Taking Life On As A Beautful Warrior Artwork

S.O.F.T. and Strong: Midlife Women On A Mission

Midlife. The in-between years when you're no longer young but you're not old yet either. It's that time in your story when you're crying all the way home from leaving your kid at college. Or crumpling up your high school reunion invite because life has not turned out at all in the way you said it would. You're waking up in the middle of the night wracked with financial worry. You're going through a divorce or grieving your spouse or wondering who that man is across the table as you haven't really connected for years. It's exhausted caregiving and a waistline you don't recognize. It's staring out the window blankly and asking "NOW WHAT?" Hey - this is a transition when life doesn't give us the choice about whether we go through it or not. But...there are choices that are in our control. Life doesn't stop here. YOU are meant for so much more. And that's what this podcast is about. Instead of being known as a woman who is "menopausal", WHAT IF you could be seen as a beautiful Woman on a Mission? Someone who is taking all life by storm? Who doesn't back down? Who never gives up? Someone who knows what she wants and isn't settling for less. People know you as confident, intelligent, sensitive and intuitive. You get things done. You can be trusted to follow through. You're a woman with a vision. The antidote for sinking into all the inevitable midlife mindsets our culture trains us to believe is PURPOSE. I'm Bernice McDonald, Midlife Coach, and I'm here to guide you as you get your feet back on solid ground. Life shifts. Like winter to spring. So shift with it! Leave your past missions behind as they're done. Open up your heart and your mind to what's next. Your Next Great Mission. We all have one. And you do, too. Let's answer the Midlife Call. Find our next great mission. Live with purpose. Please come and join us!

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S.O.F.T. and Strong: Midlife Women On A Mission

Taking Life On As A Beautful Warrior

April 21, 2023 • Bernice McDonald • Season 2 • Episode 23

Someone calls you 'fat'.

Someone says your work isn't up the standards of the company and to do it again.

Someone says your work is wonderful and to be sure that same level of quality shows up on the next project.

Someone tells you that your son may have cancer.

Someone tells you that your mom is going to need extra care and you're the only sibling near her.

Challenges. Something new and difficult that is going to require great effort and determination to get to the other side.

LIFE IS FULL OF THEM.

This is when it's time to call in your midlife-self's Beautiful Warrior. What does she look like? You'll find out her distinct (and very life-saving) qualities in this episode.

6 Qualities to embrace. You'll discover:

Is she invincible?
What does she believe?
How risk will strengthen her.
How she treats others.
What's she thinking?
Where is her power?

See you inside.

Download here: FREE e-Book: How To Find Your Passionately Personal Midlife Mission

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Are you in the struggle of navigating midlife with grace and power? I hear ya!

How about a daily injection of "Beautiful Warrior wisdom" injected into your day?

"The Way of the Beautiful Warrior." Our brief daily emails provide insights and inspiration, turning the challenge of midlife into an empowering adventure.

Click this link and embrace your journey as a Beautiful Warrior today.

(00:00):

Hello, my beautiful ladies. It's a wonderfully sunny day here today. Blue sky sunshine. My favorite weather, as you've heard me say before. Here I sit with my hazelnut coffee, my salted caramel Fatso peanut butter. I know I'm so weird. I just eat it with a spoon. Just helps to keep hunger cravings off. Anyways, don't follow me for health guidance right now.

(00:30):

Okay, so life is good. I'm excited to be back with you in this moment. I feel awesome. However, every moment is not this way, right? You will never face a day with some without some sort of challenge in it. Unfortunately, anybody say, yeah, I know what you mean. You know, this is the thing that tires us out, overcomes us, causes us to just wanna drop out of the human race, right? According to the Collins English dictionary. Always love those definitions." A challenge is something new and difficult, which requires great effort and determination".

(01:31):

Something new, something a day brings that is unexpected a surprise. Does this sound like life or what? At least it sounds like my life. I don't think I'm alone. Now, these can be both good surprises and not so good surprises. A challenge may be the surprise of a promotion and suddenly finding yourself wondering if you really have what it takes, you know it's going to require. As it says, great effort and determination.

