Life Reimagined with Wendy Deacon

It definitely takes commitment and careful planning and it’s on the bucket list for many women.  It can come with hard work and training, sometimes it includes an injury or setbacks.  It can come with some tears, some smiles, and the opportunity to connect with a whole new group of women, sharing a common goal and the path to get there.I am NOT a natural born runner – and it’s totally evident when you see me on the running trail.  I grew up a swimmer and most times you see me in a running group, I’m in the back, if not THE last one, but I am at least out there while I can.If you’re a woman over 40 or 50 and want to try a marathon, a half marathon, or your first 5 or 10k, I hope you’ll stay tuned today as I’m sharing my recommendations for anyone giving it a go.  Why I think you should consider one of these events at ALL and when you’re ready, I’ll share stories on my experience in my marathons, including my last one at 55 in one of my favorite places.

I was 46 years old when I went on my first true hike on a trail in the Rocky Mountains and little by little, I began to learn all about hiking, took on longer and more aggressive trails, and grow my collection of great gear to support my new and healthy addiction.  I have hiked up over 15 14-ers (again a topic for another podcast), completed numerous EPIC hikes and now lead hiking groups.The past few weekends I have been reveling in the change of seasons in my Colorado hometown.  I experienced Fall or Autum as a kiddo in Ohio and the Midwest, and again while in college in Nashville, but I spent more time in Florida, South Carolina and Texas and the changing of the leaves while pretty, were short lived and not always spectacular.I feel so fortunate that I found this new activity and literally this whole new world of trails in the mountains over the past 10 years and that I have soooo many more to explore.  Each season brings unique beauty, like the Winter snow hikes with tons of fluffy white snow against bright blue skies, the gorgeous green colors and the creeks and rivers flowing fast in the Spring, & the sea of wildflowers in Summer.  All are wonderful.  But there is this whole other world that happens in late September and early October that changes all the greens to the most amazing mixture of yellows, oranges and reds along the mountain trails.  The Fall is incredible.  The air is crisp and I have to bring additional clothing layers, but I don’t mind.  The weather cooling is usually a nice break from the summer heat and the changing colors makes me walk much slower along the hiking trail to take a gazillion photographs of the splendor.If you haven’t yet experienced this feeling of walking on a wooded or mountain trail in the incredible tapestry of Fall colors, I hope you’ll consider penciling this in your calendar next year.  I have resources and recommendations available on my destinationu.net website that can help give you great places to check out, hiking trail ideas and links in my store for great gear to bring along, including free hiking checklists to download.I have much more detailed recommendations on How to Take Your Epic Hike in my private community called Inspiring Your Next.  I have a video version of this podcast on my YouTube Channel, with images of some of the most amazing Fall colors and I invite you to check them all out.I hope you take the time now (or plan for next year) and immerse yourself in a wonderful time of year, in beautiful fall colors and a sweet time of change.Thanks for listening and will see you on the trails!

Rachella Seeley didn't break a sweat until her late twenties and didn't start running marathons until her thirties, but she found herself increasingly surrounded by incredible women who inspired her to keep moving and to keep setting new goals.  She and her husband and friends traveled to marathons in many wonderful places and she even qualified for Boston and ran it multiple times.  She continued traveling and adventuring into her fifties and she learned of a group trying to raise money for a hospital at the base of Mount Kilimanjaro and that was IT.  Although it took her a few more years, she made her first trek up the world's 4th tallest mountain at the young age of 55, and absolutely loved it.  She didn't plan to see Mount Kilimanjaro again, but she was inspired by another wonderful but different cause this time. She repeatedly stated that she would support others but that she was NOT going to trek up the mountain a second time.The cause and the girls won her over and she ultimately decided she had to hike and summit this incredible mountain again....only this time she would be 69, turning 70!Hear how Rachella believes putting yourself out there and staying active with a bunch of wonderful and like-minded, goal-setting women are some of the keys to creating incredible and once in a lifetime memories. She shares her stories and will encourage you to go after your dreams, as she believes these are life changing experiences not to be missed...Check out additional info and photos on our website (www.destinationu.net/podcast-video) or the video version on our YouTube Channel - Wendy & DestinationU - Ageless Adventurers Over 40 - YouTube.

Have you ever read something in a book, seen something in a movie or heard a great story from a friend’s journey that captivated you so much that you just HAD to see it for yourself?  What is that ONE THING currently on your bucket list?  The ONE THING that needs to move up to your Live It NOW list?!My guest on today’s podcast is Melanie Michaelchuk, a sweet Texan who had a dream to climb Mount Kilimanjaro and just had to go for it!  Listen in as she shares how setting the goal was challenging, how much she had to get together to get ready for such an epic adventure, and how she moved mountains to climb it not only once, but twice, and both time after 50.  I hope listening in helps you really think about that one trip or experience or adventure YOU’VE been putting off and that inspires you to do it now…..don’t wait…..as each day we get a little older and we never know what tomorrow will bring.I picked up hiking in my late 40s and absolutely love it!  I have a free download to get you started plus my favorite hiking shoes, poles, packs, sunscreen and more, so check it all out on my website at destinationu.net/hiking or the favorites in our online store.  Also consider joining one of our upcoming trips, specially designed for women over 40 and in some of my favorite places! 

