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Ever feel the pressure to reinvent yourself by February? We’re choosing a better path. After a year marked by cancer and stacked medical emergencies, I’m done proving and ready to design a year that actually fits: slower travel, calmer mornings, kinder boundaries, and choices that honor energy, not ego. This isn’t about becoming someone new; it’s about becoming more of who you already are—on purpose.

We start with ease as a strategy. I’m taking a six-week road trip and breaking it into humane days so I arrive well, not wrecked. That mindset spills into work, home, and service. I share how we built systems for a record stewardship campaign at our cathedral and why I’m handing leadership on so others can thrive. Ease isn’t slacking; it’s intentional design that keeps the most important things front and center.

Peace gets a real definition here: fewer circular fights, slower replies, and acceptance of people as they are—especially the ones we love. We talk about joy shifting from big, performative moments to small, repeatable pleasures you can count on: a quiet coffee, a comfortable bed, a text from someone who knows your heart. Then we get honest about choosing yourself without guilt, receiving help when you need it, and learning what enough finally feels like—enough plans, enough stuff, enough proving.

If you’re craving a good year instead of a big year, you’re in the right place. Letting go created room; choosing wisely fills it with ease, peace, joy, and contentment you can sustain. Press play, take what serves you, and tell us: what are you choosing more of this year? Subscribe, share with a friend who needs a gentler plan, and leave a review to help more people find the show.

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Forget the pressure to reinvent yourself. We’re starting the year by choosing relief over resolutions and building a life that feels lighter, calmer, and more honest. I share a comfort-first plan for a six-week road trip—smart hotel picks, slower pacing, and the joy of clean bathrooms—and use it as a lens for unpacking emotional luggage. From gummy bears to good coffee, the practical choices become metaphors for midlife edits: keep what helps, leave what hurts, and skip the drama you didn’t sign up for.

We take on the heaviest habit of all: relentless self-critique. I talk candidly about weight, medication, old family messages, and the daily work of kinder self-talk. Then we put that compassion into action with boundaries that stick. No can be a complete sentence. You don’t owe a backstory for every decision, whether it’s a travel budget, a deadline you won’t meet, or a plan you’re not comfortable with. When you stop explaining to win approval, you reclaim time, money, and peace.

Friendships get the same thoughtful treatment. Not every ending is a fight; some are edits made with gratitude. We explore how to release connections that take more than they give, while cherishing the people who remain. To guide the year, I offer better questions: What am I done carrying? Which obligations feel heavier than they should? What version of myself am I still performing? Wanting less isn’t failure—it’s wisdom.

Aging isn’t shrinking; it’s editing. Keep what matters and let the rest go. If this season feels lighter, you’re doing it right. If it feels heavy, be patient—clarity will come. If this resonates, tap follow, share it with a friend who needs permission to let go, and leave a review so more listeners can find the show.

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Resolutions feel like a trap when life is already full. This conversation offers a gentler, braver path: set intentions that match your energy, honor your season, and still move you forward. Fresh off a joyful, busy holiday and looking ahead to a milestone 65th birthday, we talk candidly about aging, boundaries, and what it means to spend time like the precious resource it is.

We lay out five grounded intentions you can adopt today: listen to your body and move in ways that feel good; protect your energy with clear boundaries and fewer draining commitments; stay curious by learning new tools and trying small challenges; nurture relationships with honesty and care; and enjoy life now rather than waiting for perfect conditions. Along the way, you’ll hear real stories—from water aerobics wins to city walks in Chicago, from crossing suspension bridges to taking the train despite fears—that show how tiny, brave choices add up.

You’ll also get a peek behind the mic: launching a third show, Unbottled, focused on sobriety and everyday habits; building Marcy Bacchus Media; and how podcasting provides purpose beyond sponsors. We talk about solo travel plans out West, turning intentions into monthly check-ins, and practicing self-kindness around weight changes tied to cancer medication. No rigid rules, no shame spiral—just practical ways to choose what matters and celebrate progress.

If you’re ready to trade all-or-nothing goals for a way of living that lasts, press play and pick one intention to guide your year. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs a gentler start, and leave a review to help more listeners find the show.

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What if getting older made life simpler, not smaller? That’s the thread we follow as we move from Chicago’s weather whiplash to the quiet freedoms that come with age: flexible plans, honest rest, and the courage to let the map change without calling it failure. We talk candidly about health—finding a cancer lump in a dream, doing workouts through chemo, managing a rare connective tissue disorder—and how reframing the body from enemy to expert messenger shifts everything. It’s not sugarcoating; it’s choosing a lens that helps you heal and live.

We also open the door on home and money decisions that don’t fit the old script. A tiny high-rise condo we bought in 2001 as an investment is now the heartbeat of our days. Property taxes surprise us more than California ever did. A job ends, another one appears, and an unexpected “dream job” takes root at the cathedral. That pattern shows up again and again: most things work out, just not on our timeline. The proof is in the moves we didn’t plan—Texas, Denmark, Oregon, back to California, then Chicago—and the friendships and routines that bloomed in each place.

Underneath it all is a softer stance toward time. Rest is no longer a reward you earn with exhaustion; it’s a need you honor before life hollows you out. Worry gets called by its true name: a thief of the present for a future that hasn’t happened. And resilience? It grows quietly, in the daily showing up, in the nap you actually take, in the way you tell your younger self, you’re doing better than you think. If you’re craving clarity, warmth, and a few hard-won laughs about aging, health, and home, you’re in the right place.

If this resonated, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs the reminder, and leave a quick review—what’s one belief about aging you’re ready to rewrite?

