Midlife Mirror Mirror

on the Wall…

Who am I After All?

Sarah Milken  0:03  

The Magic Mirror sees us mid lifers as the evil Queens trying to grasp on to our youth doubting if we still have our beauty and our worth. I'm here to tell you that we all do we all do. We do not need a magic mirror or society standards to tell us our worth, beauty and sex appeal. We have to tell ourselves this we have to stand up for ourselves, put ourselves in the forefront and choose what we want in mid life.

Sarah Milken  0:37  

Hey, peeps, welcome to the flexible neurotic podcast. I'm your host Dr. Sarah Milken. Yeah, you heard that right. I'm a real PhD doctor. Long, long ago, like last fucking year. I was sitting in the midlife funk wondering, was this it for me? That day, I realized I needed to get off my ass and start my midlife remix.

Sarah Milken  0:59  

I dusted off my PhD wipe the menopause, sweat off my forehead, grabbed my golden shovel and started digging deep to all my midlife bitches. It's not just love coffee and hormones that get you through your midlife remix. It's action steps. Let's do this. Hi, peeps, and welcome to another episode of The flexible neurotic Podcast. I'm Dr. Sarah Milken, the flexible neurotic. This episode is a mini solo episode called Mirror mirror on the wall. Who am I? after all? You know the Disney movie Snow White, the Evil Queen asks Mirror mirror on the wall who is the fairest of them all? Well, of course the mirror says the 14 year old with flawless skin. Yes, Snow White was 14 years old. Let that sink in. Anyway, if you think about it, the sentiment is the same. In this real world of ours. The most attractive option according to social media and society is the younger one living in the prime of her life, the perfect princess, if you will. But in the real world, the magic mirror is the entertainment industry, and social media and photoshopping and all of these unattainable things. The perfect princesses are the famous younger women, actresses, musicians models, influencers who are dubbed sexy because they are all still under the midlife age limit. And if you're listening to this podcast, you're probably at the midlife age limit or even older. I don't really even think there's an age to what mid life really is. A lot of people ask that but I kind of feel like some people think midlife is 40 if they started having kids when they were 18. Some people didn't have kids. Some people think midlife is mid 50s Everyone's different. I think it's a time in your life when you're kind of like itchy for the next new thing. Or if you're not itchy for it. The sort of mechanics of your body and hormones are going to bring it on anyway. Okay, so the magic mirror sees us mid lifers as the evil Queens trying to grasp on to our youth doubting if we still have our beauty and our worth. I'm here to tell you that we all do we all do. We do not need a magic mirror or society's standards to tell us our worth beauty and sex appeal. We have to tell ourselves this we have to stand up for ourselves, put ourselves in the forefront and choose what we want in mid life. Without the approval of the external peanut gallery. Choose us choose ourselves. We have to show everyone and ourselves who we are after our youth and our prime is said to be over and ask ourselves Who are we in this midlife process? In this episode I'm going to be diving deep into how societies kind of perv I wanted to say negative but I don't know if it's always negative. It's sort of like a legend perfect standards and expectations of midlife women have caused famous midlife women who were once viewed with a spotlight and seen as perfect representations of how a woman should look and act are now sort of being cast aside because they're past their prime. Okay, before I get into the celebrities who are defining or actually redefining the midlife REMAX, I want to go into this concept that I've talked about in some other episodes called still got it. Who were you before your marriage, your kids your career? Are you the same person? Do you need to rediscover what makes you you before you stepped into those roles? Those roles that a lot of us picked, but some of us were assigned to them. It's asking us if we still, quote, got it, and forces us to think about who we were before all of these labels. We all have these signature pieces of us. Some of them are old ones that we have to rediscover in this new chapter. And some are old ones that we have lost along the way. They are the elements that make us who we are at our core. They are not the labels we are given over the years or the superficial and stereotypical descriptions made by society. This is the chapter of