A Well-Seasoned Empowerment Ritual for Midlife Women
If I had a dollar for every permission slip I’ve signed over the years, I could probably fund an all-inclusive spa retreat for a month. Academic, sports, theater, medical—you name it, I’ve signed it.
And yet, for all the ink I’ve spilled granting others permission to participate, it took me far longer than I’d like to admit to understand the importance of writing and signing my own permission slip as I step through my midlife passage.
Why Midlife Demands a New Kind of Permission
For much of our early adulthood, we focus on building a sturdy frame to hold our wild and precious lives—gaining experience, nurturing relationships, and pouring energy into careers or families. We become architects of stability, laying foundations with diligence and care.
But then midlife arrives—not just as a milestone, but as a chronobiological shift that changes everything.
This isn’t just change—it’s disruption.
Perimenopause and menopause bring a reckoning. Priorities shift, energy ebbs and flows differently, and the demands of this season insist we pause, reflect, and reconsider how we’re living.
Here’s what my midlife permission slip needs to convey:
I release the need to prioritize the wants and needs of others above my own.
I release worrying about how others see me—or whether I disappoint them.
I release the habit of giving my power away.
Instead, I am cooperating with my wiring and returning my power to me, myself, and I.
Because here’s the truth:
“It’s not easy, but the second you take back your power, what matters to you is within your control.” — Mel Robbins
The Both/And of Midlife
Midlife is a both/and experience. It asks us to hold complexity, navigate paradox, and make choices—even knowing that not choosing is still a choice.
Choosing to release what no longer serves us is hard. But clinging to outdated roles out of fear? That’s hard, too.
Choosing to untangle anger, shame, or unmet needs is hard. But ignoring their toll on us and those we love? Hard, too.
Choosing to love who and what needs loving—including ourselves—is hard. But choosing a half-lived, half-loved life? Harder still.
This isn’t just a field trip—it’s the adventure of a lifetime.
It’s me creating a Second Half filled with clarity, joy, and purpose.
It’s me learning to tend to my own needs with grace instead of guilt.
It’s me showing up fully and unapologetically for the life I am meant to live.
And here’s the good news: you can, too.
So if you’ve been waiting for a sign—waiting for someone to tell you it’s okay to put yourself first, to set boundaries, to dream big, to take up space—this is it. Consider this your permission slip, lovingly written and signed just for you.
The Empowerment Ritual
Here’s a simple, five-step ritual to help you claim your own permission slip for the second half of life.
Step 1: Create Your Space
Clear your calendar, silence your phone, and prepare a small altar with items that feel grounding or beautiful—candles, flowers, oils, or something from nature. Place your printed permission slip (or hand-written copy) at the center.
Step 2: Set Your Intentions
Say aloud: “I now assume full agency of my life.” Or, “I choose to step into the power of creating a life aligned with what matters most.”
Step 3: Attune & Orient Yourself
Ground your body, open your heart, and quiet your mind. Place your feet firmly on the floor, one hand on your heart and another on your belly. Breathe deeply, slowly, and deliberately.
Step 4: Sign Your Permission Slip
Read each word with attention. Then, with a little (or a big) flourish, pick up your pen and sign your permission slip like you mean it.
Step 5: Affirm & Seal Your Intentions
Say aloud: “I’m proud of myself for taking this step toward creating a life I love—one lived with no regrets.” Place your permission slip somewhere sacred—on your vision board, inside your journal, or displayed where you’ll see it often.
You’re Allowed to Evolve
Some pieces of your life—your roles, your routines, even your sense of identity—may not feel like they fit anymore. That’s not failure; that’s growth. Real growth rarely feels cozy. It stretches us. It asks us to loosen our grip on the version of ourselves that once felt certain, so we can step into the unfamiliar shape of who we’re becoming.
Of course, that can feel disorienting, like the ground beneath your feet is shifting. And in many ways, it is. But that doesn’t mean you’re wrong for changing.
You have permission to evolve. Even if it surprises the people around you. Even if you can’t yet explain what’s next. Even if you once declared with conviction, “This is what I want,” and now it’s not. That doesn’t make you inconsistent. It makes you alive, attuned, responsive to your own inner truth. That’s not weakness—it’s wisdom.
And here’s the beautiful part: your permission slip doesn’t have to be written only once. As you move through the Second Half of Life, clarity will keep unfolding. Each new season may call for another slip—for a fresh release, a deeper boundary, or a bolder beginning. Every time you sense that nudge, pick up your pen again. Write the new words. Sign them with intention. Claim what’s next.
Because empowerment isn’t a single act. It’s an evolving practice of choosing yourself, again and again, as you continue becoming the woman you’re meant to be.
Closing Thoughts
I won’t pretend this path is always smooth. Old patterns will tug at you, and doubt may whisper that you’re asking for too much. But each time you pause to write—or re-write—your permission slip, you’re choosing presence over autopilot. You’re reminding yourself that your life belongs to you.
This ritual is not about perfection. It’s about returning to your own truth, as often as it takes. Some seasons will invite release. Others will call for bold beginnings. Each signed slip becomes a witness to your courage and a marker of your growth.
So light your candle. Pick up your pen. Sign your name with flourish—again and again if needed.
This is your permission slip.
This is your empowerment ritual.
This is your Second Half—unfolding, evolving, and deeply your own.
✨
