She stood in front of the mirror, toothbrush still in hand, staring at the same woman who had gotten up every day, done the hard things, kept the peace, kept the schedule, kept herself small.
Maggie didn’t recognize herself anymore. Not really.
The lines around her eyes weren’t just age. They were tiredness. Worn edges. And something else she couldn’t name.
It wasn’t that her world had just suddenly fallen apart.
No, the unraveling had been slow; one broken promise at a time.
One more time she didn’t speak up.
One more birthday she planned for everyone else and no one remembered hers.
And now?
Now she stood at the edge. Not of a cliff exactly but of something she couldn’t see the bottom of.
Becoming herself. Finally.
But where would she even begin?
When the World Quietly Unravels
Maybe you see a bit of yourself in Maggie.
Maybe your “falling apart” wasn’t loud or dramatic. Maybe it was quiet, made of tiny betrayals; some from others, some from yourself, stacked up over years.
Maybe you’ve been functioning like a pro but feeling like a ghost.
If that’s you, I want you to hear this, gently but clearly:
It’s okay to not know where to start.
But it’s not okay to believe that you’re stuck forever.
Because you’re not.
No one talks about how heavy it is to even think about changing your life when you’re already exhausted from surviving it.
The Unseen Weight
You’ve probably said things to yourself like the following. And sadly, you’re not alone:
“I should be grateful…”
“It’s too late to change.”
“I don’t even know who I am anymore.”
These thoughts don’t make you weak. They make you human.
They are very common for women who’ve experienced trauma, especially the quiet, eroding kind that happens over time: emotional neglect, staying in the background, over-giving, never being seen.
So, if you’re overwhelmed and doubting your ability to change anything at all, it makes perfect sense.
After all, you’ve been doing your best just to survive.
That’s not a moral failure. That’s your nervous system doing its job.
But survival isn’t where your story ends.
A Whisper You Can Trust
There’s a sacred moment, a quiet one that shows up for every woman on the edge.
It doesn’t come with trumpets or fireworks.
It’s not dramatic.
It’s often just a whisper.
It sounds something like this:
“There has to be more than this.”
Not louder. Just clearer.
That whisper? In truth, that’s your deeper self—your knowing self.
That whisper? It’s your deeper self—the one who still believes in you. The woman who remembers what she loves is still inside. She’s just waiting for you to turn toward her again.
Not the tired one. Not the doubting one. But the knowing one. The woman who still exists under all the rubble. She’s still in there. She just needs you to come find her.
And I promise you; she’s worth the search.
The First Step Is Not What You Think
Let me lovingly bust a myth here:
The first step is not “having a plan.”
It’s not overhauling your whole life.
It’s not deciding overnight who you are or where you’re going.
The first step is simply choosing to believe that change is possible. Even if you don’t yet believe it for yourself.
Even if the belief is just a flicker.
Even if you’re still scared. Especially if you are.
What Courage Really Looks Like
When Judy and I talk about “courageous confidence,” we’re not talking about strutting into a new life with fireworks and lipstick and a five-point plan.
We’re talking about courage that looks like:
Getting out of bed and drinking water when you wanted to disappear.
Saying “no” to something you always said yes to, just to keep the peace.
Letting yourself want something again, even though you’ve been told you shouldn’t.
Courageous Confidence isn’t a personality trait.
It’s a muscle.
And we build it together.
This is exactly why we created the Courageous Confidence course—for women just like you. Not the ones who are already thriving and confident, but the ones on the edge—where you are right now. The ones who feel the whisper but don’t know what to do next.
You don’t have to do it alone. And you don’t have to figure everything out before you begin.
You’re Not the Only One
Let me tell you something we hear all the time in our women’s groups:
“I thought I was the only one who felt this way.”
But you’re not.
There are so many of us women who have given so much to everyone else for so long, we forgot what it meant to receive. To rest. To heal. To become again.
A Safe Place to Begin Again
That’s why we’re inviting you to join us for the Rooted Resilient Radiant Weekend Retreat September 12 to 14. It’s not a self-help seminar. It’s not a conference. It’s a gentle pause, a chance to step away from the noise, the “shoulds,” and the weight of pretending you’re okay.
It’s a space to be held, seen, and reminded of your wholeness.
And you don’t have to arrive already healed. You just have to arrive.
Saying Yes to Yourself Changes Everything
Here’s what happens when a woman — any woman — says,
“I’m willing to see what else is possible.”
She may not move mountains that day.
But she begins.
And that beginning? It changes everything.
In our Courageous Confidence to an Empowered Life 5 Day Journey, we walk with you through that beginning. We help you reconnect with the values that truly matter to you, shift the beliefs that are keeping you small, and choose what you want your life to look like now, not someday.
This isn’t fluff. It’s real work. But it’s heart-centered, woman-honoring, and completely do-able with support.
You don’t need to know what’s next. Instead, just stay curious about what’s possible.
What matters is that you feel something pulling you toward change.
And no, it’s not too late.
And if that’s you? You’re ready.
You Are Not Broken. You Are Becoming.
Please hear this:
You’re not too old.
Not too late.
Not too far gone.
You are becoming.
And yes, it’s scary. But it’s also beautiful. And Judy and I are hereto walk with you, to believe in you until your belief in yourself takes root.
Two Small Steps Toward Something Beautiful
You don’t need to leap. Just step.
- Check out the Rooted Resilient Radiant Retreat happening this September. Even if it’s just to read the details and imagine yourself there. That spark? It matters.
- Book a Courageous Confidence Breakthrough Session. It’s a one-on-one chat with someone who’s been where you are. No pressure. No expectations. Just a loving conversation to explore what’s next for you.
Book Here
If you’re not quite ready to reach out but want to keep exploring, that’s okay too. You might enjoy our reflection on the power of inner language—Watch What You Think—a reminder that your thoughts shape more than you know.
You’ve survived so much already.
You’ve survived so much already. Now, it’s time to build something new—not alone, but together.
Because you deserve a life that feels like yours again.
And it starts… exactly where you are.
If this post spoke to something deep in you, you’re not alone. We invite you to browse our Wounded Women Rising blog—each post is written with women like you in mind: tender-hearted, resilient, and on the edge of something new.