I recorded this episode on the eve of my 50th birthday. I’m writing this show description at 6:23am on the morning of my 50th birthday. 50 feels weird. Maybe because for the first 48ish years of my life, it felt one million years away. Then, suddenly it’s just… here…

For the past few months, people have been asking me what I plan to do to celebrate this monumental birthday and it’s felt overwhelming to decide on one thing. I feel this pressure to make the BEST choice because I’ll always remember whatever I choose. Therefore, it must be super special and memorable. That’s just too much pressure. To date, I’ve made no decisions. I don’t know how I’m celebrating. I guess I’ll have to keep you posted in that arena.

Instead of making the perfect birthday plan, I’ve been thinking about what 50 means. I have a few thoughts about this milestone and the apparent wisdom everyone says women unlock at this age. In fact, I was sitting with a multigenerational group of people last week and laughing about how at every new age milestone (20, 30, 40, 50, etc.) we think we “finally” have it all figured out. However, I think the older I get, the more I realize there is so much more to still figure out. That actually feels really exciting.

In this episode, I’m sharing 5 things I’ve figured out so far. But, honestly, I’m so excited to uncover so many new learnings in the years and decades to come! Today, I’ll share the major lesson my 13-year-old keeps reminding me (that is as profound as 6-7), how I’m embracing messiness and the “worst” parts of myself, what I’m protecting most, and where I’m mining for magic.

THANK YOU to you for listening to the show and being a significant part of my life. 10 years ago, on the morning of turning 40, I had no idea I would launch a podcast that would be approaching 10 years and 1,000 episodes. In fact, at this time 10 years ago, I was just starting to think about, “maybe I’ll do a podcast… someday….” It’s an honor to be in your ear. Thank you for listening, sharing, and making my work feel meaningful. Meaningful work has always been and always will be one of the very best parts of my life. I couldn’t do it without you.

Links Mentioned:

• Join me for Shameless Rising, a 2-part workshop series to release the noise, reclaim your voice, and reignite your vision in 2026: saradean.com/rising

• [OPEN ENROLLMENT] Join Sara’s Aligned Leadership Incubator: saradean.com/aligned

• Hire me to speak: saradean.com/speaking

• Coach with me: https://saradean.com/executive-coaching-services

• Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saradeanspeaks

• Watch Shameless Leadership episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@saradeanspeaks

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