33. Reflecting on 2025: Letting Go, Gratitude & Midlife Glow

In this year-end episode of Midlife and Glowing, Alicia and Nicole reflect on the powerful lessons of 2025 and invite you to pause before rushing into a new year. Together, they explore how midlife growth often looks messy before it feels meaningful—and why reflection, intention, and grace are essential tools for women navigating perimenopause, identity shifts, and reinvention.

They talk candidly about fear as a signpost for growth, the real meaning behind the law of attraction, and how our thoughts and focus shape our lived experience. The conversation weaves through compassion, releasing old narratives, and cultivating gratitude—even for the hard seasons that refined us.

This episode is a invitation to slow down, reflect without judgment, and consciously decide what you’re ready to leave behind in 2025—and what you want to carry forward into 2026. If you’re a midlife woman craving clarity, calm, and a more intentional way forward, this episode will meet you right where you are.

⏱️ Timestamps / Chapters

00:00 Welcome & Closing Out 2025 Together
01:20 It’s Never Too Late to Start Again
02:35 Fear as a Sign of Growth
03:40 The Power of Thoughts & Law of Attraction
05:05 Midlife Intention & Energy Awareness
06:45 Reflection Without Judgment
08:00 Compassion, Grace & Seeing Others Differently
10:15 Giving Yourself Grace in Midlife
11:30 Reflection Questions for Year-End Clarity
13:00 Letting Go With Intention
14:20 Releasing Old Narratives & Mental Clutter
15:45 Gratitude for the Hard Seasons
17:00 What’s Changing for the Podcast in 2026
18:10 Stepping Into 2026 With Clarity & Glow

📌 Resources:
📝 Daily Glow Rituals Guide → https://stan.store/thedailyglowlife/p/daily-glow-rituals-guide
💌 The Glow Letters (5 days of inspiration for midlife women) → https://selfcare.dailyglowlife.com/glowletters

Transcript

Alicia 0:00

Do you ever look back at the year and realize, wow, I didn't see that coming, but I'm so grateful It did? Well 2025 has been one of those years. The kind that humbles you, stretches you. And if you let it reshapes you into something truer. For me, it's been the year of starting again, of taking risks. Even when my hands were shaking the year, that reminded me it's never too late to start something new. And that fear, it usually means the thing you're about to do really matters.

Nicole 0:27

Yeah. And for me, 2025 was the year I realized just how powerful my thoughts really are. Like truly realized it. The law of attraction isn't some fluffy think happy thoughts thing. It's about taking complete ownership of your life, the good, the hard, all of it, because when you start to see everything in your life as something you've attracted through your focus, it's empowering. You stop waiting for life to happen to you and start creating it for you.

Alicia 0:56

Hey there. Welcome back to Midlife and Glowing. I'm Alicia.

Nicole 0:59

And I'm Nicole, and today we're closing out 2025 together. Reflecting on what this year taught us, what we're ready to leave behind and what we're bringing with us into 2026.

Alicia 1:10

When I think about 2025, the phrase that keeps coming up is it's never too late. Never too late to start something new, to chase something that lights you up or to reinvent yourself completely. You know, I think as women, especially in midlife, we're told this subtle lie that we stop evolving as we get older. You know, that we've already found ourselves so it's too late to pivot or dream differently. But this year proved the opposite. Starting midlife and glowing was a big leap I never thought I'd take, I was nervous, okay terrified to put my voice out there, but that fear was the clue. It meant I cared. It meant it mattered. And if I could tell anyone listening, one thing as we close out this year, it's this, if something scares you, it's probably worth doing.

Nicole 1:52

Yeah, that's the magic, isn't it? Fear is such a funny thing. It's not there to stop us. It's there to point us towards growth, and this year has been one big masterclass in mindset and new paths for me. When I really leaned into the idea that everything in my life was something I had attracted, it was both confronting and freeing. Like if I can attract things I don't want by focusing on them, imagine what I can create when I start focusing on what I do want.

Alicia 2:19

That's so good because it's true. So many of us spend our mental energy replaying what went wrong, worrying about what could go wrong, or comparing ourselves to someone else's right now moment.

