Midlife. It took awhile for me to realize that I was actually in a midlife journey. I was completely unprepared for this chapter and had no idea I was going to find myself questioning every single thing in my life. Who was I? What did I want to “do” with my life now that our daughter had left for college?

My journey took me to the mountains, a completely unexpected and unplanned path. Seriously? The mountains? Where did that come from?? What started out as one climb of Mt. Rainier here in Washington was followed by many more. I found myself in places I never in my wildest imagination dreamed I would be climbing. Africa, Ecuador, Bhutan, Russia, Argentina, Alaska, Mexico, Nepal.

I now know that I needed to step out of my life and into the mountains to find me. I needed to silence the noise, ask questions and just listen. In the beginning all I could do was take it all in. I was absorbing the wisdom each trip gave me, but I still didn’t know what it meant in my life or whether I was ready to do something with that wisdom.

It was during my fourth trip to the Himalayas in 2014, trekking to Everest Base Camp, that I spent a lot of time thinking about how unbelievably grateful I was to have had these opportunities. These experiences profoundly changed the course of my life and I knew it was time for me to come home and find a way to start sharing them. To help other women believe that they too could find a way to redefine the possibilities in their lives. The vision for You Have To Just Start was born and has now become a reality.

100 Women’s Journeys is part of that vision. It’s about creating a way to connect with you – one to one. It’s how community is created and right now we all need that. I know all about my midlife story, but there are so many others that need to be told. Like yours. This is about creating a space for you to be heard. Why? Because your story and your experiences matter – to me, and yes, to the world. I know that in spite of what we’ve been programmed culturally to believe, midlife is not crisis and endings. It’s about beginnings. Transition. Possibilities. Opportunities. Exploration.

This is a powerful time for women in our country. We are standing up and making our voices heard. We have the opportunity to share our wisdom with others walking beside us. Midlife is an unlimited and untapped resource. We have the capacity to inspire, create and transform others in our world.

What will I do with your stories? Right now, I honestly don’t know.  What I do know is it’s important for me to start, and I know talking with you is going to help me figure out where we go from here.  For now, I’m going to gather your stories. I’m going to learn from you and absorb your wisdom. I’m going to explore how we can build a community that can help the next woman walking behind us.

If this sounds like an easy yes for you, I would be honored to spend 30 minutes on a call with you. Whatever stage you’re at in your midlife journey – just beginning and feeling a bit lost,  in the middle and finding your way, or walking out on the other side and starting a new chapter, I want to hear about it. If you feel like you wouldn’t even know where to start, I’ll have some questions – the same ones I’ve asked myself. I have a hunch we’ll quickly feel like old friends because we have some things in common.

Are you willing to help me create this community by sharing your experiences with me? There’s something powerful about raising your hand and saying “I want to be heard too”. My arms are wide open and I’m ready to walk beside you. To listen – because your story matters!