our lives where we look inside and say, mid life Mirror mirror on the wall. Who am I after all? I mean, honestly, you guys, who are we? I mean, we're not defined by wrinkles. We're not defined by melasma. We're not defined by the fucking, like muffin top in development, or maybe it's like already full blown hanging over your genes, and you're talking at the fuckin, just like the rest of us. Who can really answer that question of who am I? After all, I don't know a lot of us can and a lot of us are in the journey of it. I'd like to say that I'm in the journey of it. And that's what my midlife remix has been over the last two years figuring out who am I after all, when I started this podcast, my kids were like, 15, and 13, or 16, and 14. And they didn't need me as much anymore. So I really had to think like Sarah, who the fuck are you? Like, who are you? If you're not, quote, just a mom. I mean, that's a whole other episode. No one's ever just a mom. But that's sometimes what stay at home moms call themselves. And so I really had to think about it. And you know, for me, it was like, Okay, I have a big personality. I'm a curious person I like to read. I like to think I like to ask questions. I have a PhD from 10,000 years ago at an Ivy League education. Who the fuck am I? All right, if you guys haven't listened to the minisode still got it? 47 then go back and check it out. I answer a lot of these questions about thinking about who we were before the labels came. And this is the midlife time where we have to really think about who we were, where we're going, who we want to be and what we want to be doing. This is our rediscovery time our fucking rebrand. Okay guys, first up is a multi award winning actress and entrepreneur Naomi Watts. Naomi is one of the famous women in recent years actress who is trying to make the topic of perimenopause and menopause less taboo. She has done this by talking about her experience with dealing with perimenopause at the age of 36. And feeling lost and confused and hot, flashy and gross. And she felt like there was kind of this mask over the whole menopause situation and she's really trying to help lift it with her new brand. I am stripes. So for her menopause coming early or kind of creeping up on her was concerning because she was trying to become pregnant at the time, and she was concerned that it was no longer a possibility. And not being a suitable candidate for IVF treatments. She was able to get pregnant naturally. Two years later, Naomi describes it after she had her second child, she felt terrible and was tackled with night sweats and hot flashes. I mean, come on, you guys. We all know that. And she would try to reach out to others for guidance or support. And people kind of nervously laugh. They shrug their shoulders. They're like I don't know what the fog. And this kind of kept her quiet and silent and she kept her province to herself. And she said that that sort of secluded experience of feeling all alone is what inspired her to create a community called the hotspot that includes guidance on symptoms and a forum for people who are dealing with perimenopause and menopause. And it is the reason why she created this new brand called I Am stripes. And as you guys know, I went to her event in New York City and I think when this episode comes out, the episode where I go into that a little bit will have already been out but if you didn't listen to that episode, you have to go back and listen. But I will tell you I went to New York City for Naomi Watts is menopause conference that she put on with this is swell. It was an amazing weekend. First of all, I flew alone second of all I took fucking carry on and third of all, I met a lot of midlife women who I'm friends with on Instagram, other podcasters influencers. And it was an amazing time. I got to talk to Katie Correct and Naomi Watts and it was just like an all around chalk that one up as a very cool midlife event for me in this journey that I'm on. Okay, Naomi is basically asking this question of mid life Mirror mirror on the wall who is Naomi Watts After all, she's a midlife woman who is an actress in the limelight, paving the way for others to have open and comfortable discussions about difficult and confusing topics and this new chapter called the midlife menopause, perimenopause, clusterfuck. I don't even know what to call it. There are so many women who kind of fall into this category of famous women who are helping us change the menopause narrative in this midlife journey. Another woman who has written and spoken about this frequently is Michelle Obama, the former first lady, she's bringing her experience with menopause to light in