By Marianne Clyde
Just calm down. You can’t do that. You’re way too old. You might get hurt. You’ll slow everyone down. It’s not very sophisticated. Women your age don’t do that. Really? Don’t be ridiculous.
Societal pressures. Traditional perspectives. Outdated roles for women.
It’s amazing how because of how deeply these things might be ingrained in a culture, how very deep the roots might be.
We still have dreams. Maybe they are a little rusty. After all we’ve spent the first 50 years of our lives doing what we “should” do, what’s expected of us, sacrificing ourselves for the needs of others.
None of that is wrong. I love having children. I adore my kids, step-kids and grandchildren. I love my daughters in law and my sons in law. I don’t regret any of it.
I was honored and privileged to spend the last days and hours with each of my parents when they died. I was so glad to be available for my husband after he collapsed in the airport and recovered from his bypass surgery.
And I continue to be privileged to be available for friends and clients as well as family.
But now as I age, I have more freedom to do as I please. More time to devote to other things. More financial opportunities. More experience, more wisdom and more perspective than ever before.
I am now living dreams I never even knew I had.
But I see many women still listening to a cultural norm that says, “Maybe you should just slow down a bit. You’re not getting any younger.”
My answer for that is, you are right! I’m not getting any younger. But I’m not slowing down.
Every day is more precious. And every day, the opportunity to share who I am and what I am and what I have learned is getting shorter and shorter.
I have learned many lessons along the way and have insights that will help other women not make the same mistakes I made and maybe not have to wait to learn what they need to learn as long as I did.
There’s not a moment to lose.
We are all connected. We benefit from knowing our core value and how important every moment of our lives has truly been. We should not waste a moment stuck in some false narrative that says we should slow down, be quiet, let others shine instead of us.
Oh my goodness. By shining your light NOW, as bright as you can, you actually empower those coming after you to have the courage to shine. You were created for this. You were created full of love and joy and peace and creativity.
Years of conditioning have obscured that truth and covered it with, “You come last darling. Don’t expect too much from life, or you will be disappointed.”
When you are a star at your very center, created to shine bright, and brighter than ever, now that you are in this most fabulous time of your life. You are created to lead the way for others to be inspired just by watching you live your dreams. You are a supernova, shining its brightest as its years become less.
There is nothing you cannot do when you put your mind to it, when you are brave enough to ask for help and take the risk to help others along the way. We are here to make the planet a better place by shining the light of life as bright as we can.
Your light will pierce through the division, the hate, the cloud of negativity that hovers over so much of the world these days. Allow your light to dissipate the darkness by your very presence.
Be bold. Shine bright. Now.
Marianne coaches women leaders to kick it up a notch, think bigger, increase their impact and their income.
For 35 years she has been helping clients live more productive and abundant lives. As an award winning businessperson and psychotherapist, best selling author and speaker, Marianne has built multiple businesses, learning to adapt and adjust as circumstances changed over time. She is a MindValley Certified Hypnotherapist, trained by Paul McKenna. In 2016, she founded the Be the Change Foundation, a non-profit organization that trains and equips women to be entrepreneurs so they, like her, can live their dreams.
Marianne’s books help free readers from destructive thought patterns while learning tools to change them. They include:
Peaceful Parenting: 10 Essential Principles (2013)- https://www.amazon.com/Peaceful-Parenting-10-Essential-Principles-ebook/dp/B00EMEGBSU
UnLeashed: Practical Steps to Get Your Life Unstuck, (2017)- https://www.amazon.com/Leashed-Practical-Steps-Your-Unstuck/dp/1533017700
Zentivity: How to Eliminate Chaos, Stress and Discontent in Your Workplace (2018)- https://www.amazon.com/Zentivity-Eliminate-Stress-Discontent-Workplace-ebook/dp/B07964YY87
