Cresting The Hill

Great thoughts Leanne! I was a brave little soul early on -- I remember facing off with my best friend who was a boy twice my size, and threatening to hurt him when we'd get in an argument. He would simply laugh as others held me back. But somewhere along the way I lost it for a while. Since my first midlife crisis at 30, I've had moments of incredible courage -- and worked very hard to find my voice and own my truth. But it takes constant effort as I try to build both a client-based business (my current work) and an author platform (hopefully my next reinvention in the coming years). I think maybe at our more vulnerable moments it takes more effort to be brave. Thanks for introducing me to Mary Lou's blog and to Sarah!

I'm not a little like you, Leanne. I'm a LOT like you. Learning to be brave, learning to speak my truth. And being inspired by reading you and others who model both so very well.

It's never too late to start. It's funny, I was always told what I should be, yet believed that I could be something different. Somewhere along the way I went back to the shoulds...and am now working again on the coulds.

Hi, Leanne - I completely agree. It is NEVER too late to become the person that we have the capacity to be. Great post!

This post really really resonates with me Leanne. As a child I was told children should be seen and not heard. It wasn't until u turned 50 that I started to come out of that box. I do believe e now that we can do anything we put our mind to. You are proving it with your writing. I love reading the words you write.

Leanne I was born in 1950 but was seen as being strong by most. I was the oldest and very outspoken. I really came into my strength since I have turned 60. I do wish I had known my strength and value when I was younger.

Hi Leanne you know my thoughts on feeling that it is never too late. I actually matriculated to go to University and wanted to be a teacher, however, my parents asked 'why did I want to go when I would be getting married and having children'. Now I was brought up in a house full of love but unfortunately, limiting and I never was brave enough to do what I wanted to do. Now at almost 61 like you I started a blog 3 years ago and never thought anyone would read it. Now I've even had a speaking engagement and receive comments about how inspiring my posts are. Who would have thought? Imagine where we both would have been if we had had the courage earlier in life? But then, I wouldn't have had my beautiful children and my gorgeous grandsons, would I? It is never too late and we are never too old, my friend. xx

Hari OM
While there are general trends in parenting, mine broke the mold; as a late 1950s girl child, my folks were happy that I asked questions and challenged notions, that I wanted to strip engines and do woodwork... mum fought the school on 'streaming' of subjects according to gender and I finally got to do technical drawing. I am naturally shy, but learned early techniques for overcoming that - thanks to an amazing mother. Did this mean I was brave and could speak up for myself? Not really. That natural shyness ensured continually being overlooked and underestimated. That all changed when I made my own decision to emigrate Down Under. Clean slate, no expectations of those who think they know who you are and what you 'should' be... I think we can all look back and wonder if we had known then what has been learned since. I don't believe I would change anything. YAM xx

This post resonated a lot with me. So true that kids back then were taught to be seen not heard and yes it is never too late to do the things we want to. I always wanted to learn martial arts so at the age of 48 I took up karate and stayed with it for 2 years until my back packed up and I had to stop. So yes, it's never too late. Nice post.

This is inspiring thanks Leanne. It's never too late to push ourselves out of our comfort zone :)

I don't think I'm brave. I mean, I'm brave in big things, just like I handle big change well.
Move overseas? No problem.
Take on a huge job or new task? I'm on it.
But I'm not brave in the little things - talking to strangers, changing my clothing style ... anything people might see and judge. Well, I guess people judge me for a lot of the big stuff too, but I am not brave where the risk means opening myself to potential face-to-face ridicule. I'm a terrible chicken about that.

It is never to late to become who you were always meant to be. Here’s to being over 50 and fearless! Rock on!

Great post Leanne. It takes courage to be courageous for sure. Mid life and beyond we realize what are the consequences for not living who we are; jail, prison, no Christmas, no birthday cake? We can take ridicule or embarrassment for what? For being our authentic selves? Bring it on sister!