Nicole 2:31

exactly. It's really easy to do in our society too, especially if we're doing things like listening to the news or doom scrolling or things like that, we really allow other people's thought patterns or ideas or. You know, complaints, uh, problems to become part of our focus. You know, we're focusing on those things and then we wonder why our lives feel heavy or stagnant. But this year I started catching myself mid thought like, okay, Nicole, is this what you wanna attract more of? It's been a practice between nutrition therapy and the podcast, it's been a year of alignment, and that alignment came from slowing down, reflecting, taking full ownership of my energy, and getting really clear on not only who I wanted to serve, but who needed my support most.

Alicia 3:16

I love that because that's such a midlife superpower. Being intentional about what you spend your time doing, and it sounds like even what you spend your time thinking about.

Nicole 3:25

absolutely. I've actually noticed that this week in particular, the word intention or intentional has come up a lot in my patient visits with my nutrition patients, you know, and really, I mean, obviously, right? Obviously you have to be intentional when you're looking to do something about your health, but it's not even that I've been putting those words in people's mouth. They've been saying it to me like, you know, intention being, part of their process and it really is an important part of attracting what you want.

Alicia 3:55

Absolutely

Nicole 3:56

so let's talk about reflection, because that's what this season is really about, but it's important to note reflection isn't about judgment, it's about awareness. Actually, non-judgmental self-awareness is one of the biggest teachings in yoga. Developing the habit of awareness without being hard on yourself, that's the key. And honestly, that extends to how we see others too.

Alicia 4:17

You know, that actually reminds me of something that happened with my daughter recently. She came home from work one night and said, mom, I think I had one of those light bulb moments tonight. And she has one coworker that she hasn't always loved closing shifts with. Because she'd tell me that she would always end up doing the bulk of the work, uh, cleaning, organizing, you know, wrapping things up, closing down the coffee shop, while her coworker sits at the computer. And so, you know, she's doing the majority of this work and she was getting frustrated and, you know, I, I understood that frustration. But that night she came home and something had shifted. They ended up having a long conversation and my daughter learned that her coworker had been through some really hard things, like life altering stuff, things that would make anyone feel like they're carrying a really heavy load, and she said I get it now. I see her differently. You know, she's not lazy, she's hurting, and you really never know what someone is going through. And that stopped me in my tracks because isn't that the truth? You really

Nicole 5:21

never know what

Alicia 5:22

someone is carrying. You don't know what they're surviving or what kind of day or decade they've had.

Nicole 5:28

And know I think that's

Alicia 5:30

just a reminder that you need to not only give yourself grace, but you need to give other people grace.'cause you do not know what path they're walking or have walked in the past.

Nicole 5:41

Oh my gosh. Like that gives me chills. And I feel like that's such a great revelation for her to understand at her age too. You know, when we can start early

Alicia 5:52

understanding

Nicole 5:53

those things because it is absolutely right. I, I remember after dad had passed away I had, for those of you that don't already know, I have a little history of road rage, just a minor case of road rage. And, um, you know, I remember, I actually didn't have the road rage in this situation. It was my husband and, you know, this guy had pulled out in front of us, essentially. Chris was a little bit pissed about that, and I was like, you know what, we don't know what he's going through. I know that after dad died. Who the heck? I probably cut people off. I'm sure I did. You know, like you just have your head in a different space and your, you know, everything's kind of cloudy and blurry and you know, like you're,

Alicia 6:32

you're in

Nicole 6:33

you're not thinking right. You're in a total fog. So Absolutely. Like, you just never know. What someone else is dealing with or what's going on behind their behavior.

Alicia 6:44

Mm-hmm.

Nicole 6:45

right. So it's such a powerful reminder that compassion costs nothing, but it can mean everything. We really don't know what other people are going through.

Alicia 6:54

Right. You know, it reminds me that judgment is so easy, but understanding takes effort. And that effort, it's always worth it.

Nicole 7:02

Always, because at the end of the day, everyone's fighting battles we can't see. And when we start choosing grace over judgment, it not only softens how we see others, it also softens how we see ourselves too.

Alicia 7:13

That's it. And I think that's something I wanna carry with me into 2026. More grace, more empathy, more remembering that we're all just doing our best.

