In this heartening episode of "Aging with Grace & Style," Valerie addresses the multifaceted nature of women and the importance of celebrating each unique aspect of ourselves. Rejecting the limitations of merely being labeled as a mother, wife, retiree, or any other singular role, Valerie uplifts listeners with a message of self-discovery and embracement of all the "shades" that contribute to who we are. She shares anecdotes from her own life to illustrate how our roles shape us, while also acknowledging they do not define us completely. Valerie encourages listeners to revisit old passions and explore new roles to continue evolving with grace and liveliness.
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction to embracing our multifaceted identities
00:50 Valerie's experiences with the roles of motherhood and professional life
02:33 How societal labels can limit our perceived identity
03:41 Overcoming role-based identity constraints after life transitions
04:49 Exercise for reconnecting with past passions
05:38 Maintaining a sense of self amidst life's changes
06:35 Finding renewed purpose through new hobbies and roles
07:35 Acknowledging and rediscovering hidden aspects of ourselves
08:22 Conclusion and encouragement to explore new activities
09:14 Final thoughts, sharing inspiration, and call to subscribe
Key Takeaways:
Reflect on the various roles you've played throughout life and recognize they contribute to but do not solely define your multifaceted identity.
Revisit past passions and interests by recalling what brought you joy during different phases of your life, and consider reintegrating these into your present.
Embrace life transitions and changes, finding balance by maintaining hobbies or passions that keep you connected to your sense of self.
Explore and celebrate new roles, whether through hobbies or potential second careers, as a way to inject excitement and purpose into your life.
Engage in self-discovery and personal development by trying new activities or reviving old ones, and share your experiences with a supportive community using the hashtag #manyshadesofme.
Connect with me:
Let me hear your voice pod.agingwithgraceandstyle.com
Facebook, Instagram, and Threads @iamvaleriehatcher.
Email at hello@agingwithgraceandstyle.com
Join Us Next Time:
If you enjoyed this episode please share, rate, and review. Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode!
Stay tuned for more inspiring chats, tips, and stories about the midlife journey.
See you soon! Let's continue to age with grace, style, and a touch of sass.
Transcripts
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Hey there. If you ever find yourself thinking, I'm
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just a mom, I'm just a wife, I'm just
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a retiree, or I'm just you
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fill in the blank. Then this one's for you. It's
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easy to feel reduced to the roles that we play,
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but you are so much more. Today, we're
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celebrating all the shades that make each of us a
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phenomenal woman.
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Hey, friend. Ever feel like those old
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fashioned ideas about aging just don't fit you? If you're
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ready to own this incredible chapter with grace, style, and a touch
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of sass, this is your space. Welcome to the aging with
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grace and style podcast. I'm Valerie Hatcher, and I'm here
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with empowering tips, inspiring stories, and a whole lot of
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fun just for us, women over 50. So grab
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your favorite beverage, turn up the volume, and let's get
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started.
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Think about how our role shape us. Being a mother
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taught me boundless patience. Well, most
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of the time, or let's say more than I had before
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motherhood. And the kind of strength that I didn't know
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I had, It also taught me how to put
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someone else's needs ahead of mine unconditionally.
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I grew up as an only child and was used to being first.
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So this whole needs thing, it was new to
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me. But you know what? I was perfectly fine with
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putting his needs before mine. Now on the flip
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side, my professional roles have honed
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my problem solving and leadership skills.
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These experiences are part of what
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defines us. But here's the thing.
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Sometimes we start to believe that
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we're only defined by those rules.
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Most people who see me out and about or maybe
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follow me online might peg me as a
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content creator, a podcaster, or
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someone who likes fashion and style or at church. I'm the
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bookstore lady. And in the community, I used
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to be known as John's mom. And while I love
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all of those things, they're just pieces of the puzzle.
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There's also the wife, the daughter, the friend.
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We all have these layers, but with
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all the noise from society, our families,
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and even our own self doubt, it's easy to
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forget the multitude within us.
