What if you turned 50 and didn't have a retirement plan? What if you have worked your whole life and didn't save a nest egg to get you through the second half of your life, or even the last few decades? Today's episode is an interview with a wonderfully knowledgeable woman who found herself at 50 and had no idea how she got there. Midlife snuck up on Christine McCarron, and she had no idea what she was going to do with the second half of her life. She just knew she needed to START. To start maki...
Mar 29, 2022•45 min•Season 2Ep. 28
Do you still believe you must have a college degree to be successful? Have you ever been shamed for NOT having a degree? In today's episode I dive deep into my thoughts about education and how many very successful humans have chosen to NOT get a degree. How from the time we are children, it is pressed upon us that if we don't go to college we are less than, or won't be as successful. Living a full life, one of creativity and wonder doesn't always have to be found through the path of college. Alt...
Mar 22, 2022•31 min•Season 2Ep. 27
Do you often feel small? Do you feel that with the big concerns of the world today that there is nothing you can do to change things, or make them better? Today, I had a heavy heart and with all that is happening in the world, it can make me feel sometimes hopeless. I knew I had to turn my thoughts and intentions around. In this episode, I talk of the importance that each of us are responsible for bringing our highest vibrations. How just one person can impact the direction the world goes in by ...
Mar 15, 2022•20 min•Season 2Ep. 26
In today's episode, we hear about the life of Thomas Dewalt. Having grown up in Marin County, in The Bay Area of Northern California, Thomas worked along side his father in the music industry as a sound engineer. Exposed to people like Huey Lewis, Bob Weir, and Bill Graham, Thomas was fully engulfed in the music scene and learned a trade that would serve him his whole life. He tells his story about being a disc jockey, travel as an executive chef, and how he came to be where he is today, living ...
Mar 08, 2022•57 min•Season 2Ep. 25
As Don Miguel Ruiz says in his book, THE FOUR AGREEMENTS, nothing other people do is because of you. It's because of themselves. So when others form an opinion about you and judge, it has nothing to do with you. It's on them. As a woman in midlife, I have to say that I am not concerned with what others think of me. I used to obsess about it though. In my earlier years, I was always concerned with how to keep the peace, and how I could be loved. Now I find that the more I love myself and practice...
Mar 01, 2022•21 min•Season 2Ep. 24
The end of each month in 2022, I air a bonus episode called, The Reading Room. Here I share my writing with you, as this is what I'm doing full-time in midlife and beyond. We all need to find that thing that lights us up, and fills our hearts with joy. For me, it's writing. This episode is on my new novel, The Clock Tower Of Maple Creek. A small town, contemporary romance novel. In Maple Creek, Kentucky, two independent women from different generations stand against a big city developer in a sto...
Feb 24, 2022•55 min•Season 2Ep. 23
None of us wants to disappoint anyone. The problem though is, far too often we worry more about what others want from us, or think of us, than we take care of our own needs. We make agreements with ourselves and then brake those agreements in the name of pleasing others. In today's episode, Stop Being A People Pleaser, I talk about my journey to my authentic self. I explain how having integrity about your self worth, and personal needs, is so important to living a truly happy life. As we fall in...
Feb 22, 2022•23 min•Season 2Ep. 22
Nobody shares the excruciating symptoms of perimenopause. Night sweats, hot flashes, body aches, dry skin, and sleeplessness. Tracy Minnoch Nuku (founder of Sexy Ageing Podcast),is an international master fitness instructor that has always been on top of her game with nutrition and well being, so when she hit her mid-forties and started experiencing strange symptoms, she was surprised her own doctor didn't give her answers. At lunches with her girlfriends, if Tracy asked her midlife friends if a...
Feb 15, 2022•47 min•Season 2Ep. 21
Just because we reach midlife and beyond doesn't mean we've stopped being essential. In fact, the women from Hot Flashes & Cool Topics Podcast are spreading the word that we are a very powerful demographic of consumers, and deserve to be heard. In this episode you will hear an engaging conversation I had with hosts of Hot Flashes & Cool Topics, Colleen and Bridgett, about all things midlife. We discuss how switching gears and taking a totally new road after 50 is not only acceptable, but...
Feb 08, 2022•41 min•Season 2Ep. 20
I believe everyone has a story to tell. Something to share with the world. Whether fiction, non-fiction as a How-To book, or memoir, I believe everyone has a book in them. In today's episode, I share with you tips on how to become a published author. There are steps that must be taken in order to successfully publish a book and whether you go traditional or self-published, you will find useful tips here today. Your age doesn't matter in writing. Many people start writing later in life and become...