her new book called the light we carry, like many women experiencing Peri menopausal and menopausal symptoms for the first time. She felt like she didn't even know where to start. She talks about even having a conversation with her mother, where she asked her about how she dealt with menopause. It was so long ago for her mother, she couldn't quite recall, she jokingly said, oh, yeah, I guess I went through that. Michelle explains it. She thinks it's important to get more info to the public about menopause. Because things in the scientific world are always changing. Other things are brushed to the side. And some things are hard to understand. And we want information that's simplified. That makes sense that's relatable. We're not all going to sit around and read scholarly research articles. So Michelle Obama's doctor recommended that she use HRT, which she agreed to, and Michelle says that, quote, I've had to work with hormones. And that's new information that we're learning. Before there were studies that said the hormones are bad. That's all we heard. Now we're finding out research is showing that those studies weren't fully complete, and that there are benefits to hormone replacement therapy and quote, how are we supposed to be able to find out all of the answers to make us more comfortable and enjoy mid life if these answers aren't accessible to us? Another experience Michelle is sharing with the public is how midlife has changed her physical lifestyle. Throughout her life, Michelle has always enjoyed working out and staying fed, she shifted her focus from cardio to flexibility. When she would partake and group workouts with her friends. She was known as the drill sergeant, and she would always lead the group. Now in midlife, it's a different situation. She's not always the group leader and has retired her title as drill sergeant, it's kind of an interesting thing. I think a lot of us have different versions of that. I mean, like even being a mom, you kind of go from mom in charge of everything, to consultant, I mean, my kids would like to call me annoying consultant, whatever they want to call it, but your primary, like caregiving role shifts as the kids get older, because you want to teach them to be more independent and resilient. You don't want them hanging on you for everything. At the same time, that's really hard to because your role is shifting and you're like, Oh, I'm losing my kids, losing my sovereignty. Anyway, Michelle explains that she had to change her mindset from always having to beat everyone in this competitive way to being just doing what she can do. Michelle describes this change by saying, quote, you wind up balancing between staying fit enough and being kind enough on your body to stay in the game. I mean, that's what I'm always talking about. It's like, good enough. What's your fucking good enough? Like, I can't run every day. I don't run at all, actually. But I'm just using that as an example. Like, I'm tired today. I'm bleeding today. There is no way I'm getting on that fucking treadmill with a weighted vest. I had a mini cheeseburger for lunch. My iron feels low. I'm gonna listen to my body. Whereas maybe 20 years ago, maybe I would have taken myself and put myself on the treadmill. I don't know knowing me and my laziness. Probably not. But it's just to say that we have to listen to our bodies, listen to our hearts and listen to our minds because things change over time. Michelle Obama arms that she just wants us to keep moving, mid life Mirror mirror on the wall. Who is Michelle Obama After all, she's a midlife woman, a former first lady who's showing others that we can work with the physical chain is and the psychological changes that we're going through and maintain a healthy lifestyle without the need of being an extreme going overboard and getting the information that we need from our doctors. Yes HRT, no HRT, whatever works for you choosing you in your midlife mirror situation. Okay, speaking of physical changes in midlife and the fucking muffin top and all that comes with it and that weird dimply cheese shit that's in your inner thighs. Another celebrity who has been really involved in this conversation of changing the narrative around midlife and menopause, is the multi award winning actress, producer, author and activist Jamie Lee Curtis. Jamie Lee Curtis has recently spoken out about her body transformation, and her movie everything everywhere all at once. If you haven't seen the movie, Jamie Lee is letting it all hang out and not holding back. There's no social media filters there. There's no Photoshop, their viewers have assumed that she's wearing a prosthetic stomach. But Jamie