Ready to give yourself permission to dream big? In this empowering solo episode, Jen gets real about the midlife moments that matter – from dealing with aging parents and kids flying the nest to that nagging voice that whispers “who am I to want this?” She’s here to remind you that you’re worthy of your biggest dreams just as you are, no additional degrees or credentials required.

Learn more about 1×1 business coaching with Jen HERE and apply for a complimentary 20-minute coaching session.

Whether you’re thinking about starting that business, pivoting your career, getting back in shape, or simply writing those college tuition checks without sweating it, Jen delivers the permission slip you’ve been waiting for to stop playing small and start doing the damn thing.

This episode is packed with the real talk and tough love Jen is known for, plus exciting announcements about upcoming events. If you’ve been overthinking yourself into paralysis or letting society’s messages about midlife women keep you stuck, this is the episode that will get you moving again. Because here’s the truth: there’s no expiration date on your dreams, and the world needs what you have to offer.

Key Takeaways:

• You are worthy of your dreams exactly as you are – no additional qualifications needed
• Society’s messages about what midlife women can’t do deserve a big middle finger
• The cure for overthinking paralysis is simply taking one small step forward
• There’s no expiration date on your dreams, and it’s never too late to start
• Stop waiting for someone to save you – permission granted, now go do the damn thing

You’re Not Too F***ing Old to Dream BIG!

Ready to turn your midlife dreams into reality? Jen has limited one-on-one business coaching spots available for fall 2025. Get the support, strategy, and accountability you need to finally launch or grow your business. Learn more about 1×1 business coaching with Jen HERE and apply for a complimentary 20-minute coaching session.

Join me at the Flow Space Women’s Health Event Oct. 9 in LA HERE! It’s FREE!

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Forbes 50 Over 50

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Stop Letting Society Tell You Your Dreams Have an Expiration Date

Picture this: You’re lying in bed at 3 AM, staring at the ceiling, and that same thought creeps in again. What if I started that business? What if I went back to school? What if I finally traveled to Italy? But then reality hits. You’re not 25 anymore. Society whispers that you’ve missed your chance. Your inner critic chimes in with a greatest hits album of doubt: “You’re too old,” “It’s too risky,” “Who do you think you are?”

Here’s the truth that nobody talks about: Your age is not an expiration date on your dreams.

If you’re a woman in midlife who feels stuck between what you’ve always done and what you secretly want to do, this article is for you. Maybe you’re watching younger people chase their goals while you sit on the sidelines. Maybe you’ve been telling yourself “someday” for so long that someday feels like never. Or maybe you’re just tired of playing small when you know you have so much more to give.

The biggest tragedy isn’t that you might fail at pursuing your dreams. It’s that you might never try at all because someone convinced you that your time has passed. But what if everything you’ve been told about aging, dreams, and “being realistic” is wrong? What if midlife isn’t the end of possibilities but the beginning of your most authentic chapter?

Your Worth Isn’t Tied to Your Resume

Society has trained us to believe that our value comes from what we’ve accomplished, how much we earn, or how many boxes we’ve checked on life’s supposed checklist. This toxic messaging hits women especially hard in midlife. We’re told that if we haven’t “made it” by a certain age, we never will. We start believing that our worth depends on our achievements, our degrees, our titles, or how perfectly we’ve managed everyone else’s lives.

This is complete garbage, and it’s time we called it what it is. Your worth as a human being has absolutely nothing to do with your accomplishments. You don’t need another degree to be worthy of success. You don’t need to pass some imaginary test to deserve happiness. You don’t need to prove yourself to anyone before you’re allowed to chase your dreams. The simple fact that you exist, that you have unique experiences and perspectives, makes you valuable. You’re worthy of pursuing what lights you up, not because of what you’ve done, but because of who you are.

The permission you’ve been waiting for? You already have it. You’ve always had it. The only signature that matters on your permission slip is your own.

Quick Wins:

• Write “I am worthy” on a sticky note and put it on your mirror
• Stop comparing your timeline to others – your journey is uniquely yours
• Remember that your value isn’t determined by external achievements
• Give yourself permission to want what you want without justification
• Recognize that waiting for “worthiness” is just another form of procrastination

Dreams Don’t Come with Age Limits

One of the most damaging myths in our culture is that innovation, success, and big dreams are reserved for the young. We celebrate the 25-year-old entrepreneur while ignoring the 55-year-old who just launched her first business. We act like creativity and ambition have expiration dates, as if your brain stops working and your heart stops dreaming the moment you hit midlife.

The data tells a completely different story. Women over 50 are starting businesses at record rates. They’re writing bestselling books, launching successful ventures, and creating movements that change the world. They have something their younger counterparts often lack: experience, wisdom, financial stability, and the confidence that comes from surviving life’s challenges. They know what they want and what they don’t want. They’ve learned to trust their instincts. They’re done trying to please everyone and ready to please themselves.

Your age isn’t a limitation – it’s an advantage. You have decades of experience, skills, and knowledge that younger people are still developing. You understand patience, persistence, and the value of hard work. You’ve survived setbacks, learned from mistakes, and developed resilience. These aren’t consolation prizes for getting older. They’re superpowers that make you more likely to succeed, not less.