(02:06):

Or a challenge may be just getting up out of bed in the morning on time. One of my greatest challenges for most of my life, I must admit, and it's a new challenge every single morning. Also, something that requires great effort and determination. It's when you are being challenged that you need to find that side of you that won't back down. The side of you that looks life right in the eye. Head up, shoulders back, even if you don't have a clue what your next move is going to be.

(02:56):

Whenever I'm stuck in my own life, when I can't to find the courage that I'm talking about here, when I just don't know what that next move is going to be, but I do wanna find the solution, I often will go and find someone else who has faced a challenge even bigger than I'm facing. I'll search out how they overcame it and then I try to learn from that. Uh, these aren't in-person people Often, I go online, I read stories, people that I admire and know have had big struggles. It's amazing what people can get through and what they can teach us without even knowing it.

(03:44):

So Serena Williams is one of those people. She is a shining star of resilience and strength. One of the greatest tennis players of all time when it comes to challenges. She is a total expert despite facing Now. Listen to this list, racism, sexism, and body shaming comments from critics. She has continued to dominate on the court while advocating - this is the good that came out of it for her - advocating for equal pay and opportunities for women in sports. Yay Serena. Serena has shown us how to have unwavering determination in the face of adversity, how to refuse to let what life throws at us, define us, or limit our potential. She's a perfect example of the big picture of life. I'm always talking about she's an individual, a heart walking on her path of life, doing what she has chosen to do, what she's meant to do.

(05:05):

Then the challenges come hard and fast at her. Something new. Remember the definition. Something new and difficult, which requires, in response, great effort and determination. Bombs going off in her life, boulders dropping on her out of the blue, flattening her for a time, rocks of shaming and expectations that others have thrown at her. But she has let none of these to top her. Serena has used her experiences as a black woman in a predominantly white and male-dominated sport to fuel her passion and drive for excellence. Her life says clearly that with hard work, perseverance and self-belief, anything is possible. I have to ask this, what does your life say?

(06:16):

Just want you to think about that. By focusing on her game and using her platform to advocate for change. Serena Williams has become a Beautiful Warrior, a powerful force for good, who is unafraid to stand up for what she believes in. She's one of us! A Beautiful Warrior. She has an unstoppable belief in who she is. It's not Justin being famous and on the tennis courts that this approach to life matters. It matters to all of us every day of our lives.

(06:58):

Trust me - as a Life Coach, I often see everyday women like you struggling with the challenges when life takes an unexpected turn. Very few of us respond automatically by finding our strengths and focusing there. Becoming a woman on a mission should really read as taking life on as a Beautiful Warrior. This is the identity that I believe in. This is who I want to be and I'm striving to be.

(07:39):

So what does a Beautiful Warrior look like? I thought it might be time for us to really take a close look at that. Think Serena Williams, Oprah Winfrey, Maya Angelou. Think the women that you absolutely adore and respect in your own life because they are both soft and strong. Think you. Are you committed to learning how to live your life like this?

(08:13):

Well, let's look at the qualities you'll find yourself growing as you face it from the side of you. That is the Beautiful Warrior. When you live your life from that place inside that is your Beautiful Warrior, these are the qualities you're going to see in yourself without even realizing that they're getting there, that you are getting there.

(08:41):

One, the Beautiful Warrior is not invincible. She is human. Thank goodness. You will have the courage to be vulnerable and to take risks. Even if it means failing. You will know that your strength lies in your ability to learn from your mistakes and to use those mistakes and what you learn as fuel to become better, richer, wiser, deeper. Your spirit will be unstoppable and you will never give up on yourself or the goals that you have set for yourself.

(09:25):

Secondly, the Beautiful Warrior has the power to recognize her own worth. You will know who you are and you won't be afraid to let your true self shine through in everything you do, whether it's in your personal life, at work, or the causes that you're passionate about, you will approach every situation in the same way with honesty, integrity, and a deep sense of purpose. By standing up for what you believe in and living from a place of truth, you'll become a beacon of hope and inspiration for others. Your courage will inspire countless individuals to embrace their own unique identities and stand up for what they believe in. Just by watching you, just by being in your vicinity, by rubbing shoulders with you, it creates a ripple effect of positive change that extends far beyond yourself, and often you don't even realize that it's happening.