Feb 01, 2022•26 min•Season 2Ep. 19
In this first READING ROOM episode, I am reading from my book, After The Fire. The first 2 chapters are read aloud by me, Patti Diener. I hope you enjoy the beginning of this story, and if you like what you hear, please consider buying the book. It's available on Amazon. the link is below. I also have a buy link on my website, pattidienerwrites.com. Link below. Thank you for following Beautiful Second Act. If you like this content, please SUBSCRIBE and consider leaving a REVIEW on Apple Podcasts...
Jan 27, 2022•48 min•Season 2Ep. 18
If I told you that the feeling of joy can be one of the things we as humans, fear the most, would that make sense to you? In today's episode, I dive deep into how I have experienced the feeling of joy only to have it immediately followed by fear. Often, people fear joy the most because we are so scared that something is going to take it away from us. In many cases, people will lean away from getting too close to joy as a way of self protecting. If we never have joy, it can never be taken away fr...
Jan 25, 2022•28 min•Season 2Ep. 17
For Luana Bossetti, growing up in a rural, small town in the mountains of Italy meant her family expected her to continue that small town life. But she had big dreams, and at the age of nineteen, Luana left her world to find adventure. Just because your family has ideas for how your life should look doesn't mean that you have to mold to that vision. Luana followed her dreams of being a world traveler and set out first for France, then the United States, and she's still going. Now having lived in...
Jan 18, 2022•40 min•Season 2Ep. 16
Reflection is always good if we can learn from the past. Last year, 2021 had a lot to teach us. As we move into the New Year, there are many opportunities to live our best life. In this episode, I recap some of the biggest lessons I spoke of over the course of last year in the Beautiful Second Act Podcast, and the Facebook Group during our LIVES. From Shining Your Light, to Taking A Chance On Yourself, this episode will remind you what it is to live fully. To believe in not only yourself, but th...
Jan 11, 2022•22 min•Season 2Ep. 15
They told her to get her affairs in order. They said this cancer would take her life. What they didn't expect was for her to heal herself from this cancer and say it was a blessing that changed everything in her life for the better. After receiving this diagnosis back in 2016, Willow left her 25 year marriage, changed her diet, and sought out alternative treatments other than the normal western medicine . She had to find herself, learn to love herself, and for the first time in her life, give he...
Dec 21, 2021•1 hr 7 min•Season 2Ep. 14
Aging isn't something everyone gets to experience. The privilege to grow older is one that we all need to look at through a different lense. The gray hairs, the aches and pains, the loss of hair, or foggy brain are all things we can address. Instead of complaining, we should be celebrating the ability to age. In this episode, I talk about some of my idols that have reached well beyond middle age, and are still thriving. I speak of nutrition, and movement, and how incorporating these things we ca...
Dec 16, 2021•25 min•Season 2Ep. 13
Do you have a Top 5 favorite Christmas memories? I sure do. Having had a difficult time getting in the holiday spirit this year, I started to connect with some friends and it made all the difference. Then it was easy to reflect on all the wonderful holidays I've had. In this episode, I share some of my favorite Christmas memories and holiday traditions. The stories are warm, full of love, and I often laugh at the expense of my children. The links I promised to share are as follows: Diener Ranch ...
Dec 14, 2021•23 min•Season 2Ep. 12
Not just women go through midlife changes. Men have what is called andropause, a sort of menopause for men. In this conversation with The Midlife Mentors, James and Claire Davis explain all about their successful programs that for the past ten years have aided people in midlife and beyond to live their absolute best life. Do you need to regain your self confidence? Have you put on weight in midlife? Do you feel stuck but desperately want to get control of your life? Look to the The Midlife Mento...
Dec 09, 2021•50 min•Season 2Ep. 11
Can you still complete your 2021 goals that you set way back in January? Are you fearful that you won't meet your goals? And how does that make you feel? I'm here to tell you that with three weeks left in this year, we can still accomplish a ton. In this episode, I talk about some goals that can still be worked on, even if that means some carry over into the 2022 year. I also squash the whole "New Year's Resolution," idea and give you another option that won't set you up to feel like a failure. ...
Dec 07, 2021•25 min•Season 2Ep. 10
Are you behind on all the holiday expectations? The annual family photo, the house lights, and the baking are all added stress that we often haven't got time for. Just finding the right gift is stressful enough, let alone getting the packages delivered in time for Christmas. In this episode I unload all my holiday stress with honesty and laughter. I share how it's okay to just let it go and do what you can instead of what is expected. After all, isn't Christmas about much more than all this comm...