Lee decided she was tired of sucking it in, it's too fucking much work. When Jamie Lee talked about her decision to put on weight for this role. She said, I very specifically decided to relinquish and release every muscle that I had used to clench the and hide the reality of my situation. That was my goal. I have never felt more free creatively and physically. Jamie Lee Curtis deciding to let go of the body standard and let it all hang out for this movie role is helping to build the narrative and shape it of looking the way we want to look and embracing the inevitable changes. Maybe it's not really the way we want to look. It's just accepting who we are and again what that concept is of what's your midlife good enough? What are you willing to sacrifice for? What are you willing to give up? Because if you eat no carbs or you eat no sugar, like Is that okay with you? Are you willing to give up those things to have the quote skinny body? I mean, I'm not but I have friends who are. And I think again, as I always talk about in this podcast and on my Instagram is everyone's version of good enough is going to be different. And we're all going to choose different ways of Mirror mirror on the wall in this whole aging journey. Some of us are going to Botox some of us aren't some of us are going to work out 10 hours a day. Some of us aren't. Some of us are going to wear Spanx. Others are going to groan when people wear Spanx, but the bottom line is guys high school is over. Shut the fuck up to all of us who are talking about other women and the choices they're making. We have to make our own choices for us and let everyone else do their own choices. We already did the lunch table on high school Mirror mirror on the wall who is Jamie Lee Curtis After all, she's a midlife woman and actress who is breaking the mold of how we're quote supposed to look and doing what you want to do and not what the Hollywood standards thinks she shouldn't be doing. There are so many celebrities like Jamie Lee Curtis, who are always seen as slim and flawless in their younger years and have have been picked on for their choices that they've made as they've gotten older. One of these celebrities is filmmaker, entrepreneur and award winning actress for the hit TV show Friends, Courtney Cox. Courtney has been in the public eye since she was young, and we've basically watched her grow into her midlife years. She's also been super candid about serious aspects of her midlife such as her divorce from David Arquette and her decision to get plastic surgery and to have her fillers removed years later, there have been people who have judged her decisions and made jokes at her expense. But now the iconic comedic actress is flipping the script. This time she decided to poke fun at herself. We all know about her Tampax commercial she made at the age of 21 where she asks, Does your life change once a month because of your period coordinator decided that this commercial needed a midlife update and made a new version of it with legwarmers on at all in this new version. She asks Did your life completely change because of menopause? And then she juxtaposes still using pads with still getting hot flashes as she continues to tell it straight. The Split Screen Video of younger and midlife Courtney really does show the changes we go through while giving it a tongue in cheek humor. We can all relate to coordinate showing us that sometimes when things are tough, we have to fucking laugh and I think you guys have gotten that message For me throughout my Instagram and my podcast, I mean, there's a lot of fucking laughing and crying and mid life. I mean, big laughs big cries, but when you can choose to laugh about some of the stuff, the muffin tops, the sweating the need for the fan, my kids asking me why I keep turning the air conditioning in my car on and off and what the problem is, we have to laugh otherwise we could be having a nervous breakdown because some of the shit is just indescribable and you can't put your finger on why you feel a certain way or you want to slam the kitchen door. It just is what it is. It's fucking midlife. On my podcast in scrum I love to break down important midlife topics. I like to get to the root of the problem and see if we can come up with some solutions. But I think it's also just as important to laugh like I said, at midlife topics and ourselves. We have to laugh at ourselves. We can't be frustrated about a situation 24/7 or pissed at our kids all the time. Or sometimes I'm like Instagram husband, you got to shut the fuck up about the way to invest. in midlife, we have to learn how to pick our battles. I mean, I do bite my tongue half the time