Although raised in the 60s, my experience was different than yours Leanne. I was encouraged to be anything I wanted to be. I was quite brave as a small child. I lost a lot of that bravery during abusive relationships later on in life, but I am happy to be rebounding back to my childhood badass self, where I intend to stay. Here's to getting and staying brave!
Thanks - great post!

Deb

I think you are braver than you think you are..we all are. Us women have had to be brave. My Mother was a brave woman and she taught me to be one too...and I was born in 1949. I was different and didn't follow the leader...I chose my own paths and right or wrong made mistakes along the way...but I survived because I was brave!

What a powerful quote. I was born in '61 and I know that feeling of being seen not heard. When my parents had parties, we would have to come out, parade around, get told we were cute and then we were sent back to bed. And like you it wasn't until I was in my 40's/50's that I started to find my voice. I even blogged for several years without telling friends and family, only spilling the beans in 2016 after 3 years of blogging.

I've never been particularly courageous. I've always been more of a mediator. You encourage me to find that spark within myself!

Excellent, Leanne! I grew up during the same time period and was told to be "seen and not heard", told "no college for you" and when I was ambitious about a career, "why do you want to compete in a man's world?" "You'll never live on your own", but I did. I finally gained confidence and vision when I was 32 years old. I wanted to sell Mary Kay and I had to stand up in front of a table full of women to do that, excellent training and encouragement made that happen and helped me from then on. We all need encouragement and times change!

and brave you now Leanne with a warriors heart of stepping into the love of life - I recall similar childhood and although I spent most of it afraid I was outspoken and wanted to go my own way.leaving home at 16 wearing a lot of guilt I kept forging into a life and feeling like the outsider again and again and again...What I think midlife has given me is the notion that the outside is really the inside and it is ok totally ok to be me to be of the mind and heart that cries for peace and loving kindness for fairness and gratitude - I now find I am one of many and not the lonely voice I was as a child...I
do acknowledge that I missed many opportunities thru fear and lack of support for myself but today is a new moment and it is a truly great time to be alive..thanks leanne for this reflection..

I think of myself as someone who prefers safety over risk.
And still I'm the only one among my group of friends who left my country to pursue my dreams, and people call me brave for doing so.
I like to follow a saying that goes like this "probieren geht über^s Studieren", it's in German and means one should rather go for it and try instead of being stuck reflecting. Makes sense, right?

Off and running with another week of #MLSTL, Leanne. I'm sharing on Social Media my friend. xx

I agree Leanne it's never too late to make changes and go for what we think we're capable of. Thanks for hosting MLSTL.

It's so true that we were not told we could be whatever we wanted to be like the kids of today are. When I was at school there were three choices presented to me. I could be a teacher, a nurse, or a Secretary. I didn't want to be a teacher or nurse and I was good at typing and shorthand so I became a Secretary. I always believed I was not smart and that I had to do what I was told and what was expected of me. It was motherhood that revealed to me who I really was. Suddenly I had three humans I was responsible for. I was their advocate. I had to be brave and courageous and speak and act on their behalf. I discovered there was more to me. Eventually I realised I actually WAS smart and capable of more than I had been lead to believe. I got braver with my career and moved into project work, policy work, strategic planning and project management. I'm so glad that my kids had far more opportunity and a much much more supportive and encouraging support system telling them they could do or be whatever they wanted! xo

Also from the 1947 era, this post really speaks to me. When I graduated high school, you either went to college, got a job or got married. If you went to college, many only did it to find a husband. I got married, had 2 kids and then got divorced. Second marriage, I stumbled into what would be my career. A mostly male occupied one but I did well, even without college (other than courses taken as needed).

Now almost 71, I know how strong I am - surviving childhood incest, two abusive husbands and then losing my third husband/soulmate to cancer after twenty years. I took an around country solo motorcycle journey the next year, and two years later, sold the house and everything in it to become a full-time RVer (caravaner).

Yes, I am woman - I am strong!

Great reminder Leanne that it's never too late. I wouldn't say "Boo" to a goose until I was about 40, and rarely ever offered an opinion at a dinner party even. I'm so much braver now and boldness is something I think you are either born with or otherwise have to learn irrespective of the time or age you were born.

