Navigate Change and Transition with The W.I.S.E.R. Woman’s Blog

Here I share stories, strategies and ideas with you about the journey to becoming the woman you desire and have always wanted to be.

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From Rituals to Intuition: A Midlife Woman’s Spiritual Awakening
Joan Ridsdel Joan Ridsdel

From Rituals to Intuition: A Midlife Woman’s Spiritual Awakening

My search for that deep inner wisdom and the Wiser Woman within has been going on since I can remember and of course has evolved over time. 

The stories I write about in this post are the ones that stand out as I’ve reflected on my quest to find, define and connect with Spirit. It all began when I was a child. 

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Rethinking Aging:  The Longevity Mindset & Aging Consciously
Joan Ridsdel Joan Ridsdel

Rethinking Aging: The Longevity Mindset & Aging Consciously

On my 50th birthday I woke up to the thought that I was more than halfway through my life and that I’d better make the most of what was left, even though I wasn’t sure exactly what that meant. 

I imagined standing on my timeline facing my past, now a middle-aged woman, witnessing a long line of all the people and events unfolding from the day I was born to that moment.

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Feeling Stuck or Stirred? What Your Quiet Mornings Are Telling You
Joan Ridsdel Joan Ridsdel

Feeling Stuck or Stirred? What Your Quiet Mornings Are Telling You

I’m sitting quietly this morning sipping my first cup of coffee noticing a feeling of unrest or longing or anticipation, maybe frustration - or perhaps a mix of all of them.

I’m grateful for these moments and this time in life. As a woman in midlife I’ve become someone who can allow, and sit with, these feelings. Past versions of me wouldn’t have tolerated the discomfort - I’d have bypassed them by getting up and carrying on with my day.

These moments in midlife remind me to listen to my inner longings….

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Can There Be Order in Chaos?
Joan Ridsdel Joan Ridsdel

Can There Be Order in Chaos?

I spent time at my grandson’s music class yesterday, a gift to me as a woman in midlife, a grandma who treasures these moments not having had grandmothers in her life to attend classes, concerts or games.

 

And, as I write this I realize some of you reading my post may not be a grandmother – no worries, there’s more to this story, a message for all of us whether in midlife or not to take away.  It just happens that I learned the lesson I’m about to share with again through my grandson and his music class.

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How I Invited Loss and Joy to Join Me
Joan Ridsdel Joan Ridsdel

How I Invited Loss and Joy to Join Me

You’d think I’d have so many more things figured out now that I’m a woman well into mid-life, especially regarding grief and loss, wouldn’t you? 

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Tending to Midlife: Why Hope Needs Habit, Heart and Action
Joan Ridsdel Joan Ridsdel

Tending to Midlife: Why Hope Needs Habit, Heart and Action

Whenever I’ve lost hope, especially during midlife transitions, life has felt stark, depressing, and fearful.  I’m grateful that it has only happened a handful of times throughout my lifetime. 

For the most part, I’ve more often than not felt the opposite – hopeful, a glass half-full kind of person, even when navigating midlife change, and even when the outcomes weren’t what I’d hoped they’d be. 

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My Kids Roll Their Eyes     at This!
Joan Ridsdel Joan Ridsdel

My Kids Roll Their Eyes at This!

I’ve had many comments and eye rolls from my family about Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) or Tapping when I share how powerful a tool it is for calming our bodies and minds. As I write this, I can hear them, a note of sarcasm embedded in their voices - “yah, Ok Mom”, “no one wants to tap with you”, or “you’re the only one who thinks its a good idea!”

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Why Write?
Joan Ridsdel Joan Ridsdel

Why Write?

As I was exploring what to write about this week, I came across Anne-Laure Le Cunff’s blog post “Why I Write - and Why You Should Too”. She’s a successful writer and a popular one - 100,000 people have had eyes on her posts, something she never expected to happen when she began writing once a week.

The question she asked herself after reaching this milestone was “would I keep on writing if no one ever read my words?”.

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Life as an Experiment
Joan Ridsdel Joan Ridsdel

Life as an Experiment

What if you could approach your life through the lens of “it’s an experiment”?

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Simplicity, Patience & Compassion
Joan Ridsdel Joan Ridsdel

Simplicity, Patience & Compassion

“I have just three things to teach: simplicity, patience, compassion. These three are your greatest treasures.” ~ Lao Tzu

I was sharing my weight loss journey with some friends the other day and realized Lao Tzu’s 3 greatest treasures are exactly what I’ve been learning and putting into practice.

Has the last 6 months been easy?

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Women Rise
Joan Ridsdel Joan Ridsdel

Women Rise

Happy International Women’s Day (IWD)!

Of course I would write about women today! This is a challenging time - Google and Apple have removed IWD from their calendar, women’s rights are being systematically eroded in the US, and women continue to fight for equality, respect, and freedom throughout the world. It’s shocking in this day and age!

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Embracing                       Self-Compassion
Joan Ridsdel Joan Ridsdel

Embracing Self-Compassion

It’s hard to think about self-compassion without also acknowledging our inner critic. In a recent Tap and Write Circle, we began by writing about our inner critic, that part of us that has kept many of us feeling we’re not enough, unworthy, and stuck in outdated patterns of thought and beliefs.

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In That Moment -         Little Stories Worth Telling
Joan Ridsdel Joan Ridsdel

In That Moment - Little Stories Worth Telling

In her book “Little Stories of Your Life-Find your voice, share your world and tell your story”, Laura Pashby blends photography with writing short stories. She encourages us to notice and write about moments, suggesting that “If we don’t see the value of tiny moments, we will miss the little stories.”

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“On the Brink of Everything”
Joan Ridsdel Joan Ridsdel

“On the Brink of Everything”

It was our last class in “Women Rowing North - Writing My Life Stories this week. I’ll miss writing each week to a theme - it gave me purpose and helped me explore my life at a deeper level. And, I’m grateful for the opportunity to have been introduced to authors I might not have found myself.

The final theme was called “On the Brink of Everything”, a perfect way to wrap up this series of writing classes….

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 Phenomenal Woman
Joan Ridsdel Joan Ridsdel

Phenomenal Woman

Maya Angelou said “I’m a woman Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, That’s me.”  (Watch here:  https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=248396640653105)

It’s easy to see other women as phenomenal – the confidence and self-acceptance they exude as they speak, enter a room, connect and communicate without bravado or fanfare.  They make being phenomenal look easy, “no big deal”, natural.

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The Many Layers of Belonging
Joan Ridsdel Joan Ridsdel

The Many Layers of Belonging

As I struggled to write about belonging this week images of my past flashed before me – images from when I was young and didn’t understand the intricacies of relationships but knew when I felt betrayed by someone’s words or actions, knew that it wasn’t always enough to know I could find home within. 

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