(10:47):

Three, the Beautiful Warrior is also afraid of taking is unafraid of taking risks and embracing change. You will know that in order to reach your full potential, you must be willing to try new things and explore unfamiliar paths. You will never stop learning and growing and you will be open to new perspectives and experiences. You will understand that life is full of unknowns and you will welcome each challenge with a sense of curiosity and optimism. You will know that the best way to grow is to push your boundaries and take risks even when it's scary.

(11:38):

Four, the Beautiful Warrior chooses to be kind and compassionate. You'll know that it's important to be kind no matter the circumstances. You will lead by example offering your kindness and compassion to those in need. You will understand that kindness can come in many forms - from comforting words to a helping hand. You will know that even the smallest acts of kindness can make a big difference in someone's life. Just like they make a big difference in yours. Your compassion and understanding again will be contagious and they will radiate outwards inspiring those around you to want to take on those same qualities.

(12:39):

Fifth, the Beautiful Warrior is mindful of her thoughts and words so much that I could say about this. But you'll know that negative thoughts and self-doubt can be damaging, so you'll make sure to fill your mind with positive, empowering affirmations. You will encourage yourself and others to replace negative thoughts with kinder, more empowering ones, and I'm going to show you how to do this as we continue.

(13:11):

We've already talked a lot about this in this podcast, but this never ends. It's an ongoing, wonderful way to live, to change your thoughts, to be thoughts that inspire you rather than defeat you. You will understand that the words that we use have power, and you will take care to speak kindly of yourself and of those around you. With this kind of attitude, you will be able to stay focused on your own goals, living a life of joy and fulfillment because it's your life, because you are living up to your values, reaching your standards. You know who you wanna be and you're embracing that with all of your might.

(14:03):

Here's the last one. The Beautiful Warrior believes that even in our darkest moments, we have the power to choose how we respond. I can't stress this enough. You will know that the most difficult times can be an opportunity to learn and grow, and you will use your resilience and strengths to find the light in every situation. You will understand that our reactions to life's challenges determine how we progress, and you will choose courage over fear and hope over despair. By doing so, you will show those you love, that no matter what life throws our way, we can choose to remain strong and resilient. It's a beautiful way to live, to not be afraid of our darkest moments, but instead to know that we'll just know what to do, how to be, even if we go into a dark time for a while, that's okay. We'll know how to face that and then to process that and come out the other side. That's being a Warrior.

(15:35):

Life will challenge you in this midlife season. There's no doubt about it because it's life. Your decision is how you will respond. You'll face discrimination related to your age or race or ability. Of course, that's a given in this life. You'll face body breakdowns. Yes. You'll face forgetfulness and brain fog and sleeping difficulties. You'll face loneliness and feeling useless, anxiety and depression. You'll face feeling left behind by your coworkers or by your romantic partner or by your friends. You'll face juggling multiple roles and expectations like being a caregiver to your parents, being an attentive partner, a wise parent of adult children, and an employee - all at the same time.

(16:39):

So who will you be when the bomb goes off and turned your world upside down? When you face these things at whatever degree, who will you be when a boulderer drops on you out of the blue because your finances are in tatters? Or who will you be when someone you love throws those rocks at you, telling you that you are not enough? I want you to know that your response to the challenges has nothing to do with the situation you find yourself in. It has everything to do with who you've decided you will be in the face of life's challenges. Will you be the warrior or will you be the victim?

(17:33):

Imagine building the resilience and the strengths of a beautiful warrior. Imagine not being afraid of being afraid because you know you'll find a way to live with the bomb. Get out from under the boulder and not let the sting of the rocks coming your way go further than the surface. Imagine feeling calm in the face of challenge thinking, strengthening thoughts, feeling at peace, and taking action from that place.

(18:15):

Over the next few podcasts, we're going to go more in-depth into these qualities, the qualities of a Beautiful Warrior, and we're going to talk a lot about how you can grow them into your own life, how you can become a woman on a mission, a Beautiful Warrior showing up in life as a Beautiful Warrior. And, as a result, like Serena Williams, you'll shut out the darkness and just focus on the light that you are meant to bring to the world. Imagine that. Again, it's a beautiful way to live your life. This is exciting earth-shaking stuff, and I can't wait to talk to you about it more in the next podcast. Until then, build those Beautiful Warrior qualities.