Have you ever signed up for a trip - maybe on a bit of a whim - only to find out how significant it would be in helping you redefine your life going forward?  Sarah Blake is with me today, sharing how she was inspired by Harry Connick Jr, H Company and a friend to take her first solo trip and historical tour in Europe to check out WW2 sites.  The stories she shares about her experiences, the Veterans she met, and the really fun Supper Club are really touching and what I love is that Sarah also recounts how much she learned about herself and how this trip changed her trajectory.  How one unforgettable comment from someone she met along the trip changed her perspective forever and helped kickstart her tackling her Live It NOW list.Sarah Blake is CEO and founder of Sarah Blake Consulting focusing on Emotional Intelligence & Leadership coaching.  She works with individuals and companies utilizing coaching, trainings/facilitation, and consulting strategies to reinforce growth.  Connect with Sarah at https://www.sarahblakeconsulting.comI hope you’ll also check out additional info on this historical tour on my DestinationU website plus bonus of some wonderful photos of the trip on the site or in the video version of our interview that will be also shared on YouTube.

Have you yet taken a trip by yourself?  YOUR solo journey?  Not work related and not just traveling somewhere to see family, but actually planning and going somewhere by yourself for a few days?  I know it might seem a bit unexpected and interesting topic in this hopefully-ending-soon-COVID era, especially as my last episode was focused on how to connect with others and grow your friends and support crew circle, but hear me out as I share today a bit more about how to set up a solo trip or journey and how wonderful it is for your mental health, spirit and your soul.Download your free Top Road Trips You Should Take in 2021 here! 

“Even if you cannot change all the people around you, you can change the people you choose to be around.  Life is too short to waste your time on people who don’t respect, appreciate, and value you.  Spend your life with people who make you smile, laugh, and feel loved.”  Roy T. Bennett.  Lessonslearnedinlife.comSo how about you?  Have you thought about those in your life and if you need to spend more or less of your time with them?  Have you thought about expanding your support circle?  Join me today as I dive in a bit on what to do if you are interested in how to connect with others and maybe just grow your support team a bit.

My best first lastHave you ever not tried something because of failure?  Because you may come in last?  I’ve addressed this on previous podcasts and the need to move away from fear of failure and living with judgment to a new perspective of living curiously but today I want to expand on that with a story about my recent snowshoe adventure and how coming in either almost last or dead last was so sweet.So I spent most of my adult life before age 45 living in warmer climates and not partaking in such outdoorsy or mountainous pursuits.  I did not try skiing (on snow that is) until I was in my mid 20s, didn’t try mountain biking until my 30s, didn’t get into snowboarding until my 40s and now car camping until my 50s.  There are many other new experiences and adventures and new likes - like a growing admiration and love of history - to dive into at another time as today I’m sharing about one of my outdoor favorites, my snowshoe adventure.Any how sweet it was to have my best first last.

Ok so someone offers to take your picture.  Do you shy away from it? Have you always?  And yes, the image is changing - at least it is for me - but in many ways, the road detours and challenges that lead to every spot or mark on my skin has helped me build into a stronger and more powerful force.  I want to remember what it feels like to be me at this age -  to document all the fun I'm having.  But some may not feel the same and may not see themselves that way.  They need someone to literally shine a light, to bring their beauty and the essence of who they are, out front, for all to see.  And most importantly, for SHE herself to see. That person is with me today and I think you'll see when you meet Julie, how her passion for helping elevate women - especially those of us over 50 - is changing how they feel and is truly changing lives. I love that my guest today states - almost quietly shouts it actually - that Beauty has no expiration date and it's time for you to be seen.  Julie Ulstrup always loved photography but she started as a school educator who then followed her passion to become a professional photographer and is having the best time of her life.  She's had her own trials and tribulations but she will explain how her personal journey after divorce and in northern Spain provided her her own life-changing experience and pushed her to stop playing small. I hope you check out Julie's artistry and how she is helping elevate women - especially her 50 Over 50 project at www.julieulstrup.com.  You can hear more from Julie in her TED talk on How to Transform the Way You See Yourself, TEDxCherryCreekWomen. I have more information available on my website, www.destinationu.net and additional free resources to and I invite you to join our destinationu community and learn to live with more fun, more inspiration and more support from others out there living out loud.  To stop playing small! Thanks so much everyone!

