her. Another has gotten the business clarity she needed and she’s made thousands of dollars after a long drought. Another said no to re-upping for a volunteer gig that’s been good but that had become too heavy. And another said yes to a solo getaway weekend and nobody died. And she was revived.

And then, there’s your intrepid life coach and queen midlife maven. I traveled to Lisbon, Portugal solo earlier this year. I put myself on a stage in front of mostly strangers to tell a story. I hired a band Sight Unseen, and danced myself and girlfriends across the Seine River in Paris, so much fun. I got myself on a local talk show three times and I have another appearance coming up. I created this podcast, and if you listen to episode 18, you know that I did my first interview for the show.

And let me tell you, that scared me as much as all of the other things combined. Why? Because we compare and despair. We don’t feel good enough. Well, we are dropping that lie, mavens. You are enough. I am enough. We are enough.

The interview was with Mary Rogers, the host of the Experience 50 Podcast, and it took so many tries over two days to get that podcast done. A power outage, other technical difficulties, and this woman, with her big audience, years of experience, and accolades hung right in there with me despite our never having met.

And she sent me this message, “Hey, René, I just listened to our episode. I loved it. Oddly, when I heard myself telling the story of my friend Brian’s death, I started to cry. I haven’t shed those tears in a very long time.  You are an excellent interviewer and should feel confident in inviting anyone to be a guest on your show.” Oh my gosh, I’m kind of tearing up just reading that because I cannot tell you how validating that is.

And I am telling you, yes, we get afraid. Fear is a part of us. We are DNA coded to be afraid. It’s okay.  We are here to push through fear because what’s on the other side of that is so fabulous.

So how do you want to end this year, Mavens? Remember, a maven is an expert. I call us mavens because we are experts in living this best life chapter, midlife. How do you want to step into the new decade? Like I said, fear never leaves us. It never ends. We’re programmed for it, and sometimes we need it.

But the fear that’s blocking your best life living, that shit you don’t need. And all of 2020 will be about moving you and myself through it. Braver, bolder, better is my theme for 2020 and the theme for Midlife Woman Redefined.

We’re going to make fear our friend because if it’s some kind of life change that’s scaring you, that’s a big sign to do it. I’ll be interviewing women like you who are walking in courage to redefine themselves and their lives and I’m challenging you to do the same.

I’m ending this show reciting an oldie but goody from Gloria Gaynor, with a few tweaks from moi. I’m reciting because you do not want to hear me sing. So listen up then go forth and do something that scares you.

At first I was afraid, I was petrified, kept thinking I could never live without you by my side. But then I spent so many nights thinking how you did me wrong and I grew strong, and I learned how to get along. And so you’re back from outer space. I just walked in and found you with that sad look on your face.

I should have changed that stupid lock. I should have made you leave your key if I’d known for just one second you’d be back to bother me.  It took all the strength I had not to fall apart, kept trying hard to mend the pieces of my broken heart. And I spent oh so many nights just feeling sorry for myself. I used to cry, but now I hold my head up high.

And you see me, somebody new. I’m not that chained up little person still in love with you. And so you felt like dropping in and just expect me to be free? Well now I’m saving all my loving for who and what is loving me. So Mister Fear, go on now, go, walk out that door, just turn around now because you’re not welcome anymore.

Weren’t you the one who tried to break me with goodbye? Did you think I’d crumble? Did you think I’d lay down and die? Oh no, not I, I will sur-thrive. As long as I keep loving myself, I know I’ll grow and thrive. I’ve got all my life to live and I’ve got all my love to give, and I’ll sur-thive.  I will sur-thrive. I will sur-thrive.

Yes, I love that. Songwriters Dino Fekaris, Frederick J. Perren and the great Gloria Gaynor wrote those words that I tweaked a little, as I said. I wasn’t talking about a man. I’m talking about fear. Fear comes, fear goes, but we are not going to let fear catch us off guard or bring us up short or keep us stuck.

So I challenge you to take that one step, make that one move, just pick one thing to do that will put you on the path to stepping into 2020 in a brand-new way. And as we come to the close of episode 19, I want to remind you to rate and review. It is critically important in allowing me to keep doing this show and in helping it grow.

So the instructions to do that are in the show notes. Take a few minutes to tell me what you think about the show. It helps me improve it and I am so appreciative of those who take the time to do that. And in episode 20, I will be doing another drawing. So to get yourself in that drawing, rate and review. And remember, for midlife mavens, living well is the only option.

Thanks for listening to this week’s episode of Midlife Woman Redefined. If you’re ready to learn more and reclaim your time, head over to crenecoach.com.