Intelligent Intoxication

Do you ever wonder WHY you do what you do? So much of our behavior is driven by the need to have an emotional need met. According to author and speaker, Tony Robbins, there are six human needs that drive all of us — and understanding them can bring so much clarity and self-awareness. On today’s episode I’ll apply my understanding of Robbins’ 6 needs to the empty nest stage of life during which mid...

Arthur Brooks, author of The Meaning of Your Life: Finding Purpose In An Age of Emptiness, is a Harvard professor and social scientist who studies happiness and meaning.  Brooks simplifies happiness into three core ingredients: enjoyment satisfaction meaning His formula is: Happiness = Enjoyment + Satisfaction + Meaning This gives us a practical framework to ask: What am I truly enjoying? Where am...

Second Season vs. Next Season: Releasing the Pressure to Get It Right In today’s episode, we’re exploring the subtle difference between calling this chapter your “second season” versus your “next season.” At first glance, second season can sound intentional and beautiful — but it can also carry an unspoken pressure: This is it. This one needs to be right. For many midlife women, especially moms na...

In this episode, we’re exploring the difference between the life changes we choose as midlife women and the ones that seem to happen to us. Some changes arrive because we intentionally decide something needs to shift — our routines, our relationships, our homes, our health, or the way we want to live this next season. Other changes come without invitation: children leaving home, changing family dy...

So many women feel the weight of the question: “What is my purpose?” It can feel big, vague, and quietly intimidating—like there’s a “right” answer you’re supposed to figure out. But what if the question itself is the problem? This episode offers a gentler, more grounded approach. Key Shift Instead of asking: “What is my purpose?” Try asking: What lets me feel a little more alive? When do I notice...

In this episode, we talk about the three emotional stages many women move through when their children leave home: Grief, Relief, and Joy. These stages don’t always happen in a straight line. You may feel two of them at the same time, or circle back to one when holidays, visits, or life transitions happen. But recognizing where you are can bring a lot of clarity. 1. Grief: Letting Go of a Season Th...

I’m thrilled to announce my new in-person class: “Design Your Second Season – Your Kids Are Grown. Now it’s time to rediscover YOU.” Design Your Second Season is a 5-week small-group class where moms of adult children come together to reflect, reconnect with who they are now, and begin shaping a meaningful and fulfilling next chapter. In this class, you’ll gain: • Clarity about who you are now in...

Once the active years of motherhood have passed, we may find ourselves still trying to prove to or convince others that we are valuable and worthy.  Proving is similar to people-pleasing in which we’re “lying” to others in order to manage how they think or feel about us.  If you’re the mother of adult children who finds herself striving to prove that you’re still valuable and worthy, I can help. ...

It’s not uncommon for moms of adult children in the second half of life to get stuck in fear - rather than managing fear while living in hope.  Courtesy of author Kate Swobota, “the fear chain/hope chain” exercise will help you uncover the limiting beliefs beneath your fears so that you can intentionally focus on what you hope will happen instead.  For example: “If I’m not needed by my adult child...

A simple coaching prompt stopped me in my tracks: “Actually, I don’t want to ______ because…” In this episode, we explore why so many of us chase goals we inherited—from culture, expectations, or a former version of ourselves—and how quiet resistance can be a form of wisdom. This conversation is for you if you’ve been feeling oddly unmotivated, braced around certain “shoulds,” or unsure why a goal...

In the empty nest, long-standing explanations for why life can’t change often get louder. These stories once protected us—but now they may be quietly limiting our sense of agency, vitality, and connection. 1. The Pattern: Living in Explanation Mode Constant reasons why change isn’t possible Weight, marriage, energy, relationships, timing Not laziness—protection Explanations reduce risk, disappoint...

What if some of the hardest parts of empty nesting aren’t the circumstances themselves—but the stories our nervous system tells about them? In this episode, we explore the difference between real empty nest changes and the meaning we attach to them when we’re unsettled or dysregulated. Drawing from ADHD and nervous system concepts, we look at why grief and anxiety can surface even when nothing is...