Quick Wins: • Look up successful people who started later in life for inspiration • List all the skills and experience you’ve gained over the years • Stop apologizing for your age and start celebrating your wisdom • Remember that many “overnight successes” actually took decades to build • Focus on what you can do now, not what you wish you had done earlier

One Small Step Beats Perfect Planning Every Time

Here’s where most people get stuck: they overthink themselves into paralysis. They create elaborate plans, research every detail, and wait for the perfect moment that never comes. They convince themselves they need to have it all figured out before they can start. This is especially common among high-achieving women who are used to excelling at everything they touch.

The cure for overthinking isn’t more thinking – it’s action. Not massive, life-changing action, but small, simple steps that build momentum. Want to start a business? Send one email to a potential client. Thinking about getting fit? Take a 10-minute walk. Dreaming of writing a book? Write one paragraph. The magic isn’t in the size of the step; it’s in the act of stepping.

Movement creates more movement. Action leads to clarity. You don’t need to see the whole staircase to take the first step. Most successful people didn’t have a master plan when they started. They had an idea, took action, learned from the results, and adjusted course. They figured it out as they went along, just like you will.

The biggest risk isn’t failure – it’s staying stuck in the planning phase forever while your dreams gather dust.

Quick Wins:

• Choose one small action you can take today toward your goal
• Set a timer for 15 minutes and just start working on something
• Stop researching and start experimenting
• Embrace “good enough” instead of waiting for perfect
• Remember that you can always course-correct after you start moving

Society’s Messages About Midlife Women Are Lies

Every day, we’re bombarded with messages that tell us we’re past our prime, invisible, or irrelevant after a certain age. Media celebrates youth while treating midlife women like we’re already written off. We’re expected to quietly fade into the background, focus on everyone else’s dreams, and accept that our time for big goals has passed.

These messages aren’t just wrong – they’re dangerous. They steal dreams, crush spirits, and waste human potential. They convince talented, capable women to play small when they should be playing big. They turn dynamic, experienced women into apologetic, self-doubting versions of themselves.

It’s time to reject these toxic narratives completely. Stop internalizing society’s limitations and start creating your own definitions of what’s possible. The world needs what you have to offer. Your experience, your perspective, your unique combination of skills and insights – these are gifts, not burdens. Your midlife isn’t something to endure; it’s something to embrace and celebrate.

When you stop buying into society’s lies about aging women, you free yourself to write your own story. And that story can be as bold, ambitious, and extraordinary as you dare to make it.

Quick Wins:

• Unfollow social media accounts that make you feel bad about your age
• Surround yourself with positive examples of women thriving in midlife
• Challenge ageist thoughts when they pop up in your mind
• Practice responding to age-related negativity with confidence
• Remember that other people’s limiting beliefs don’t have to become yours

You Are Your Own Rescue Squad

Here’s the hard truth that nobody wants to hear: No one is coming to save you. No one is going to knock on your door with opportunities. No one is going to hand you your dreams on a silver platter. The fairy godmother, the perfect mentor, the life-changing opportunity that falls into your lap – these are fantasies that keep you waiting instead of acting.

This isn’t meant to discourage you. It’s meant to empower you. When you realize that you’re in charge of your own rescue, you stop waiting for external validation and start creating internal motivation. You stop looking for permission and start giving it to yourself. You stop hoping someone else will make your dreams come true and start making them come true yourself.

The good news is that you have everything you need to get started. You have a brain that can learn new skills. You have hands that can create and build. You have a voice that can communicate your ideas. You have decades of experience and wisdom that younger people would kill for. You have the power to make decisions, take action, and change your life.

Your rescue squad isn’t coming because you are your rescue squad. And that’s exactly how it should be.

Quick Wins:

• Stop waiting for permission from others and give it to yourself
• Identify what you need to succeed and figure out how to get it
• Take ownership of your dreams instead of hoping others will support them
• Build your own support network of like-minded people
• Remember that self-reliance is a strength, not a burden

Your Midlife Success Story Starts Now

Your dreams don’t have an expiration date, but your excuses do. Every day you wait is another day you’re not living the life you actually want. Every time you tell yourself you’re too old, too late, or too anything, you’re choosing fear over possibility. Every moment you spend believing society’s lies about midlife women is a moment you’re not spending building the life that excites you.

The truth is, you’re not too old to dream big. You’re not too late to start over. You’re not past your prime – you might just be entering it. Your age isn’t a limitation; it’s an advantage. Your experience isn’t a consolation prize; it’s your secret weapon. Your midlife isn’t the end of possibilities; it’s the beginning of your most authentic, purposeful chapter.

Stop asking for permission and start taking action. Stop waiting for the perfect moment and start creating it. Stop believing that your best days are behind you and start proving that they’re ahead of you.

Your dreams are waiting. Your future self is cheering you on. The only question left is: What small step will you take today to start making them real?

Your Next Steps:

• Choose one dream you’ve been putting off and commit to taking action on it this week
• Write down three small steps you can take immediately to move toward your goal
• Find one person who can support or encourage your journey
• Set a deadline for your first milestone and mark it on your calendar
• Remember that you’re not just pursuing a dream – you’re proving that age is just a number and possibilities are limitless

Learn more about Jen Marples at https://www.jenmarples.com

Want to work with Jen? Book a complimentary 20-minute call HERE. 

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Unedited AI Transcript Here