Dec 02, 2021•21 min•Season 2Ep. 9
I was a born worrier. For over forty years of my life I struggled with crippling worry that caused great strife in my relationships with family and friends. Worry kept me from doing things I might otherwise have done if I'd known how to let go. Now in midlife at 53 years old, I have beat the dragon. I've found wonderful ways to tame the demon Worry, and in this episode, I am sharing my top 5 ways you can stop worry in it's tracks. For more content to help you live the best life possible in the s...
Nov 30, 2021•28 min•Season 2Ep. 8
As we celebrate this Thanksgiving of 2021, it's good to reflect on where we've been. How we move in this life just like the seasons. If you are in midlife or beyond, you are in the autumn, or the winter of life. Just like the trees, we change, we grow, and we learn to show our true colors. We learn to let go, and to settle into the slower paced, peaceful beauty of our final years and days with grace. This episode is one of gratitude, ease, and wonder. I hope you will find something that resonate...
Nov 23, 2021•24 min•Season 2Ep. 7
Are you a woman over the age of 40 and need help moving forward with life? Have you experienced loss, trauma, career change, or made a major move to a new place? Having the right person with knowledge and experience in your corner can make all the difference. In this interview with Margaret Jackson, we chat about how life doesn't always go as planned. Worse yet, if it does, we sometimes find we made plans based on someone else's dream. And if you happen to find yourself divorced in midlife and d...
Nov 18, 2021•30 min•Season 2Ep. 6
By the time we've reached midlife, we've all failed at something or other. Some failures were small, others monumental. They all have one thing in common though, and its that we learn from them. Many great inventors, artists, and philosophers have spoke about what it means to fail. They all basically explain that without failure there are no true success. Because without failing there is nothing to gauge success by. In this episode, I dive deep into why we shouldn't be afraid to fail. We cannot ...
Nov 16, 2021•24 min•Season 2Ep. 5
As Sandy says, when our never discussed nether regions aren't quite right, it impacts our self-confidence & ability to take on the world. Founder of Happy Pause Balm, Sandy Davies talks openly about her experiences with doctors who had no idea on how to treat her vaginal dryness. Vaginal atrophication and dryness effect millions of women. Sandy Davies discovered a better way to help women feel their best without all the chemicals and preservatives that so often create allergic reactions. In ...
Nov 11, 2021•52 min•Season 2Ep. 4
Making changes can be overwhelming. Especially in midlife and beyond! Not everyone is at the same place in life. If you just start where you are, and don't worry so much about the end goal, then the small changes can be big wins! In this episode I talk about how we can make big shifts in life with small changes. How just setting the intention to change can be a big deal. Our intentions are a major part of how we will get from where we are, to where we want to be. Many of the things I talked abou...
Nov 09, 2021•19 min•Season 2Ep. 3
Have you heard of Yoga Therapy? It's not your run-of-the-mill yoga class from the local gym. Janine Naman is a Certified Yoga Therapist that talks with us about how yoga can change our lives. In this episode, Janine talks about how after experiencing loss, she basically gave up on life. She wasn't necessarily suicidal, but was numb and walked through life like a zombie. It was yoga that finally gave her back her spark. Now, after years of training and countless clients, Janine has written a book...
Nov 04, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Season 2Ep. 2
It's the most freeing feeling to be over 50! What once unhinged me, I no longer feel a prisoner to. Knowing yourself and honoring ALL the parts of you is the best way to live a wholehearted life. In this first episode of Season 2, for Beautiful Second Act, I talk all about how I had a breakdown in my early 30's, trying to be and do all the things I thought a wife and mother were supposed to do. Being on the other side of that time in life, I have such perspective now, and realize we waste so muc...
Nov 02, 2021•23 min•Season 2Ep. 1
Welcome to the final episode of Season 1 here at Beautiful Second Act! In Part 2, of The Shift Within Me, I speak about how we all have had difficulties, tragedies, or some kind of loss by the time we've reached midlife. It's unavoidable. But it is in how we deal with the loss, or situation that make s the difference. By looking for the lesson we find growth as humans. This shift I talk about, is different for each of us and comes at different times. Some people won't be lucky enough to get it. ...
Oct 07, 2021•24 min•Season 1Ep. 40
Have you felt it? A shift? In this two part episode that wraps up Beautiful Second Act Season 1, you will hear about how I have felt the need to make great changes in my life to follow my original childhood dreams. We cannot live an authentic life if we are lying to ourselves about what we want. If we settle for what is subpar, and don't do the things that light us up, we will die inside. Not living your life's purpose can make you both mentally, and physically ill. Instead, embrace your dreams ...
Oct 05, 2021•38 min•Season 1Ep. 39
