Who's in Your Corner as You Rise in Age?
Have you ever been surrounded by people and still felt like something was missing?
You have family, friends, colleagues, and plenty of people who need something from you.
Your calendar may even be full.
But when was the last time you had a conversation with someone who really wanted to know what was going on with you?
Not what you were doing for everybody else.
Not whether you finished that project or took care of that responsibility.
But how you're feeling, what you're dreaming about, and what you're hoping to do next.
As I've been talking with women in their 50s, 60s, and beyond, I keep hearing a familiar question:
What's next?
And I'm beginning to think that one of the most important things we can do as we explore that question is making sure we're not trying to figure it all out alone.
Our Lives Change. So Do Our Connections.
Think about how much our lives have changed over the years.
We've built careers, raised families, developed friendships, moved to new communities, and experienced shifts we never saw coming.
Some relationships have grown stronger. Others have quietly faded.
And sometimes, as we Rise in Age, we discover that the people who were part of one chapter of our lives aren't necessarily the people who will help us navigate the next one.
That doesn't mean there's anything wrong with those relationships.
It simply means we're changing.
Maybe you're considering retirement while your friends are still focused on their careers.
Maybe you're interested in starting a business, learning something creative, or taking a completely different direction.
Or perhaps you simply want to spend time with women who understand that growing older doesn't mean we're done growing.
We need people who can appreciate who we've been while encouraging who we're becoming.
Connection Isn't Just Nice. It Matters.
There's some interesting research that reinforces why community deserves our attention.
A University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging found that 42% of adults age 50 and older said making new friends was harder than when they were younger. The same research found that one in four felt they didn't have enough close friends.
I don't find that surprising.
Making friends when you're younger often happens naturally. School, work, raising children, and other activities bring us together.
But as life changes, we sometimes have to become more intentional about finding and maintaining those connections.
And let's face it, walking into a room full of people you don't know can be intimidating at any age!
Here's what I find encouraging.
We don't need an enormous circle of friends. We need meaningful connections with people who listen, encourage, challenge, and support us.
People we can laugh with.
People who understand that sometimes life is complicated.
And people who remind us of our possibilities when we've temporarily forgotten them ourselves.
What If We Made Connection Part of Our What's Next?
When I think about the conversations and experiences we've been creating through Women With Dynamic Purpose and the Anchor & Shift Retreat, one thing continues to stand out.
There is something powerful about women coming together with different backgrounds, experiences, and ideas, yet discovering that they share many of the same questions.
Am I doing enough for myself?
What else do I want to accomplish?
How do I begin something new?
And perhaps most importantly, where can I find people who understand?
I believe community gives us an opportunity to explore those questions without feeling like we need to have all the answers.
Sometimes all it takes is hearing another woman's story to begin looking at our own lives differently.
Her courage might inspire yours.
Her experience might help you avoid a mistake.
Or maybe you'll discover that you have something valuable to share with her.
That's the beautiful thing about community. We all have something to give, and we all have something to gain.
Try Starting With One Connection
Now, I'm not suggesting you go out and build an entirely new social circle by Friday.
That sounds exhausting!
But I am encouraging you to think about the connections you want in this next chapter of your life.
Start small.
Reach out to someone you've been meaning to reconnect with.
Find a class or group centered around something that interests you.
Invite another woman to coffee and have a conversation that goes beyond the usual updates about work and family.
And if you attend an event where you don't know anyone, remember that someone else in that room may be feeling exactly the same way.
You don't have to become best friends overnight.
Just be open to the possibility of a new connection.
And remember, relationships require nurturing. Making the first connection is only the beginning.
We Rise Better Together
One of the reasons I created the Rising in Age movement is because I believe women need spaces where our experience is valued, our curiosity is encouraged, and our desire to keep growing is celebrated.
We're not all looking for the same thing.
Some of us want new careers. Others want more creativity, better health, stronger friendships, or simply more joy in our everyday lives.
And that's wonderful.
There's no single definition of what a fulfilling next chapter should look like.
But imagine how much more interesting the journey could be if we surrounded ourselves with women who were just as curious about what's possible.
So here's my Midweek Motivation question for you:
Who is in your corner as you Rise in Age—and who might be waiting for you to invite them into yours?
Maybe your next step isn't about figuring out your entire future.
Maybe it's about finding someone to share the journey with.
Because we have so much more to learn, create, explore, and experience.
And we don't have to do it alone.
Keep shifting forward, keep connecting, and keep Rising in Age.
With love,
Cat Valyi
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