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Sometimes it takes a conscious effort to rediscover
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our multifaceted fabulous selves.
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Now I don't wanna downplay the importance of
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roles like mother, wife, or professional. They really
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are significant. But it's important to
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remember those roles while essential,
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they don't define your entire being.
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Problems arise when these roles start to define us
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entirely, obscuring the rest of our
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identity, the dreams, the passions, the
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unique talents that get buried in the daily
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grind. Ever catch yourself thinking,
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now I'm retired. I guess I'm supposed to
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whatever that might be, or I shouldn't even
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think about starting my own business, not at my age.
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Life transitions can throw us off balance,
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and major changes, even positive ones,
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force us to redefine ourselves.
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After my son graduated from college and the basketball
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mom life, as I knew it was over, I was left wondering
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what's next. That's when I remembered how much
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I love to write and to block rediscovering
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that passion. It opened up a new world for me and it
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even led me to revisit my old
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college interest in photography.
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Sometimes looking back can help us move forward.
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Take a moment to reflect what passions from your
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past could you bring into your present. Here's a
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simple exercise to help you do that. Grab a notebook
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and set a timer for maybe let's say around 10 minutes.
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Think back on a specific time in your life,
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maybe your teenage years or
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your young adult years, and write down
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everything that brought you joy and excitement during that
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time. Don't overthink it like I sometimes
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do. Just let the memories flow. This
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isn't about practicality. It's about
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reconnecting with all the possibilities within you.
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Transitions between roles can be
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tough, especially as we age, bringing a mix of
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excitement and uncertainty. So how do we handle these
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shifts? It's it's all about
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embracing change and finding balance. I
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found that maintaining a hobby or a
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passion just for myself outside of any of these
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roles, it helps me to stay grounded. What about
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you? How do you maintain your sense of
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self amidst these changes?
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As we talk about the roles that we've played,
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let's not forget the thrill of embracing new roles.
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Maybe you've taken up a new hobby or you're considering a second
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career. That's pretty exciting. Right?
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Stepping into new roles can breathe new life into
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our days and give us a fresh sense of purpose.
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That happened to me when I started podcasting. It was
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new, exciting. It was a
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challenge to learn, which totally excited
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me. Or like my friend who took up pottery
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after retiring, discovering the fulfillment of creating
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something from scratch. What a fantastic
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way to connect with new people and experiences.
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So how do we break out of the boxes that
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we've been put in? The first step would be
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to acknowledge those hidden shades within us.
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Remember who you were years ago, the
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builder, the storyteller, the dancer.
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Life changes, priority shift,
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and parts of us get buried. But
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those are parts that are still there,
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and they're just waiting to be rediscovered.
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Being multifaceted isn't always comfortable.
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It can feel messy. It can feel overwhelming,
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but we look at others and, and who seem to have
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it all figured out and we wonder why we can't be the
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same. But here's the truth. Embrace
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that messiness. It's proof that you
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are dynamic, evolving, and
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endlessly fascinating work in progress.
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And that's a wrap for today's episode. Remember, you
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are never too old, too busy, or
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too anything else to expand the definition of who you
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are. Your identity is limitless
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as your imagination allows. So let's shine
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a light on all those brilliant shades that make
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you, you. Now
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let's move from thinking to doing. This
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week, try something that you haven't done in years,
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or even pick something totally new. Let's
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share what you did on social
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media, and use the hashtag many shades of
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me. Let's create a movement of women embracing
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the whole complex and ever evolving beings that
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we are. Until next time, remember to keep
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aging with grace, style, and a touch of
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sass. Thanks
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for hanging out with me today. I hope you're feeling inspired
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and ready to own your awesomeness. I love sharing this
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space with you. And if you love today's episode, do me
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a favor. Share it with a friend who could use some extra
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inspiration. A quick rating and review really helps
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too. Don't forget to subscribe so you never
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miss an episode. Let's keep this conversation going.
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Head over to pod dot aging with grace and style.com
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to sign up for my newsletter. Until next time, keep
