Tell Her Story

Why Midlife Isn’t Too Late — It’s the Moment Meaning Begins

There’s a line in a recent article I wrote that keeps echoing back to me:

When we tell our old stories over and over again, we can get trapped inside them.

I know this firsthand.

In traditional recovery spaces, it often felt like the past was the main event. The old story was told, retold, refined. With each telling, it sometimes became more elaborate—more dramatic, more fixed.

And I didn’t want to live there anymore.

I didn’t want to keep telling my old story.
I wanted to create a new one.

That shift—turning my attention toward what the future could hold—made all the difference.

“It’s Too Late” Is One of the Most Dangerous Lies

I see this belief surface again and again in women in midlife. And if I’m honest, I still have to resist it at times vmyself.

The quiet thought that says:

• The meaningful moments are behind me.

• Breakthroughs are for younger women.

• What’s left is maintenance, not becoming.

There’s also a very real fatigue that comes with this season—not a lack of wisdom, but a lack of appetite for proving, networking, campaigning, or performing the way we once did.

I don’t want to hustle for relevance.
I want to share my work, my words, my wisdom, my love—and trust they’ll find the women they’re meant for.

And if those women carry the message forward?
That’s enough.

I refuse to believe the best of me is behind me.
And I refuse to let other women believe that lie either.

The World Is Hungry for Light-Bearing Women

There is a kind of energy the world is starving for right now.

Not youthful bravado.
Not polished perfection.
Not loud certainty.

But the presence of Light-Bearing Women—women who have suffered, made peace, and are willing to share their wisdom without bitterness, performance, or spectacle.

These are stories that don’t glorify pain, but redeem it.
Stories that invite others to:

• Heal

• See themselves differently

• Stop accepting numbness as normal

• Question a mediocre status quo

This is what telling her story is really about.

Not searching for pain—but discovering purpose.
Not reopening wounds—but making peace.

A Necessary Distinction (For You and For Me)

Some people hear this work and worry about toxic positivity.

That’s not what this is.

I don’t help women scab over wounds and pretend everything is fine.
And I’m not interested in endlessly excavating trauma either.

Here’s the distinction:

I help women care for the wound so it can heal—not relive it, not perform it, and not ignore it.

I am not a therapist.
I don’t diagnose, excavate, or treat.

What I do create is a space where women can:

• Clean what needs care

• Make peace with what was

• Extract meaning instead of shame

• Tell their story intentionally, not compulsively

That distinction matters—for you, and for the women who trust this work.

Legacy Isn’t About Winning — It’s About Not Giving Up

I have no interest in being flashy, popular, or impressive.

I want to help as many women in their prime as possible leave their legacies with intention—with love, direction, and clarity.

A legacy that says:

• She didn’t ignore what harmed her.

• She didn’t tolerate what diminished her.

• She didn’t numb her way through life.

• She chose peace—not by winning, but by not giving up.

This is the legacy of the Light-Bearing Woman.

One who doesn’t look away.
One who doesn’t harden.
One who stays present—with herself and with life.

Tell Her Story — But Ask This First

Before you tell your story, ask yourself:

• What do I want people to understand about this pain?

• Do I want sympathy—or recognition?

• Do I want to be heard—or do I want someone else to finally breathe and think, “Maybe there’s another way”?

The most powerful stories don’t ask for pity.
They offer permission.

They help someone pause—maybe for the first time in a long time—and see a path forward.

Follow Curiosity, Not Pressure

I recently heard a quote—paraphrased, borrowed, but true:

Don’t follow your passions. Follow your curiosities.

Passion can carry pressure. Expectations. A demand to perform.

Curiosity is gentler. Playful. Expansive.

Curiosity allows you to explore without deciding the outcome first.

That’s how new stories are born.

Live Now — This Is the Work

You are alive now.
Here. Breathing. Experiencing this moment.

None of us know if we have:

• One more day

• One more year

• Ten more years

• Or decades ahead

To stop fully expressing yourself now is a kind of premature death.

Live out loud.
Live in full light.

What do you really have to lose—except the joy of the ride?

I think of a story once shared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, where a man survived a plane crash. He described turning back and seeing light rising from those who were transitioning—however you choose to name it.

From that moment on, he knew his job was simple:

Make his light as bright as possible.

That is our work too.

So when it’s time to transition—whenever that is—we are not afraid.
We are full.
Satisfied.
Grateful.
And ready.

That is what telling her story is really about.

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About the Author

Teresa Rodden is the author of Return to Light and the creator of the Return to Light Gatherings and 28 Day Return to Light, a transformative approach for women in their prime who feel disconnected, numb, or quietly trapped in lives that no longer reflect who they’ve become. For over fifteen years, Teresa has helped women release numbing habits, reconnect with their inner light, and discover new possibilities without labels, shame, or recovery culture. Her work offers a safe, judgment-free space for women to explore their truth, honor their deepest knowing, and choose the life their soul is asking for. Teresa believes every woman carries a light meant to guide her home to herself — and that it’s never too late to begin again.