Midlife doesn’t have to be a crisis. For May, it’s been a full-on awakening.

In this reading and conversation, we talk about the moment your identity stops being “mom, worker, partner” and starts becoming you again. The real you. The one who wants to try everything, stop settling, and actually enjoy the life you’ve built.

We get into procrastination, ADHD wiring, self-worth, recovery, rebuilding community, and why the empty nest can feel like freedom instead of loss. May also shares what it’s like to have decades of sobriety, come back to fellowship later, and finally choose a relationship that doesn’t drain her.

This one is hopeful. Grounded. And very midlife in the best way.

TIMESTAMPS
00:18 Welcome + intro to May
01:12 May’s snapshot: single mom, 44, redefining identity
02:04 Empty nest shift and meeting yourself again
03:00 Gen on “empty nest round two”
04:26 Inspiration vs influencer, starting the reading
06:10 Work patterns, stuck energy, procrastination
09:22 Dopamine, defiance, ADHD and productivity
13:30 Doing things for you, bed-making, self-worth
17:25 “Who needs me? I need me.”
22:50 Recovery: 28 years sober, asked to speak
30:18 More mountain ahead: growth without shame
35:56 Wanting to try everything, “one week job” dream
43:07 Stop and smell the roses, enjoying where you are
46:45 Midlife crisis vs midlife awakening
55:23 Healing clean-time baggage too
1:08:26 Losing conditional friendships, building a real tribe
1:15:16 Kali card: endings and beginnings
1:16:30 Loneliness card: stop settling
1:17:03 Dating shift and choosing better
1:23:14 Advice to 20-year-old May
1:24:47 Closing

If you love warm, real midlife conversations with humor and heart, you’ll feel right at home here.

Follow the show & connect with Gen:
Gen's Website: www.soulfulexistence.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soulfulxistence
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@soulfulxistence
Podcast homepage: www.fatefortyandbeyond.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fatefortyandbeyond
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@fatefortyandbeyond

midlife awakening, midlife crisis alternative, women over 40, empty nest identity, finding yourself after kids, sobriety in midlife, recovery stories, AA community, self worth for moms, ADHD procrastination, personal growth over 40, dating in recovery, healthy relationships midlife, motherhood and identity, Fate Forty and Beyond

Speaking my truth has never been the hard part. Staying regulated while I do it has.

In this mini episode, I share what I’ve learned about honesty, nervous system safety, and why speaking up can feel like danger even when the words are right. I talk about timing, pausing without guilt, and letting go of the idea that truth has to be intense or immediate.

This is a reflection on slowing down, listening to your body, and choosing calm over performance. Especially in midlife, when living in alignment matters more than explaining yourself to everyone else.

Timestamps
00:00 – Welcome and show intention
04:10 – Why truth can feel unsafe
08:15 – The myth of immediate honesty
12:00 – Pausing as regulation
18:05 – Honesty vs intensity
24:05 – Timing and discernment
30:10 – Releasing outcome control
34:20 – Regulation over fearlessness
38:00 – Closing thoughts

If you love warm, real midlife conversations with humor and heart, you’ll feel right at home here.

Follow the show & connect with Gen:
Gen's Website: www.soulfulexistence.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soulfulxistence
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@soulfulxistence
Podcast homepage: www.fatefortyandbeyond.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fatefortyandbeyond
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@fatefortyandbeyond

A tarot reading turns into an honest conversation about living inside uncertainty. Laura opens up about facing a cancer recurrence, the loneliness of waiting, and how it changes what matters. Gen shares her own anxiety and how sobriety reshaped her ability to handle the unknown. Together they talk self-worth, support systems, eldest daughter pressure, and letting what doesn’t matter fall away.

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 – Welcome to Fate 40 and Beyond + meet Laura

00:30 – Laura’s backstory: nurse, mom, feeling lost in her 40s

01:35 – Midlife time pressure and the “halfway mark” feeling

02:45 – Diagnosis fear and the deadline feeling

03:11 – Tarot begins: focus on what matters most

04:10 – Surgery possibility and fear of the unknown

05:02 – Cancer perspective shift and grief cycles

06:18 – The “warm tomato” message: tiny moments matter

07:34 – Control vs enjoyment after diagnosis

08:10 – Support system and love, even if it shows up oddly

09:16 – Marriage stress: logic vs nurture during crisis

10:50 – “Just take it out”: body autonomy and medical decisions

12:06 – The lesson is how you handle it, not just outcome

13:06 – Gen on depression, anxiety, and fear of losing progress

13:54 – Laura on anxiety, anger, advocacy exhaustion

15:37 – Fast-moving care feels scarier than slow care

16:46 – Letting others fight for you: support team question

18:14 – Trusting the doctor, trusting the plan

19:21 – Friendship at a distance still counts

20:21 – Isolation during treatment and why words matter

22:27 – Shared language of support groups and AA

23:32 – Tarot reiteration: don’t rush, steps click like a puzzle

25:29 – Waiting game: biopsy and testing timelines

26:47 – Self-advocacy: catching what others missed

28:13 – Midlife health routines and the “handful of pills” era

32:13 – Burning bridges vs protecting your energy

33:22 – Family minimization and emotional abandonment

36:24 – Pushing people away while wanting comfort

37:28 – Eldest daughter wounds and expectations

44:18 – Healing each other: reframing the Three of Swords

48:29 – Acceptance and fighting for yourself too

51:25 – Sobriety, anxiety, and the fear of the rug-pull

55:19 – “Being a mom is hard” in every season

1:15:13 – Biggest lesson: stop jumping ahead

1:16:29 – Advice to 20-year-old self: don’t settle for love

1:18:38 – Closing: friendship, meeting up, retreat idea

If you love warm, real midlife conversations with humor and heart, you’ll feel right at home here.

Follow the show & connect with Gen:

Gen's Website: www.soulfulexistence.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soulfulxistence

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@soulfulxistence

Podcast homepage: www.fatefortyandbeyond.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fatefortyandbeyond

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@fatefortyandbeyond

midlife podcast, women over 40, self growth, healing conversations, motherhood, spirituality, personal growth