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The small things got louder: the grunt when we stand, the menu we can’t read, the shoulder that protests a perfectly innocent night of sleep. I wanted to untangle those moments with honesty and humor, then offer tools that actually help. We start with the floor—why getting up turns into a negotiation with nearby furniture—and land on the big culprit: muscle loss. From there, I share a simple plan that works in real life: eat protein first, vegetables next, carbs last, and add two or three short strength sessions a week to rebuild power in your legs and core. Water aerobics stays in the mix, but weights do the heavy lifting for independence.

We also tackle the low-light struggle of menus and medicine labels. Your phone is your ally: the flashlight and magnifier are game changers, and accessibility settings can make text readable without squinting. I talk monovision contacts, the curious crime of “sleeping wrong,” and the pain relief routines that actually move the needle—think consistent topical anti-inflammatories and smarter sleep setup, not miracle cures. Then we wade into tech turbulence: surprise updates, broken printers, and how to keep your sanity with free classes, YouTube, and a willingness to learn the system instead of fighting it.

Underneath it all sits energy management. One appointment can be the day, and that’s not laziness—it’s intelligent pacing. I walk through the mental load of getting out the door in a dense city and how a few strategies lower the stress: pre-planning routes, bathroom strategy, and giving your brain one task at a time. Along the way, I share travel plans, a health update, and a teaser for my new show, Unbottled, where sobriety wisdom meets everyday life skills. Come for the laughs, stay for the practical playbook. If this helps, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs a lift, and leave a quick review—what’s the one aging challenge you want us to tackle next?

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The snow is piling up, the sun ducks between skyscrapers, and we’re choosing warmth the easy way: small sparks that actually stick. Instead of white‑knuckle resolutions, we map out 54 tiny, feel‑good changes that make 2026 brighter without draining your energy or your wallet. From the emotional comfort of a beloved movie to the joy of a shower playlist you actually sing along to, we explore simple rituals that lift the day and keep your momentum moving.

We get practical about low‑effort wins: homemade salad dressings that make weeknight greens taste like a restaurant, handwritten thank you notes that reset the room, and quick compliments that change a stranger’s face and your own mood. We talk about city elevator kindness, why dogs are instant serotonin, and how rescuing a tired houseplant can be a quiet act of hope. There’s room for spontaneity too—saying yes to a last‑minute lecture, taking a different route home, or buying yourself a small treat for no reason other than it makes you smile.

We also look inward, reconnecting with old passions and unfinished projects that still have a heartbeat. One cake class can unlock an artist. One playlist can shift a morning. One post‑it can save a day. After a year of medical storms and grit, we make space for grace, release the pressure to be perfect, and set a gentle course into the new year. If you’re craving doable ideas and a kinder plan, this one’s for you.

If this resonated, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs a lift, and leave a quick review to help others find us. What tiny spark are you trying first?

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Forget the glossy brochure version of retirement. We get honest about what happens when the calendar opens up, the title falls away, and the to-do list is yours to write. From late drops and real-life health worries to the small rituals that keep a day anchored, we map how freedom and responsibility can live side by side without burning you out.

I share the unedited arc: decades of work that look different from the traditional path, the decision to downsize into a one-bedroom in Chicago, and the messy first year that followed. Then we talk about the turn—finding community at the pool, building a loose routine, learning to enjoy guilt-free downtime, and rediscovering creativity. We unpack the true pros of retirement—time, flexibility, travel on your schedule, and the joy of saying no—as well as real cons like chores that don’t retire, days that blend together, and the friction of two people home at once.

Money gets the clarity it deserves. We break down why keeping fixed costs lean, paying down housing, and timing big purchases (hello, “last car”) can make everything feel lighter. We also explore how to travel smarter, not harder, and why city living can be a surprising win for safety, access, and daily connection. Most of all, we focus on identity: liking yourself more without a boss, forgiving old mistakes, and building a life that runs on community, movement, and meaning. If you’re retired, almost there, or just retirement-curious, this conversation offers practical steps and a warm nudge to design the next chapter on purpose.

If this resonated, share it with someone who’s retired or wishes they were, hit follow, and leave a quick review—what’s your first guilt-free yes after you retire?

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A blizzard, a burst of seventy degrees, and a brush with the northern lights set the perfect backdrop for a truth we don’t hear enough: solo doesn’t have to mean sad. I’m unpacking what aging solo actually looks like—across divorce, widowhood, never marrying, and reinvention—and why autonomy can be a superpower when you pair it with planning, community, and a little mischief.

We dig into the five most common solo scenarios and the real challenges underneath them: financial resets after a split, the grind of rebuilding social ties, health scares that demand fast decisions, and the risk of isolation when routines shrink. Alongside the hard parts, I highlight bright spots from lived stories—people who center their own needs, design a “friend family,” and keep purpose alive through travel, volunteering, music, and nature. If you’ve ever wondered how to start, I share a straightforward solo aging playbook: audit your budget and emergency fund, set up visible healthcare documents, choose two go-to advocates, and create a distributed support network so help isn’t resting on one person’s shoulders.

From water aerobics that doubles as a lifeline to weekly buddy check-ins that keep the blues at bay, this conversation is about action you can take today. You’ll leave with three simple assignments—invite one friend to coffee, update one money or health document, and schedule one small solo adventure—that shift you from “getting by” to “living on your terms.” Solo can be center stage: clear, confident, and full of moments that make you grin when you walk back through your door.

If this resonated, hit follow, share it with someone who could use a nudge, and leave a quick review—it helps more solo agers find a plan that fits.