where I want to go ballistic. There might not be a solution to every problem, or at least not an immediate one. I mean, why am I fucking bleeding? I had an ultrasound. There's no fibroid, I'm taking hormones, What the actual fuck is happening? So I'm on a search mission trying to figure out what's going on and playing around with my hormones. Sometimes we can go from zero to 60 in stress about something literally about anything. I have found that this humor and self deprecation and throwing myself under the fucking bus in midlife has been really helpful because midlife is a fabulous clusterfuck and the moment we laugh and realize we're not alone, and incidentally feels more manageable. If you can share and have relatability with other women who are like cluster fucking along with you, you just feel better. And 100% of you do that. And that's why you're here and I thank you for being part of this podcast and this whole midlife journey. mid life Mirror mirror on the wall, who is Courtney Cox. After all, she's a midlife woman actress who's making room for laughter and taking the piss and creating joy at the same time in this time of life when we can feel like Hell's Kitchen. So that's Courtney Cox. Okay, another friend's TV show, olam who's been mixing shit up in mid life is Jennifer Aniston. This multi award winning actress from friends also producer and entrepreneur made big waves for her lower cover photo shoot. She's 53 years old. She's wearing a vintage Chanel micro bikini top and vintage Gucci G string peeking out of her St. Laurent skirt. I don't know about you guys, but this is giving midlife sexy vibes. I'm kind of into it. I'm proud of her. I mean, I could never fucking wear that. I gotta give her props. In light of Jennifer's jaw dropping photoshoot there's been a discussion circulating about can we all be sexy and midlife? Is that the only version of sexy when your body is perfect and tan and lean? In an article by Mamma Mia. This is why Jennifer Aniston wants your attention, a concept called last fuckable day comes into play. This concept was created in a viral skit, written by comedian Amy Schumer describing when the media decides when you're no longer believably fuckable I can't even believe him saying that no longer believably fuckable in the skit Amy Schumer stumbles upon Julia Louis Dreyfus, Tina Fey and Patricia Arquette having a picnic to celebrate Julia's last fuckable day. The group of actresses explain what it's like being a middle aged woman in Hollywood, not being placed in the quote sexy roles anymore because of their age. It's a humorous take on how the entertainment industry pushes midlife women aside, and thinks men age like fine wine and keep their fucking sexy status in their mid life years. Like Kevin Costner and the TV hit show, Yellowstone. I mean, honestly, I was at an event the other day and this woman I've known for years said to my husband, oh my god, Jeremy, you never age. You look the same as you are. 20 and I was like, What am I like grandma Ruth? Like what? Anyway, it was kind of funny. I think it's interesting how men's aging is so perceived so differently. Good for you Instagram husband. It's all the weighted vests that you're doing. Okay? If Jennifer Aniston is trying If we get our attention then she's got it. And I think she's trying to show us is there is no last fuckable day, we can keep our sexy status as midlife women, and I don't think she's saying you have to worship and now micro bikini either. For Jennifer staying in extraordinary shape is what she's choosing to do maintaining or reigniting are, quote sexy status and midlife varies for each woman. We each define our own sexy some of us will go to law school, some of us will become doctors, some of us will become crafting experts, some of us will become margin players and pickleball players. I mean, everyone sexy is different. We can't rely on society's standards of what sexy even means. I actually talked about Jennifer's midlife sexy in my newsletter, and I got an interesting few emails. One person wrote a totally applaud Jennifer Aniston. I love her. But how come nobody is talking about her face? I'm talking about photoshopping? Is it just me who doesn't think she looks like herself? Or is it just the insecure jealous bitch and me talking and quote, now, I don't know if there's any photoshopping or not. And I think Jennifer does look like herself and she looks great. The issue is, why did this person decide to write a quote negative response? What's not really negative? But like question herself? Is it because sometimes we're triggered when we want to say something bad about someone who baby looks amazing, or is doing