Do you ever look around at everything you’ve built the career, the family, the achievements and still feel like something’s missing? Like no matter how much you’ve accomplished, you’re running on empty, pushing harder but feeling emptier inside?
If so, you’re not alone.
They say your 20s are the happiest years of your life. And yes, maybe you remember them as wild, adventurous, full of fun and freedom. I sure do. But if I’m honest? I was also a hot mess. That’s why I wrote Can I Live?! Dare to Go from Fcked Up to Fabulous.* Fun? Absolutely. Fulfillment? Not even close.
By my 30s and early 40s, things looked different. I had built businesses. I was raising a family. From the outside, I looked like I had it all together. But inside? I was exhausted. Completely drained. Living on autopilot, letting limiting beliefs sabotage my joy.
Does that sound familiar?
Research shows you’re not imagining it. Psychologists call this the “happiness curve.” Studies across the globe find that happiness dips in midlife typically in our 40s and 50s before climbing back up again in our 60s and 70s, often higher than in our 20s. That’s why so many professionals hit that invisible wall. Despite all the success, the weight feels heavier, not lighter.
But here’s the truth most people miss: you don’t have to wait until your 60s or 70s for things to turn around. You can feel more joy and fulfillment now.
I know because I’ve lived it. Today, at almost 55, I feel better than I ever have emotionally, mentally, physically, spiritually, and financially. And it didn’t come from slowing down or “waiting for happiness to return.” It came from rewriting the stories I was telling myself.
Because that’s what keeps so many high achievers stuck. Not the external pressures but the internal narratives:
· “I’m not enough.”
· “This is just the way life is.”
· “I’ll never catch up.”
· “My best days are behind me.”
These are lies. And the longer we run on them, the more disconnected we feel from ourselves, from our joy, from the very life we’ve worked so hard to create.
So how do you shift it?
Here’s one simple step you can try today: Catch one draining thought and flip it.
· Instead of “I’ll never catch up,” try “I get to set the pace.”
· Instead of “I don’t have time,” try “I choose where my energy goes.”
These tiny reframes may seem simple, but they create massive ripple effects. They move you from survival mode into possibility. From burnout to alignment. From empty to energized. They give you the freedom to elevate how you live and soar toward the life you actually want.
And that’s the key. You don’t need to wait for a milestone birthday to feel lighter. You don’t need to wait for retirement to feel fulfilled.
Because joy isn’t reserved for your 20s. And it doesn’t magically appear in your 60s. Joy is available to you right here, right now — in the middle of your career, in the middle of your life, even in the middle of the storm.
The moment you choose differently is the moment you begin to rise, elevate, and soar.
So what limiting BS story are you going to rewrite today, into a more empowering joy filled story? I would love to hear it!