Episode Description: If your habits haven’t been what you wanted them to be so far in 2026, here’s a quick habit refresh for your consideration: Identify whether you are an “abstainer” or a “moderator”. In her book, Better Than Before, author Gretchen Rubin explains: “For abstainers, it’s easier to say no to everything than to say no to some things… moderators do better when they indulge in modera...

Moms of adult children often struggle to create or maintain emotionally mature relationships in the second season of life.  What if creating new connections can actually be simple, not complicated? Here are my top three tips for creating and maintaining connections: Be interested. No one wants to be impressed by you. Women want to feel seen and heard and that you’re genuinely interested in who the...

I use the concept “quiet quitting” to describe the intentional decision to  create an internal boundary regarding what we are no longer willing to do, be, or what or to whom we’re no longer willing to grant access to, or determining the amount of space you need between you and another person in order to truly love and accept them and yourself at the same time. “Quitting” is not giving up - it’s de...

If you’re a mom of adult children and you’re feeling discombobulated after the holidays — this episode is for you. When your kids come home, life often shifts into anticipation mode. We look forward to their arrival, savor the time together, and then suddenly… they’re gone. And you’re left trying to restart your life again. In this episode, we talk about: Why the transition after the holidays feel...

In the second stage of motherhood, many women struggle to just “feel better”.  In this episode, we explore both top-down and bottom-up approaches to healing and wellbeing as the mom of adult children.  You’ll learn: What top-down work looks like (mindset, values, identity, belief-shifting) What bottom-up support includes (therapy, medication, nervous system care, lifestyle shifts) Why insight alon...

In this episode, we explore the subtle but powerful difference between anticipation and presence — and how it impacts your daily peace and joy as the mother of adult children in your second season of life.  Anticipation pulls your mind into the future, imagining what hasn’t happened yet. While it can create excitement, it often keeps us in a state of waiting, overthinking, or low-grade anxiety. Pr...

On tonight’s episode, we’ll discuss 10 more “gifts” a mother can give her adult children that cost nothing but create emotional spaciousness, safety, and connection. These acts of emotional generosity will help your relationship grow, breathe, and thrive. The Best Gifts a Mother Can Give Her Adult Children (That Money Can’t Buy) 11. A Soft Landing, Not a Sticky Trap Offering warmth, humor, listeni...

On tonight’s episode, we’ll discuss “gifts” a mother can give her adult children that cost nothing but create emotional spaciousness, safety, and connection. These acts of emotional generosity will help your relationship grow, breathe, and thrive. The Best Gifts a Mother Can Give Her Adult Children (That Money Can’t Buy) 1. A Life You Love and Live Fully A purposeful, engaged, meaningful life so t...

As the mother of adult children, it’s normal to experience challenges when they return for the holidays. Your new routines may be disrupted, your old roles may resurface, and both parents and children have expectations for the time spent together. Here are a few questions for your consideration: What are your expectations for the holiday season?  What are your adult children’s expectations? What r...

As the mother of adult children, it’s normal to feel occasional sadness and worry. But when sadness becomes depression, and worry is a symptom of anxiety, it’s time to consider getting help.  This episode helps you understand the difference between normal transitional feelings and signs that you may need additional support from a therapist or doctor. Key Takeaways: The empty nest is often describe...

So many women in the empty-nest season find themselves waiting to feel “ready,” “clear,” or “purposeful” before they allow themselves to feel happy.  In today’s episode, we explore a powerful reframe inspired by this Dan Sullivan quote from his best-selling book,  The Gap and the Gain: “Happiness is not something you pursue. Happiness is not somewhere in the future. Happiness is where you start, n...

Episode Summary Do you ever look around your quiet home and wonder, “What now?” Your kids are thriving, but you feel… stuck. It’s easy to measure your life by what’s missing — the noise, the busyness, the clear sense of purpose you once had. In this episode, we explore a powerful concept from Dan Sullivan’s book The Gap and the Gain - the idea that fulfillment comes from how far you’ve come, not h...

In this episode, we explore boredom — that restless, itchy feeling that something’s missing, even when life is calm. After years of being needed and scheduled, the quiet can feel both freeing and frustrating. Boredom isn’t a sign of failure — it’s a sign of readiness. Your soul is waking up and looking for new places to pour your energy and creativity. Key Takeaways: Boredom is restlessness withou...