Tag: writing

It’s Never Too Late To Fuel Your Fire

At 57 years old, I’m starting a new business.

There are days when that feels exciting and empowering… and other days when it feels absolutely terrifying.

Starting something new later in life comes with a unique kind of vulnerability. You’re old enough to understand the risks. Old enough to know things may not go perfectly. Old enough to hear all the voices that tell women at this age to stay comfortable, stay realistic, and stop chasing new dreams.

But deep down, I knew I wasn’t done growing.

And maybe that’s exactly why Fuel Your Fire came into my life at the right time.

One of the things I love most about this business is that it was created from real conversations between women who are living full, complicated, beautiful lives. Women balancing careers, families, aging parents, changing bodies, shifting identities, big dreams, and the constant pressure to take care of everyone else first.

Somewhere along the way, so many women stop asking themselves an important question:

What lights me up at this stage of my life?

That question matters.

Because I don’t believe women are meant to slowly disappear into the background as they get older. I believe we are still meant to evolve. To explore. To build. To learn. To connect. To rediscover parts of ourselves that may have been buried under years of responsibility and survival mode.

That’s the heart of Fuel Your Fire.

We want to create community-based experiences where women can reconnect with themselves and with each other. Spaces where wellness is looked at holistically—not just fitness or nutrition, but confidence, purpose, connection, joy, growth, creativity, and support. We want women to walk away feeling inspired, energized, and reminded that they matter too.

And honestly, this business is doing that for me already.

It’s reminding me that excitement still matters at 57.

Passion still matters at 57.

Dreams still matter at 57.

I think there’s this unspoken idea that reinvention belongs to younger people. That starting businesses, chasing big ideas, or trying something new should happen in your 20s or 30s. But I don’t think growth has an expiration date.

Sometimes the second half of life is where the real magic begins.

Not because we suddenly become fearless, but because we finally understand how precious time really is.

I also think a lot about my granddaughter when I reflect on this journey. I want her to grow up seeing women who continue becoming. Women who are willing to take chances on themselves. Women who understand that fear and courage often walk side by side.

I want her to know she never has to stop growing into herself.

Truthfully, I don’t know exactly where this journey will lead. Building something new is messy. It’s uncertain. There are moments of self-doubt and moments where I wonder if I’m completely out of my mind.

But there’s also energy.
Purpose.
Connection.
Hope.

And maybe that’s the biggest lesson I’m learning right now:

It’s never too late to fuel your fire.

Not at 40.
Not at 57.
Not ever.

Because the things that excite us, challenge us, and call us forward are often the very things that keep us fully alive.

Why I Strike a Superhero Pose on My Long Runs

At some point during most of my long runs, I stop, turn toward my phone, and strike what I lovingly call my superhero pose—hands on hips, chest lifted, standing tall. Sometimes I’m sweaty. Sometimes I’m tired. Sometimes I’m questioning every life choice that led me to this exact mile.

And every single time, I take the photo anyway.

The idea for this pose didn’t come from a running book or a coach. It actually came from an episode of Grey’s Anatomy. In the scene, one of the characters talks about “power posing”—standing in a confident, expansive posture for a short amount of time to change how you feel. The claim was that holding a superhero-style stance for just two minutes could increase testosterone, lower cortisol, and boost confidence.

Naturally, I was skeptical. Two minutes of standing still doesn’t exactly sound like a magic fix.

So I did what many of us do when something catches our attention: I researched it. And while the science isn’t perfect or unanimous, there is evidence suggesting that posture can influence mindset. Standing tall, taking up space, and opening your body can signal confidence to your brain—even if you don’t feel particularly confident in the moment.

Here’s the thing: I never stand in that pose for two minutes. Sometimes it’s ten seconds. Sometimes it’s just long enough to snap a photo and laugh at myself. But somehow, it still works.

Over time, the superhero pose has become a tradition—my own quiet ritual during long runs. It’s a pause that says, Look at you. You’re doing this. It’s a reminder that showing up matters, even when the run isn’t perfect, even when my body feels different than it used to.

And in the last few years, my body has changed—dramatically. Perimenopause and menopause brought exhaustion, weight gain, brain fog, and a sense of disconnect that I wasn’t prepared for. I didn’t always recognize the runner staring back at me in the mirror. Some days, I still don’t.

There are moments—mid-run, mid-mile, mid-thought—when I ask myself why I keep pushing. Why I keep training. Why I keep lacing up when things feel harder than they used to.

The answer isn’t about pace or distance or race goals anymore.

I keep going because running helps me feel like me.

The superhero pose is my way of honoring that. It’s not about pretending I’m invincible or strong all the time. It’s about acknowledging resilience. About standing tall in a body that’s changing. About claiming pride in the effort, not just the outcome.

So yes, I’ll keep stopping on my long runs. I’ll keep striking that pose. I’ll keep reminding myself—on tired legs and uncertain days—that strength doesn’t disappear just because things change.

Sometimes, strength looks like simply showing up… and standing tall long enough to remember who you are.