A mid-year reflection on being, doing, and showing up for yourself with compassion.
Hello Friends!
Somewhere along the way we crossed the halfway point of the year.
I always imagine that by July I'll have a clearer sense of momentum—a rhythm, a routine, and progress on the intentions I set back in January. Yet here I am looking at my list and realizing that some things have moved forward as intended, while others remain exactly where I left them.
Some goals have unfolded naturally.
Others are still waiting for me.
And if I'm honest, a few may require something I know to be true but don't always want to admit: not more motivation, but better systems. The small, consistent habits that quietly carry us toward what matters most. (Cue up James Clear. 🫣🤨)
The things I still want for myself haven't disappeared. Neither has my commitment to them.
The question isn't, "Why haven't I done more?"
Perhaps the better question is:
How am I showing up for myself this year?
Not perfectly.
Not all at once.
But steadily, kindly, honestly. (Which is a work in progress for me.)
I've also been reminding myself that growth doesn't always look the way we expect it to.
Some years are about building.
Some are about healing.
Some are about expanding outward.
Others invite us inward—to reflect, recalibrate, and reconnect with ourselves.
That doesn't mean we're standing still.
One of the mindset shifts I'm continuing to practice is viewing this season not as evidence that I'm falling behind, but as part of my growth. Evolution isn't always visible in completed projects, crossed-off goals, or measurable milestones.
Sometimes growth looks like stronger boundaries, greater self-awareness, a slower pace, or learning to trust ourselves and our timing.
We're still evolving. Do I hear an “Amen?”
Just in ways that may not show up neatly on a checklist.
Lately I've also been wrestling with another tension—the space between being and doing.
For much of my life, doing came naturally. Producing. Achieving. Checking things off the list. Measuring progress by movement.
This summer feels different.
I find myself moving more slowly, lingering longer over coffee in the morning, enjoying conversations that have nowhere particular to go, reading and researching random things, and appreciating open spaces in the calendar instead of rushing to fill them.
Part of me loves it. Part of me wonders if I should be doing more.
Maybe you know that tension too. 🙋🏻♀️
Maybe one of the invitations of this second half of life is learning that our worth was never meant to be measured solely by productivity. Perhaps some seasons ask us to build and strive and expand, while others ask us to notice and receive and simply be present to our lives.
Neither season is more valuable than the other.
They are simply different.
This summer has reminded me not to take ordinary things for granted—the luxury of a slow morning, time with people I love, good health, a walk before the day gets too warm, laughter around a table, quiet moments that once would have passed unnoticed.
Time feels different these days—sometimes abundant and sometimes slipping through my fingers like water. Maybe both are true.
And still, I remain optimistic.
There is still time to begin.
Still time to recommit.
Still time to grow in ways we cannot yet see.
More and more, I'm learning to stop fighting the season I'm in and instead ask what it might be trying to teach me.
Maybe this slower pace isn't a detour.
Maybe this is exactly where I'm supposed to be.
Maybe owning our season—whatever it happens to be—is one of the most important forms of wisdom available to us.
So, as we move into the second half of the year, I'm curious:
- How are you showing up for yourself so far this year?
- Where have you grown or evolved, even if it wasn't on your original list of goals?
- Are you needing more doing or more being right now?
- What are you no longer taking for granted?
Perhaps the goal isn't to catch up. Perhaps it's simply to be fully present to the life that's here now.
As always, I'm cheering you on as you navigate your own season with intention, compassion, and curiosity.
✨Why Optimism Matters
Research continues to show that optimism is more than a personality trait—it's a powerful contributor to healthy aging, resilience, and longevity. Optimistic people tend to manage stress more effectively, make healthier choices, stay socially connected, and recover more quickly from setbacks and life transitions.
Perhaps most encouraging of all, optimism is not something we're simply born with; it's a skill that can be strengthened. One evidence-based practice called Best Possible Self invites us to imagine and visualize a future where our efforts, values, and intentions have unfolded in meaningful and fulfilling ways. By regularly focusing our minds on possibility, growth, and what is still possible, we can begin to rewire our brains toward greater optimism and resilience. Read more about the science and simple exercise here.
Curious to try the Best Possible Self practice for yourself? Use this worksheet to explore optimism and your Best Possible Self.
This week, consider spending 10 minutes imagining your best possible future self—not a perfect life, but a meaningful one aligned with your values and hopes. You might be surprised by what shifts.
THIS & THAT
One unexpected joy this summer has been watching the games of the FIFA World Cup. ⚽ Even during my travels, soccer fever seemed to be everywhere—fans wearing jerseys in airports, games streaming on televisions, and entire sections of airplanes quietly (or not so quietly!) cheering for their teams.
While our U.S. team may no longer be in the tournament, I've loved seeing fans continue to show up, celebrate great play, and root for the remaining teams. There is something special about witnessing a shared global experience that brings people together across languages, cultures, and borders.
Perhaps that's why this year's celebration of our nation's 250th anniversary feels meaningful, too. I've found myself reflecting on those familiar words from the Declaration of Independence—that we are all entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Not the guarantee of happiness.
But the freedom to pursue it.
In this season of life, that pursuit may look different than it once did. Perhaps it looks less like striving and more like savoring. Less about achievement and more about alignment. More slow mornings, meaningful work, deep relationships, purpose, contribution, and joy found in ordinary moments.
Maybe one of the gifts of midlife and beyond is finally giving ourselves permission to define happiness on our own terms.
If you haven't caught a World Cup game yet, consider tuning in this week. Even if you're not a soccer fan, there is something contagious about the energy, pride, and sense of shared experience that surrounds it.
🥳Save the Date….
When/Where: Wednesday, August 26, 2026, at Basalt Cellars.
Theme: “In This Season: The Chapter I Never Imagined.”
Many women in midlife and beyond find themselves in a chapter they never quite pictured. After years spent raising families, building careers, caring for others, and showing up for the people who needed them, they look around and think, "I never really imagined my life would look like this."
This season can bring excitement, uncertainty, grief, freedom, curiosity, and possibility—sometimes all at once. Join a wonderful community of women for an afternoon of reflection, conversation, and easy laughs as we explore what it means to move from a finished story mindset to an ongoing story mindset.
Rather than closing the book, let’s open the door to an ongoing story—one shaped not by certainty, but by intention, curiosity, and choice. One that recognizes we’re still growing, still becoming, and still shaping what comes next.
We may not have planned this chapter, but we still get to participate in writing it. Because perhaps the question isn't whether life turned out exactly as we imagined—but now that we're here, how do we want to live it?
Be watching for the email to register in the next few weeks!
FINAL THOUGHTS
So here's my invitation for the weeks ahead: (Choose all that apply ☺️)
⚽ Watch a World Cup game.
🍨 Eat the ice cream.
🚶🏼♀️ Take the walk.
📖 Read the book.
💤 Sleep in occasionally.
🤔 Practice curiosity.
🎨 Be creative.
🌱 Stay present.
📣 Cheer for yourself as enthusiastically as you cheer for everyone else.
And wherever this season finds you, trust that you're not behind.
You're simply living your life in real time, one season at a time.
Warmly,
Judy
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