something really well? I mean, is it coming from a place of insecurity? Why is it with women that when someone's doing something cool, or has gotten super skinny or super fit? Like it triggers some of us and some of us it triggers us to inspiration like oh my god, that's fucking amazing. Like she lost 30 pounds in his fit as a fiddle. I want to do that too. And then there's other women who are like, fuck her. She knows she used diet drugs, she exercises four hours a day, blah, blah, blah. And it makes you stop and think like, which category Am I in in midlife? I mean, I was never a mean girl in high school. So I can't relate to that at all. I mean, not to tap you know pat myself on the back. I just wasn't not interested in it had a boyfriend kept my own like minded my own business, but I definitely experienced Mean Girls, and I'm hoping that in midlife, the mean girl situation definitely tones down but it makes me think like, okay, which category Am I in? Am I inspired by women who are doing cool shit and who are choosing to do what they want to do? Or am I just kind of pissed off and angry about it? It goes both ways. High School's over. If you don't want people to judge you, then you have to give them the same respect treat others the way you want to be treated. I remind myself and my teen daughter and my teen son that all the time. This is a statement that I think goes for all of us midlife women, we all fall into the trap sometimes. In the Lord's last print issue. Jennifer not only made a statement with her cover and Photoshop, but also with her interview, she said I don't have anything to hide at this point. Jennifer gets vulnerable by discussing her past and current family dynamics, and shares her struggle with trying to become pregnant by using IVF treatments. Jennifer's struggle with the last possibility of motherhood is something that was unknown to the public until now. There have been rumors for years that one of the reasons Brad Pitt laughter was because she didn't want children. After years of speculation by the tabloid she finally shut this rumor down. Obviously not the truth. Jennifer explains that she is now in a chapter of her life where she feels confident, sexy, and as allowing herself to be vulnerable writing her own narrative in a world where others try to write it for you. She calls this new midlife chapter Phoenix Rising midlife Mirror mirror on the wall who is Jennifer Aniston? After all, she's a midlife woman actress who is showing us that this chapter of our lives is all about the combination of finding and embracing our midlife sexy, whatever that is mixed with a feeling of empowerment and being authentically us. Okay, the last celebrity on my list who is also bringing to light the importance of vulnerability and authenticity. And helping us to rewrite the midlife narrative on menopause and aging in the public eye is model and actress and author Paulina Porizkova. The day I'm recording this episode today is actually the day her book nofilter the good The Bad and the Beautiful has been released. And this goes right into a Polina has been bringing to the midlife table our midlife table. Usually when we hear no filter, we immediately think of not putting a filter on Instagram or a photo or talking without a filter and just saying what we want to say. But for Paulina, she takes it a little deeper. No Filter means all of those things, but it also means being more vulnerable. She explained living life with no filter by saying quote, no filter means not pretending that you're strong when you're weak, or happy when you're sad. Because when you are what you are and you put it out there, the thing you get back is connection and quote, and isn't that what we're all looking for in this midlife journey are some connections along the way, feeling needed wanting to be needed or wanting to be seen, heard and relevant. That's what this midlife journey is about wanting to be seen and relevant and creating meaningful connections, making new midlife friends think of all the new midlife friends and connections I've made through this podcast and my Instagram all of you. It is one of the main reasons I started this podcast was to create this community for midlife women, where we can be honest, laugh, cry, relate, support each other sweat all the things and the way to do that is by taking off the metaphorical filter showing our authentic selves. Along with pushing this metaphorical filter. Paulina has been posting photos without makeup and real filters as well. In an effort to promote her book, she has a hashtag called the Paulinus no filter challenge, where she is asking people to post photos without a filter or makeup.

