We are excited to be building a reciprocal mentoring culture in Second 50, where women can both give and receive wisdom and support. Mentoring is a proven way to help you plan and manage life transitions. As you listen to others’ stories, you will see how quickly you will start to believe that you can navigate your own changes and challenges with ease and grace. 

It’s 12 months since a group of diverse women came together to pilot the concept of a Second 50 community. What started as a simple passion project has evolved towards our goal of helping Australian women aged from midlife onwards feel valued and make positive changes for themselves and the world. To mark this incredible year of growth and connection, I’d like to share ten Second 50 insights. I hope some of them resonate with you and even spark some insights about your own Second 50 journey.

Have you got time for a cuppa while we have a small chat? If you do have a moment – even 5 or 10 minutes – then please go grab your favourite. OK, cuppa in hand? I’m keen to have a chat about women experiencing violence and isolation. We all know this is an important conversation, but it can also be a hard one. So, I promise to keep this short (ish) today.

Have you ever had a chance meeting that led to a profound conversation that’s left you with a completely unexpected new perspective? That is exactly what happened in July this year when I met Wendy Hall, founder of Dementia Doulas International and Dementia Doulas Australia.

Recently, two Sydney-based Second 50 women – mortgage broker Teresa Cahill and real estate vendor agent Bernadette Hayes teamed up to host a fabulous in-person evening workshop in Sydney: Real Estate and Finance for Midlife Women. Below I’ve shared four key takeaways from the workshop. The good news for Second 50 women is that these two experts will be running a virtual version of this workshop for our whole Second 50 community soon!

We’re used to the idea of spring cleaning your house, but did you know that the idea can fit perfectly for other elements of your life? Do you know that feeling when things start piling up and, suddenly, your once-clear path feels like it’s disappeared under a landslide of to-dos? I was right there a few weeks ago. Then, like a lifeline, a few prompts from the Second 50 community nudged me to pause, breathe, and make some shifts to get back on track.

Many people are uncomfortable talking about, thinking about, and planning for death and dying – which is natural and easy to understand. However, there is so much power in opening up conversations and planning ahead. If we understand the options and prepare for the end of life, it can help us make better decisions, lead to a better last stage of life and a better death - for ourselves and our loved ones. 

Second 50’s recent Sage Advice Live allowed members to benefit from the hard-learned wisdom of Annie Harvey about the risk of empathy fatigue when caring for others. Is it possible to care about others while also looking after yourself? Annie Harvey knows it is possible to manage emotional exhaustion and integrate self-care and self-compassion into our daily lives. But she learned this the hard way.

The coach-led ‘Mapping your Second 50’ sprint program is a unique and powerful way to reflect on you past and reimagine your future. We love it because it’s visual and simple - and it works. We think you’ll enjoy the process of creating your own unique Second 50 maps.

What qualities do you most admire in fellow human beings? Two qualities I greatly admire are authenticity and self-confidence, especially when these traits are understated rather than shouted from the rooftop. Soon after meeting coach and author (and Second 50 woman), Gill McLaren last year, I realised that she ticked both boxes in a big way. After speaking with her at length, I came to understand that these qualities are a natural result of discovering and living what Gill terms her ‘best integrated life’.

A family member returned from living in the US last year, bringing his family with him. Within a few months, he had changed jobs, ended a 15-year marriage and moved house. That’s a lot of change in a short period of time. What is it that compels us to make more changes when we are already in a state of flux? It turns out that research has shown that the start of a new life chapter can give people the impression of a blank slate.

Like many people I’ve been feeling increasingly distressed about gendered violence. I’ve been reading and having conversations with friends but felt stranded on two levels. Firstly, I didn’t know where to start. How could I do something that might make a meaningful difference to what felt like a hopeless situation? Secondly, despite feeling like I was across the issues enough to have a conversation about it, I couldn’t manage to engage my family of males on the topic.

Thank you to our Second 50 expert member, financial adviser and author Kate McCallum for sharing her vast knowledge during our member-only Sage Advice Live session. It was an hour of education and empowerment that inspired both reflection and positive action for women keen to optimise their wealth management for now and the future – whatever the current situation.

At age 60, Grace* had a good job, a circle of friends and, despite some financial stresses, enjoyed a life full of books, art and her favourite footy team. Fast forward three years to 2022 and her life was very different. An exciting and well-paid new job turned out to be a nightmare of toxic micro-management and she had relocated to another state to take on the complex (and often thankless) role of caring for her ailing mother.

Respected wellbeing expert and Second 50 member, Thea O'Connor, shared some sobering health trends about women in mid-life during our March Sage Advice Live session on healthy habits for Second 50 Women. Maybe we shouldn’t be surprised that potentially detrimental health habits can creep up on women during their 'peak-demand' phase of life - when many juggle significant work and caring duties and life transitions.

Might you indulge me for a moment? My thoughts are about the approach we’re taking to creating community within Second 50. But first, please join me for a dip in the sea…Most Sundays, I do an early morning ocean swim with a small group of wonderful women. Last Sunday was a perfect day with calm surf and no stingers. We were lucky enough to watch a turtle glide gracefully by, look down on sleeping wobbegongs, and visit the local giant cuttlefish. Even when the water is rough and rain threatens, I love this weekly dose of exercise, the ocean and what we often find inside it. But the immense benefits from my weekly swim would not happen if I swam alone.

Do you find yourself at a crossroads in your life? Do you want to make a switch in your career? Are you wondering what to do next? Well, the good news is, you’re not alone! If you are seeking clarity on your life calling or feel unsure about your future path, you’ll gain inspiration and reassurance by watching an on-demand recording of our February Sage Advice Live session with coach, author and scholar Annie Stewart.

How is 2024 going for you so far? Do you feel like you’re embracing or facing another year?   Last week at the beach, I made some time and headspace to reflect on the past year and contemplate 2024. It’s been several years since I was brave enough to do that and I wondered how many other Second 50 women do annual reflections or make resolutions. 

Lately I've been thinking a lot about the concept of 'eldership'. For some reason, I associate it strongly with being the oldest in my family. With one parent still alive, I can't possibly be an elder, can I? Yet, in indigenous cultures, the concept of eldership is closely aligned to the notion of leadership. Elders earn their place in the community and are not necessarily the oldest. So, as I examine my life, have I earned the right to think of myself as an elder?

Recently my 93-year-old mother misplaced her walking stick. I’m the first family member she told, but being a plane flight away, I wasn’t much help. I reached out to my 62-year-old cousin Miriam, who lives around the corner from my mum. She was in a whirlwind of caregiving, including nursing her adult niece, weekly childcare for her toddler granddaughter and she’d just whipped up a rice salad for a friend undergoing cancer treatment. Here's the twist: Miriam also has a senior full-time job that requires long hours and travel to remote Queensland communities.