Nicole 7:23

Mm-hmm. That's so true, and it ties perfectly into reflection because the same grace we extend to others, we should be reflecting back to ourselves.

Alicia 7:32

Yes. Reflection isn't about perfection. It's asking what worked, what didn't, what lit me up? What felt draining? What did I learn about myself? You know, ask these without guilt or pressure. Just notice them. And for me, I think the biggest lesson of 2025 was that growth rarely feels graceful. Reinvention looks messy, up close, but with every uncomfortable moment, it's evidence that you're alive and that you're evolving.

Nicole 7:59

Mm-hmm. I felt that too. And another thing about reflection is that it helps us close the loop on experiences so that you don't carry over into the next year as unfinished business. So let's pause for a second, and if you're listening right now, maybe take a deep breath. Relax your shoulders, relax your jaw, and just think about what did 2025 teach you? Maybe it taught you resilience through something unexpected. Maybe it showed you that you're capable of more than you thought. Maybe it asked you to slow down whatever it was, honor that it happened for you.

Alicia 8:40

So good. And then take it one step further and ask yourself, what do I want to leave behind in 2025? Maybe it's people pleasing, maybe it's burnout. maybe it's that voice in your head that says it's too late. And then what do I want to bring into 2026? Maybe it's more self-trust, more joy, more calm.

Nicole 9:05

I actually do just really love this idea of taking a step back and slowing down, pausing and thinking about, reflecting on how the last year went. Because I think too often we, we don't do that, but we're all so gung-ho at the beginning of the year to be like, alright, this next year let's go. You know, this new energy of, of a new year, but we don't do the reflecting back part. And I think that's such a, an important step, you know, like to learn from what just happened before, kind of stepping into that new energy of, of growth. I think it's helpful to take a step back and learn from what we just went through.

Alicia 9:52

Yeah, absolutely. And you know, the end of the year has that special kind of energy, you know, things start to slow down. You might have a few days off, and really that's the perfect time to take a pause before you start sprinting. You know, once you hit the ground running in January.

Nicole 10:09

Yeah, for sure. Instead of setting resolutions. What if you just reflected, like really looked at what felt aligned this year and what didn't? Because reflection creates clarity, and clarity creates direction. I love journaling for this, so I'll throw some essential oils in the diffuser maybe make a cup of tea and just write out answers to a few simple questions like what am I most proud of from 2025? What made me feel most like myself this year? Where did my energy feel wasted versus well spent? What rituals, habits, or relationships supported my glow? What challenged me the most and what did it teach me? What did this year reveal about what really matters to me? When did I surprise myself this year? Where did I say yes when I should have said no? And what will I do differently next time? No pressure. No perfect grammar. Just getting it outta my head and onto paper.

Alicia 11:15

That's so powerful. You know, I do something similar, but I also include visualization. I close my eyes and I picture how I want 2026 to feel. What does peace look like? What does abundance feel like? That's how you start creating from intention instead of reaction.

Nicole 11:32

Mm-hmm. I love that.

Alicia 11:34

Something that's really been coming up for me as the year winds down, is this idea of letting go, but not in that cliche, just move on way. I'm talking about letting go with intention. Here we are with the intention again, you know, releasing the things that once served you but don't fit anymore. The habits, the mindsets, even the versions of yourself that you've outgrown.

Nicole 11:55

Mm-hmm. And I love that you said with intention, obviously, because letting go doesn't mean forgetting or pretending something didn't matter. It's actually the opposite. It's acknowledging this was part of my story and now it's time for the next chapter.

Alicia 12:08

Exactly, and I think so many of us just hold on because we think if we let go, we're losing something or someone, but more often we're just creating space for something new to come in, and sometimes it's not even physical things, it's mental clutter, like the expectations we've been carrying for years. That pressure to be everything for everyone.

Nicole 12:28

And when we hold onto those old narratives like, I should have done more, or I should be further along by now, we're actually telling the universe we're not ready for what's next. When we consciously release what no longer fits we shift our frequency. We literally create energetic space for new opportunities, new ideas, new people to come in.