Sarah Milken  31:49 

Pardon me doesn't know how I feel about this. On one hand, I agree with her philosophy and her statement that she's saying we don't have to put a filter or wear makeup to look and feel beautiful. And we shouldn't aim for perfection because it's just an unreachable standard created by Hollywood, that is being displayed all over social media causing women self doubt. But I do think it is our choice to wear makeup and to put a filter on if we want to. At the end of the day, we have to do what makes us comfortable and happy. I've been wearing makeup since I was in high school. I wear makeup to the gym, I wear makeup to carpool. We used to do the Thanksgiving drives in elementary school, I'd be the mom with mascara and makeup on at seven in the morning. That's what makes me happy. That's my choice. And of course there are women who have judged me for that and that's okay. But I'm like I'm doing me and this is what works for me. In terms of Instagrams and filters and all of that stuff. I don't really care that much. My thing is, a lot of women spend a million hours futzing with lights and looking for the perfect daylight in the car and all of that stuff. They look their best and I appreciate that. But I post so much on Instagram that I don't want to look for the perfect light or I'm never gonna fucking post and I also don't want to look like Hell's Kitchen. I look like Hell's Kitchen when I wake up in the morning. Yeah, of course, and you guys see some of that. But for me using a filter on Instagram or whatever isn't a big deal. It's about me just being able to be myself authentically me, which for me is makeup on. So what I'm saying is filter, no filter choose you, do you it doesn't matter and don't judge others. Who cares if somebody's wearing makeup in the carpool line or not wearing makeup in the carpool line. We're in midlife high school is over. We have to do what makes us feel comfortable and happy. Do those things that make you feel like you especially in the height of COVID When we were stuck in our houses 24 hours a day and doing nothing. I was tired of looking and feeling like kind of shitty and looking shitty so I would walk around the house with my makeup on. It made me feel better. No one was seeing me except for Instagram husband and my kids and maybe facetimes with a few friends and my parents but it made me feel better. So do you do you do you Okay? Paulina also questions wearing cosmetics, explaining that some women in midlife use it solely as a means of helping them feel seen when there is self doubt. Paulina suggests that instead of relying on makeup and what we look like to feel seen, we should use our voices. I kind of think we can just use both and do whatever we want to do. We all need to speak up for ourselves. We need to feel seen and heard and we need to feel authentic whatever is authentically you. Don't be afraid to be 100% you midlife Mirror mirror on the wall who is Paulina Porizkova. after all. She's a midlife woman, model former marriage to a rock star who's too tearing down the stigma for our need of metaphorical and real life filters, showing us that we can choose to live our lives how we please and be true to ourselves. Okay, we've talked about a bunch of different celebrities who are helping us rewrite the midlife menopause narrative. What sparked your interest? What's going to stick with you? Is there anything that you're going to implement in your mid life? Do you want to be more vocal about your Peri menopausal or menopausal symptoms and find answers to the questions you deserve? Do you want to learn how to work with your body and not against it when finding that balance in your physical lifestyle? Do you want to take the pressure off your body image except the muffin top ish situation? Release the tension on your tummy? Do you want to find laughter in the mess and bring some joy when the midlife chaos becomes overwhelming? Do you want to bring the heat and embrace your midlife sexy? You don't have to wear the Chanel micro bikini? Do you want to express your authentic self and dive into your vulnerability? Don't you want to share your midlife shit and be totally TMI like me? Whatever you choose to do, make sure it's you for you. And when you're asking yourself midlife Mirror mirror on the wall Who am I after all, know that you are beautiful, worthy and uniquely you and you are writing your own midlife menopausal story. I want to say thank you to all of you who have been with me since the beginning. And to those of you who are new. Thank you to those who messaged me tell me they relate and enjoy the podcast. Thank you to the women who take that extra second to like and comment on a post. We all know that Instagram is really hard and it only grows with engagement. So if you're a drive by Instagram viewer stories, please take the extra second to LIKE and comment and post. It means the world and helps me grow. You know Instagram is based on engagement. If you're one of the fab 200 Who has written an apple podcast review your fucking honors level. Thank you. I know how annoying technology is especially for midlife brands. It's so helpful for the growth of this podcast. And if you're a subscriber to the podcast, your double honors. I think most podcast listeners don't know that subscription numbers are the gold standard metric of how you're doing. It's not anything extra you just hit subscribe wherever you listen to my podcast, and the new episodes automatically pop in and I get quote credit for the podcast platforms and they show my podcast to more people if you're just listening to them one by one without an subscription that I kind of don't get credit for it. Okay comment write a review DM me Tell me what you think talking subscribe to the podcast don't just listen one off and follow me on Instagram at the flexible neurotic da and share this with midlife peeps love you