Your Weekly Soul Pause
A few moments each week to return to your Spiritual Heart, nourish your Soul Cup, and let your Inner Sparkle shine.
Hello Beautiful Soul,
I’ve been thinking about the different versions of myself I’ve been throughout my life.
The woman I was in my twenties. My thirties. My forties. My fifties.
And now, at sixty.
Yeah...I gave my age away.
Each one of those women was me.
She had dreams. Responsibilities. Fears. Pain. Priorities. Motherhood. Marriage. Divorce. Co-parenting. Remarriage. Hopes. Dreams.
She had ideas about what success looked like and how she thought her life was supposed to unfold.
And I’ve realized something.
I’m still carrying some of her expectations.
Maybe you know what I mean.
There are things I once wanted that don’t feel quite as important anymore. Things I once thought I needed to accomplish. Ways I believed I needed to prove myself. Responsibilities I automatically took on. Even ideas about what would make me happy.
They made sense for the woman I was then.
But do they still make sense for the woman I am now?
I’ve been pondering that question. Because sometimes I think I can become so accustomed to moving forward that I forget to stop and ask whether I’m still heading somewhere I actually want to go.
I keep pursuing the goal. Keeping the commitment. Following the plan. Holding myself to an expectation I created ten or twenty years ago, heck, even a year ago.
And I never stopped to ask, until now:
Do I still want this?
Something about turning sixty has made that question feel more important to me.
Lately, I feel more aware of how precious life is, and God only knows how many years I have left on this beautiful planet.
I’ve realized I don’t want to spend my time trying to live up to a version of myself I’ve already outgrown.
Don’t get me wrong. I love the women I’ve been. I’m grateful for each one of them. They made choices that brought me here.
They loved. They felt pain. They learned. They grew. They dreamed. They survived seasons they weren’t sure they could get through.
I appreciate all of them. I wouldn’t be who I am today without them.
And I’ve realized something else:
I don’t need to keep asking an earlier version of me what my life should look like now.
Instead, maybe coming home to myself means giving myself permission to change.
To be okay with wanting something different in my life.
To redefine what matters.
To let go of old goals that no longer support the woman I am today.
To prioritize my life differently.
To become clearer about what I want to experience.
Maybe this resonates with you too.
I’ve also been thinking about the cobwebs I’ve been clearing this month. Guilt. Expectations. The need for approval.
And I’m wondering if some of the cobwebs we carry are simply old ideas about ourselves that no longer fit. Not because there was anything wrong with who we were.
We’ve just grown. And isn’t that what we’re here to do?
As I return to my Spiritual Heart, I’m finding myself more interested in asking:
Who am I now?
Who am I becoming?
And perhaps most of all:
How do I want to experience the life God is still giving me?
That last question runs deep in my soul.
Perhaps it does for you too.
I’m going to continue spending time with it.
Maybe you will too.
✨ Reflection
Think about the woman you were ten or twenty years ago. What mattered to her? What was she working toward? What did she believe she had to accomplish? What did she think a good life was supposed to look like?
Now think about the woman you are today.
Ask yourself:
What still fits?
What doesn’t?
What am I holding onto simply because an earlier version of me thought I should?
And then:
What matters to me now?
Ponder this.
Let the questions resonate in your heart and soul.
💜 Heartfelt Invitation
Sometime this week, find a quiet place and spend a few moments with the woman you are today. Not the woman you were. Not the woman other people expect you to be.
You. Now.
Maybe write at the top of a blank page:
At this season of my life, what matters most to me?
And see what comes. Just listen.
What do you hear?
✨ Soul Pause Blessing
May this week’s Soul Pause give you permission to honor every version of the woman you’ve been.
May God help you release the expectations, dreams, and identities that no longer serve you in this season.
May you trust what is stirring within your Spiritual Heart today.
And may you step into your next chapter with an open heart, curious about the life, love, joy, purpose, and experiences still waiting for you.
With a grateful heart,
Bobbi 💜
Founder & CEO of Heart & Soul Publishing
You matter. Keep shining your Inner Sparkle. The world needs your light.