Have you ever felt tired of settling, even when your life looked good on the outside? In this personal Dear What’s Next letter, I’m sharing my own story of midlife reinvention—the quiet frustration, the fear of the unknown, and the shifts that started changing how I saw myself and what I wanted.

This letter comes from my table. From remembering the woman I used to be and realizing she might be you.

For years, I showed up for the job, the family, and everyone else while quietly wondering, “Is this it?” I stayed in what I call the settling lane because it was familiar. I knew the rules. I knew how much of myself I had to fold up to stay there.

What changed began with a shift in my mindset, my environment, and what I was willing to admit I wanted for my life.

In this letter, I share:

• What settling looked and felt like in my own life.
• Why fear of the unknown kept me choosing the familiar.
• How I began questioning thoughts like “It’s too late” and “Who do you think you are?”
• Why I needed different conversations and influences around me.
• What happened when I sat at my table and honestly wrote down what I wanted next.

If you’re feeling stuck in midlife, questioning your purpose, or ready to rediscover yourself, I hope you recognize a little of your own story in mine.

Your reflection for this week

Sit at your own table. Take out a piece of paper and give yourself ten minutes to answer:

“What do I want for my life now?”

Write from the perspective of the woman you are today. Don’t polish it. Don’t justify it. Let yourself be honest.

Two questions to take with you:

• Where am I settling because the familiar feels safer than the unknown?
• What is one shift I’m ready to make in my mindset or environment?

Find your starting point

If the blank page feels intimidating, take the Reinvention Quiz and access the free She Shift app: https://she-shifting.base44.app

If you recognized yourself in this letter, leave me a review on Apple Podcasts. Share this episode with a midlife woman who needs to hear that she can want more for her life.

Follow She Shift: Midlife Reinvention for Women, hosted by Pamela Stone, for personal letters and honest conversations about confidence, identity, purpose, and discovering what’s next.

Rediscover. Realign. Rise.

Hi Midlife Friend,

You're sitting at the table. The house is quiet. And in front of you is a blank page, because you don't know your what's next yet.

In this week's Dear What's Next letter, I'm talking about the two feelings that showed up when I looked at my own blank page: scared and excited. Both at the same time. And why you don't have to pick one.

In this letter:

• Why the blank page isn't a failure. It's a starting line.
• The two feelings that show up when you start over
• A three-line exercise to find your thread
• What to do when the words won't come (hint: pictures)

Your three lines (ten minutes, no editing):

1. When did I last feel alive?
2. What am I tired of tolerating?
3. What would I try if nobody was watching?

This week's mantra: I am not waiting to be ready. I am rising as I go.

Not sure what your lines are pointing to? Take the Reinvention Quiz and find out which version of you is ready to be introduced: she-shifting.base44.app

Write back: What's on your page? Which line was easiest, and which one stopped you? Email sheshiftpodcast@gmail.com. I read every one.

New Dear What's Next letters every Friday.

What does it take to turn an idea into a movement? This week on Table Talk Tuesday, Pamela Stone sits down with Regina Rembert, founder of Think Veterans First, a Columbus, Ohio nonprofit leading a nationwide movement to champion the economic power of veteran-owned businesses.

Regina is a 22-year Army Reserve veteran and a proud Buckeye. She started Think Veterans First in 2020, during the pandemic, because no “shop local” movement was centered on veteran-owned businesses. Now she’s building a network, hosting expos that draw people from across the country, and creating an app to make veteran-owned businesses easy to find.

In this episode:

• How the pandemic pushed Regina to start Think Veterans First
• The Vet Ohio Expo: 43 businesses in 2021, and exhibitors now coming from across the country
• Owned By a Vet, an app in the works that will list veteran-owned businesses nationwide
• A story about Precision Pest Control, an Air Force veteran’s business
• Why supporting veterans is more than financial
• Advice for veterans with a business idea they keep putting off

Upcoming events:

Buy Vet Business Expo Friday, October 23 | 1:00-4:00 PM Columbus Convention Center, Columbus, OH A kickoff to Buy Veteran Week (Nov 1-8). Shop and network with veteran-owned businesses.

VetStravaganza Friday, November 6 | Doors 6:30 PM, program 7:00-10:00 PM Villa Milano, Columbus, OH A celebration of Think Veterans First’s sixth year, with five veteran acts, judges, awards, a buffet dinner, a cash bar, and a live band. Tickets: $50 veterans | $75 general public | Table of 8: $400 Search “VetStravaganza” on Eventbrite, or register at thinkveteransfirst.org/vetstravaganza

Connect with Think Veterans First: Website: www.thinkveteransfirst.org (volunteer tab on the site) Email Regina: Rembert30@gmail.com Monthly newsletter (first Sunday of each month): send Regina your email to join Also on Facebook and LinkedIn

Chapters: 00:00 Welcome and introduction 01:00 Meet Regina Rembert 03:00 Founding Think Veterans First 05:00 Building a nationwide network 07:00 The Owned By a Vet app 08:00 Veteran success stories 11:00 Upcoming events: Buy Vet Business Expo 13:00 VetStravaganza 16:00 Newsletter, website, and wrap-up 18:00 Advice for aspiring veteran entrepreneurs 19:30 Closing and sign-off

Be a guest: Are you a nonprofit leader with a vision? Table Talk Tuesday is looking for its next guest. Email visionsmadellc@gmail.com.

Table Talk Tuesday is a Vision Made Media production.

Every episode starts with a vision and ends with impact.