You might be asking yourself right now: "What can I actually do? How can I make a difference?"

I got you.

This episode kicks off a multi-part series on 35 ways to change the world, starting with the first 10 focused on changing your inner world first—because healing, regulation, and self-worth create the ripple effect that leads to real impact.

• Grief and attachment styles in real relationships

• Why self-healing is not selfish—it's strategic

• The connection between joy, regulation, and resilience

• A reminder that community and creativity are part of survival, not luxuries

• Spark San Diego Last Call: sequins, silliness, and sisterhood

1. Learn emotional regulation

2. Build true self-worth

3. Practice a growth mindset

4. Be intentional about what you consume

5. Align your time, energy, and money with your values

6. Learn basic somatic and vagal nerve tools

7. Get serious about sleep

8. Go to therapy and/or get coaching

9. Schedule play and creativity

10. Prioritize community and connection

Core Message:
You don't change the world by becoming busier or more perfect. You change it by becoming more aligned, regulated, connected, and fully yourself.

In this "welcome back to 2026" episode, I'm back on Thrive with Kira with a very minimal-edit rant (the best kind), sharing what's been happening behind the scenes—RomCom Rescue updates, the wild growth of my Instagram community, and the launch of Spark Midlife—and then I get into the real reason I hit record:

Midlife women are not here to just cope. We're here to create. Build. Lead. And make an impact.

If you've been waiting for a sign to stop wishing and start doing… this is it.

• Why midlife feels harder than anyone warned us (and why it's not because you're "failing")

• Why I disappeared from Thrive with Kira for a bit—and what I've been doing instead

• RomCom Rescue + what I'm excited about this year

• My Instagram blowing up—and why I'm doubling down on joy content

• Spark Midlife—what it is, why I created it, and why I'm so damn excited about it

• Stress, burnout, and why "willpower" isn't the issue (and never was)

• Why history is oddly comforting right now (and also horrifying)

• The trap so many of us learned: be good, be helpful, be easy… and life will reward you

• Why I'm done watching women wait for life to happen to them

• Why I keep saying: Why not me? Why not us?

• How community is the antidote—and why we've been kept from it for so long

Here's what I'm really saying:

Stop waiting. Stop wishing. Stop giving all your time and energy to systems and people that drain you.
If there's air in your lungs, you can make impact—small or big, loud or quiet, local or online.

You don't need to become "someone else."
You need to stop shrinking the person you already are.

So many of us are frustrated by our lack of motivation or change. But here's the truth: You're not lazy. You're likely burned out, stuck in survival mode, or running on a nervous system that thinks "rest" is a threat. And willpower? It's not a moral issue—it's a limited resource, not a personality trait.

In this episode, I'm breaking down:

• Why change feels so damn hard in midlife (even when you really want it)

• What your brain is doing when you try something new—and why it slams the brakes

• How perimenopause can make motivation and memory even harder

• The difference between extrinsic and intrinsic motivation (and why one actually works)

• Why shame, blame, and "just push through" doesn't create change—but self-compassion does

This one's for every Gen X or elder millennial woman who's ever said, "I'll start Monday," only to spiral by Wednesday. Let's get into the science, the humor, and the tools that actually work when life feels stuck.

✨ Mentioned in this episode:

• Dr. Devon Price's Laziness Does Not Exist

• What's really happening in your brain during change

• Why I created Thrive Midlife (and yes, there are goats 🐐 and pizza farms 🍕)

💌 Questions or takeaways?
DM me on Instagram @kirasabin or email kira@thrivewithkira.com.
I want to hear what resonated—and where you're still feeling stuck.

Do you need more laughter and joy in midlife? That's what Thrive Midlife is all about: a small group coaching intensive for women who are ready to LIVE LIKE THEY FUCKING MEAN IT.

Real tools. Real support. Real connection. No fluff. This is your LAST chance to join Thrive before prices go up.

🍁 PLUS—this fall, we're meeting in Madison, Wisconsin for a soul-filling weekend retreat with full-on Stars Hollow in October vibes:

Lake views. Cozy sweaters. 🍎 Apple orchards. 🍕 Pizza farms. 🐐 Goats in sweaters. 🔥 Firepit chats. 🤩 Emotional breakthroughs. Real joy. Real connection.

✨ Want in? Head over to https://www.thrivewithkira.com/thrive