Now or never, indeed! I find courage to be such a practice so I'm confident you'll get where you want to go with this. Just keep on choosing courage as often as you can. Good luck!

This is a most courageous and moving post in which I can read how much having the blog and connecting with many more people than you may have ever thought you would know is happening NOW. No it is never too late. I was a teen of the 1960s and must thank (and I have actually) my father for his encouragement and insistence I finish school at HSC level and following training or Uni in a career I wanted. I was never told you can't be this or that but I was never quite understood by my mother. Mum had worked before kids but once we came along she became a housewife and stayed at home. Mind you, she did a lot of volunteer work for the schools and scouts and guides. I can honestly say I was fortunate to do what I did. Mind you, my father STILL thinks he can tell me what to do but I no longer take notice...he is 94 and around 4 years ago I told him it was time to stop!!!!
Thank you for linking up for #lifethisweek. Next week's optional prompt is Share Your Snaps 5. A 'show off your photos' post! Denyse

What beautiful and wonderful words that are said. Things have changed so much in the world and they have changed for the better. #MLSTL

I was not a brave little girl. I was stubborn and determined, but was typical of girls in the 60s - told to be quiet and not make waves. And then one day I woke up after having had a major setback and realized that I'd survived the setback and come out the other side. That made me braver because I finally realized what I could overcome. My motto became "They can't kill me!" There's something liberating about realizing that you've come through serious stuff and lived to tell about it. But how nice it would have been to have known it all sooner. At least my daughter has been raised to be fearless (and boy, is she!).

I'm not sure how a relatively short post could resonate so strongly but it does. I'm a child of the 50s and the 60s - a late-in-life Oops! who was expected to be greater than the siblings who went before without the encouragement or guidance to step into my greatness. I call myself a 'work in progress' as I know I can do this!

Thanks for another great post, Leanne. I am introverted by nature, but also passionate about life and my beliefs, so that makes for an interesting combination of competing personality traits. I think of myself as being timid, but I have accomplished some pretty courageous things--like applying for an executive-level job, asking for a divorce, bearing and raising children, zip lining, starting a blog. I believe I am courageous, but now I need to own it and embrace it. Who knows where that could take me. Thanks for the inspiration.

Courageous is not a term I would use to describe myself - yet. But I'm working on it, one small step at a time.

Like you, my blog is where I am stepping out - timidly for now but I hope to grow more bold as time goes on. I think what I'm discovering is that I first write and share for myself. And if others laugh and scoff at my feeble attempts, they don't have to read my scribblings :)

Nice post, Leanne. I am not hesitant to take decisions, only that I have to be convinced about it. I stay clear of conflicts. I am more of a cautious person. I think many times before I speak or do something.

Hi Leanne that is brilliant advice, it seems fitting to hear that even in midlife we can change to become the person we want to be - when I’m visiting from the Midlife Share the Love link up

Something to keep in mind in tight times

Sonia - Losing the Plot

I am learning to be more courageous now than I have ever been. I wish I had been more courageous when I was younger, I know I held myself back through fear.

I'm so inspired by what you wrote Leanne! And especially grateful that the quote of Sarah's was the prompt behind this wonderful post! You're a blessing to all of us through your gift of writing. I still have Sarah's 1995 book 'Simple Abundance' by my bedside and it's filled with lessons about life. Sharing on Social Media!
www.meinthemiddlewrites.com

I wish I was braver!

I could have written this - so very much my own story. Divorce, single motherhood, and other things in life have forced some degree of courage on my end, but I never really feel brave. After losing my mother in 2011 and then my father in 2016, I realized there are many times I have been brave, but never realized it until after the fact. My first intentionally brave act was to gift myself with a tattoo; I had wanted one for years. It states simply "Be Brave" as a reminder of all that I can do/be if I make the choice.

This goes along so well with stepping outside my comfort zone. That quote from Sarah Ban Breathnach is beautiful and so wise. If only we all realized the little warrior within us at an earlier age!