Alicia 12:47

You know that's so true. I think a fun little yearend ritual you can do is write down everything you are ready to let go of from the past year. that could be beliefs, fears, situations, habits, anything that's taken up space in your mind or your heart. Then you could tear it up into tiny pieces and throw it away. It's symbolic, but it feels powerful like you're saying to yourself, okay, we're done carrying this.

Nicole 13:12

Mm-hmm. I love that if any of you are familiar with Gabby Bernstein, I remember her talking about a similar process and she called she calls it rage on the page where she just like writes down everything in her mind like we just talked about. And then she tears it up and throws it away, giving that symbolic like, I'm done with this. You know, you just get it out and you're done with it. It's gone. Right? There's something about physically releasing that seals the intention, and if you're listening and wondering what that could look like for you. Start small. Maybe you let go of the need to overexplain yourself. Maybe you let go of guilt for resting. That's a big one. Guilty Mm-hmm. Maybe you let go of the belief that it's too late for you.

Alicia 13:54

Yeah, because every time you release something that's weighing you down, you rise a little lighter.

Nicole 13:59

And that's the real secret to starting fresh. It's not adding more to your plate. It's clearing away what doesn't belong there anymore.

Alicia 14:07

So maybe that's your reflection this week. What are you ready to release before you step into 2026? Because what we don't release, we repeat. Something else that's been really present for me lately is gratitude, not the kind that glosses over hard things, but that actually holds both gratitude that says, wow, that was hard, but look how it grew me, because if I'm being honest, 2025 wasn't just full of wins. There were moments of doubt, uncertainty, exhaustion. But looking back, I can see how each one carried a lesson that shaped me in ways ease never could.

Nicole 14:41

Mm-hmm. Same. I remember one of the. Thoughts of the day. That dad had shared with us, one of the first ones, like one of the OGs was a smooth sea never made a skillful sailor. And that is so true, right? Like that's a perfect, quote for what you just explained, and I would say for, for me, same here. Gratitude is such an energy shifter. It takes what once felt heavy. And it turns it into something that feels so much better. I think one of the most powerful things we can do right now is look back on the past year and say thank you, even for the moments that didn't go the way we planned. Thank you for the lessons that came disguised as detours. Thank you for the people who left and made space for better alignment. Thank you for the no's that protected what was meant for later. Thank you for the waiting seasons that strengthened our trust.

Alicia 15:31

because when you can find gratitude in what challenged you, it stops defining you and it starts refining you.

Nicole 15:39

That's such a good reminder. Gratitude keeps us anchored in the present moment, but connected to the wisdom of the past. It's like saying to the universe, I've learned I'm ready for what's next.

Alicia 15:48

Exactly, and that's how you step into a new year with peace instead of pressure. Okay, before we wrap up, we wanna share an update about what's coming in 2026 for the podcast.

Nicole 15:59

Yes, starting this week, we're switching up our release schedule a little bit. Instead of having a main episode every Tuesday and a glow bite every Friday, we'll now be releasing episodes just on Tuesdays.

Alicia 16:11

So that means one week you'll get a full main episode like this one, and the next week you'll get a shorter glow bite episode. Something quick, reflective, and easy to fit into your week.

Nicole 16:21

We really wanted to create more space for you to digest what we share, to reflect, integrate, and apply it between episodes.

Alicia 16:29

And honestly for us too, it allows us to bring even more depth and quality in each conversation

Nicole 16:35

So as you move into 2026, take a moment to reflect what's one lesson from 2025 you wanna carry with you, and what's one thing you're ready to release? You don't need a full plan. You don't need to have it all figured out. You just need to start right where you are.

Alicia 16:51

because it's never too late to start something new. To take the risk to reinvent yourself again and again.

Nicole 16:58

And remember, your thoughts are powerful, so choose the ones that build the life you want, not the one you're trying to leave behind.

Alicia 17:06

Thank You for spending this year with us. Whether you've been here since episode one, or just joined recently, we're so grateful for this community.

Nicole 17:13

Incredibly grateful and if you loved the podcast this year, we'd be so grateful if you'd share it with a friend or just leave us a quick review. It really helps more women find midlife and glowing.

Alicia 17:24

Until next time. Here's to closing 2025 with gratitude and stepping into 2026 glowing brighter than ever.

Nicole 17:32

Happy New Year friends.