Celine Anelone Brozovich joins me today to chat about how she was able to manage an early diagnosis of depression using the power of her intellectual curiosity, how this evolved into a wonderful career and why now she has made a personal and professional life change and is feeling outrageously good.  She will share more about why she has a trampoline in her office  and why she needs to share it and tell everybody!!She has turned all of her experience now into a way to help other women really find their true health and happiness and I hope you'll listen in to our fun interview and check out her community and resources available at www.bakenjihealthcom.

When something bad happens, it can be easy to be a victim, but today my guest Claudine will share how pretty early she decided she was not going to be a victim but instead really learn from it.  She realized her life was not in alignment but she ultimately decided to take action and now believes we don't need a hammer to create change or experience growth.  She became the author in her own life.  What will happen to make you really stop to become more aware of what you truly want and then finally take action toward getting there?Do you really want to be hit by a hammer to experience your life changing moment?What the heck does that mean anyways?Well, If you've listened to ANY of my Life Reimagined podcasts, you have already heard from so many amazing women who had their life detoured or disrupted unexpectedly and you've also heard how much it awakened them and led them to their true purpose and how now it's considered more of a positive and a blessing than anything with a negative connotation.But what are some of the reasons or critical steps that are taken by these seemingly ordinary women in our 40, 50 and 60s - and beyond - that allowed them to use these tough challenges and experiences to really kick their life and everything around them into high gear?My guest today Claudine Chiarmonte will share her personal experience and how she believes it was her mental fitness to handle her near-death experience that made all the difference in her recovery and how she used that life-altering moment to go down a completely different path and truly become the author of her own life.Positive Intelligence is the science and practice (mental fitness) of developing mastery over your own mind so you can reach your full potential for both happiness and success.  How are we viewing the world from a growth or fixed mindset?Mental fitness is your ability to handle life’s challenges with a positive mindset rather than a negative mindset. Your mental fitness affects EVERYTHING, including your performance, your relationships, and your well-being. Extensive research shows that mental fitness is the best predictor of how happy you’ll be and how well you will perform relative to your potential.Tap into Your Full Potential and take this Free Saboteur assessment:  Learn what is getting your way for having the life that you want:   https://assessment.positiveintelligence.com/saboteur/instructionsTo schedule a free call to review your assessment, make appointment at https://IamClaudine.as.me/Assessmentcallhttps://IamClaudine.as.me/BreakthroughCallFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/IamClaudinec/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/IamClaudine/LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/claudinechiarmonteClubhouse @ IamClaudineC

Have you stopped and really evaluated how your food is working for you - especially if you're over 50?  Is it working for you?  This is not a question I had often asked my younger self but as I get a bit beyond my 20s and 30s, I'm increasingly aware of the importance of what I'm eating and how significant my choices can be in how I feel every day and in how I'm setting a strong path for hopefully many healthy and active years ahead…..cause there's so much more I want to do, see and experience and I need this body to go the distance.So when I met my guest today, Ginny Grabowski, we instantly connected, and I knew I wanted to have her share the path that's brought her to now helping other women in our life chapter consider plant-based eating - and before you turn off or turn away, give us a few minutes to share that it actually can be easier and more delicious than you think.  Because as part of my life reimagined, I never thought I'd be filling a cooler of food for my road trips and never thought I'd actually enjoy even trying to prep and cook these adventurous recipes.I am not 100% vegan or vegetarian due other dietary restrictions but I can totally attest to the importance of plant-based eating in my life and my energy. Maybe even my hopefully keeping up my somewhat youthful appearance going forward as I'm totally in active age denial and plan to be for awhile.  So I need what I eat to work for me and it's been a really unexpectedly fun and interesting culinary adventure for me, a non-cooking or former non-cooking gal to eat more intentionally and find how much better it makes me feel.So join me today ….as Ginny and I talk about how to even dip your toe in the water of introducing more plant based eating into your day and how easy and how sweet this lifestyle can be.

Have you ever truly felt that you were completely aligned with your feelings and what you want?  Have you ever experienced a time of dedicated focus on you that you received so many insights and wonderful ideas and you knew that no matter where you were headed, it would all be okay?  My guest today, Michela Fantinel, shares her stories of how traveling abroad by herself led to such clarity and peace and it led her to move from a feeling of restlessness to being ready for any direction life would then take her.Join us to share stories and insights and hear how she's now turned this into her business, in which she shares resources and coaching with women over 50 in  Magic Fifty.

What 1 simple step or key decision you can make today to bring YOUR life back into alignment?  Have you even defined what it is you want in order to even start to work towards that alignment?  Today  I want to challenge you with a short podcast but an important one and message in that I ask if you’ve stopped and figured out if you need either a break or a mini-pivot and if so, if you’ve given yourself the permission and even the blessing to do so.  So join me today as we touch base briefly on making sure you’re in alignment with what you need right now, how it is okay for you to take your own life pause or mini pivot and how I'll be your biggest cheerleader to do just that….

Have you ever wondered what the heck people do when they go on a hike? What does some one mean when they say an Epic hike?It was something I never even wondered about in my teenage years, or 20s and 30s. And Heck, even when I was growing up, the closest thing I knew about hiking was people eat granola. And john Denver sang about it. That was about it. I just was not raised in a family who got out and hiked, and it was probably related to the geography in the area of which I grew up.But regardless of that, as you know, with my podcast being focused on reimagining our life going forward and carving new paths , I found it interesting that in my 30s and 40s, I started to discover that hey, this was kind of cool, or even WAAAAYYY cool, and that there was much more out there than I really understood.Before trying it, I thought how hard can it be? It's just walking - even if it is up the hill, right? Okay, yeah. going up a hill is gonna involve some heavier breathing. But I thought how can people find exercise or training to be something you can do while hiking you just seemed a little basic and a little too easy. Well, I can tell you that hiking is not only a wonderful aerobic and character building activity, but it's also awe inspiring, and glorious beyond which I ever even thought possible. Now at age 53, I've gone on hundreds of hikes of all lengths, difficulty, and had totally different experiences and seen so much beauty, but 3 hikes I completed all over the age of 50 stand out that I'll comment on a bit more.  Aspen to Crested Butte in Colorado, The Narrows in Zion National Park and Hiking across the Grand Canyon.So join me today as i talk about why you - especially if you are over 40 or 50 - don't want to miss this amazing experience and why you should consider planning and going on your epic hike now and not postpone it any longer.

There are many negatives to come from the COVID challenges over the past year but I hope you also were able to find some positives from the experience.  If you're anything like me, there are many folks in our 40s, 50s and 60s who really stopped to think about where we are in our life and what we want going forward.As our focus in this podcast is to reimagine our next chapter, it's a perfect time to also discuss how you will recreate going forward - double entendre intentionalThe definition of recreate is "to give new life or freshness to" and that is exactly what my guests, Kimberly Mylls and Melissa Lamson, today are focused on.  Helping you reimage and recreate to make this and your next chapter your best.So join us today as we dive into the details of HOW to recreate and take what YOU want to go after and turn it into your new reality.I am so excited to announce I am partnering with Melissa and Kimberly, the Co-Creators of RECREATE NOW, an Action Tank for Women.  The Exclusive 2021 Action Tank is kicking off in the next few weeks but if you hurry, there are only a few spots left - like 2 I think - for this amazing Mastermind, Think Tank and Accelerator all in one for women 50 & up to build up and launch your next meaningful X - You KNOW I like that as it aligns perfectly with my focus on IYN.You can check out more details and again - submit ASAP if you're interested - at www.recreatenow.org

I love that my guest today, Coach Judy, shares her personal story and the journey that helped her realize what a gift it is to experience your own Mid Life Awakening and forced her to ask the question, "What Would Make Your Life Remarkable?"What about you?  Have you given it any thought?  Have you had such an awakening?  Coach Judy Prokopiak is a fellow swimmer,  speaker, teacher, best selling author, master life reinvention coach and spiritual practitioner.  Join us as she shares how she overcame decades of disordered eating, drinking and thinking, and how she got past her own baggage and "not something enough" to now help women get their second act together and find peace and purpose through spiritual awakening, connecting to their true self and transforming trauma into triumph.Find more information at www.judyprokopiak.com 

Is it Critical?  Get away for a bit and take a vacation and before you totally stress about all that you "have to do," really evaluate the deadlines you set for yourself and if they're all critical.  Happy road trip and vacation everyone!!!

We all have fear and I love how my guest Marjorie Fiore shares it's "False Expectations Appearing Real."  But join us as she shares her story and how she started to finally act and address her alcohol habit that had "spilled over into every day living" when the fear of regret became stronger than the fear of the change.  Listen in to hear how she kept answering those nudges, how she dealt with it all head on and how now she is going after the life she wants in her group called The Juicy Life.   Also check out her MIDspiration FREE Interview Series called Intermission - check it out and find additional information about Marjorie at www.dynamiclifeguru.com or her Facebook Group - The Juicy Life.

Have you had a chance to pause and reflect on all the wonderful blessings in your world lately?All the great steps you've made or all the great achievements you've made in the last few years, maybe some goals that you thought were impossible, something that you envisioned that you weren't quite sure how you were going to get there and have you paused for a moment and considered how blessed you are right now, right here to have the opportunity to do it again and again, and again, to look forward, envision what you want, put the steps in place, walk the talk, and actually go after you what....what you really want?Join me today as I pause to really celebrate some milestones, some things I didn't even know I was going to accomplish or achieve, but I really set forth on a path to do so and want to take a moment and reflect and just celebrate.