Posts by Linda Wattier

Linda Wattier helps women over fifty design their most authentic, meaningful, and fulfilling experience of midlife and beyond. She’s a personal coach, writer, and founder of How She Thrives,a free email newsletter with hand-picked advice on how to keep growing brave, strong, and free as we age into our true selves.

Linda Wattier's Website

5 Ways to Cope When Faced With Sudden Caregiving

By Linda Wattier

“There are only four kinds of people in the world—those who have been caregivers, those who are currently caregivers, those who will be caregivers, and those who will need caregivers.” ~Rosalynn Carter, Former First Lady of the United States

The call reminded me of an old TV commercial for a medical alert device. Only this was real.

“Mom fell down and broke her hip,” my sister said. “She’s in the hospital waiting for surgery. I’m freaking out about Dad. He shouldn’t be living alone!”

Wait. What?

What’s up with Dad?

After more conversation, and once the initial shock subsided, I …

Handling Lifequakes: How to Navigate the Storms of Change

By Linda Wattier

“How you revise, rethink, and rewrite your personal narrative as things change, lurch, or go wrong in your life matters a great deal.” ~Bruce Feiler

It’s happened to all of us.

Just when life is going smoothly, a big, scary event comes along that threatens to ruin everything.

A frightening diagnosis, a relationship breakup, the death of a loved one, a job loss, or the COVID-19 pandemic.

Your life gets turned upside down when you least expect it.

I don’t know about you, but my life has been full of significant life changes over the last ten years: my …

4 Types of Regret and How to Leverage Them for a More Fulfilling Life

By Linda Wattier

“Regret is not dangerous or abnormal, a deviation from the steady path to happiness. It is healthy and universal, an integral part of being human. Regret is also valuable. It clarifies. It instructs. Done right, it needn’t drag us down; it can lift us up.” ~Daniel H. Pink

It happened when I reached midlife.

I’d experienced regret before, but this was different.

In my forties, I struggled with several deep-seated regrets all at the same time.

And I didn’t handle it well.

If only I hadn’t chosen to fall into unhealthy habits that were hard to break, like smoking cigarettes …

How to Raise Your Self-Esteem So You Can Thrive in Life

By Linda Wattier

“Everything that happens to you is a reflection of what you believe about yourself. We cannot outperform our level of self-esteem. We cannot draw to ourselves more than we think we are worth.” ~Iyanla Vanzant

Aren’t you tired of it?

You know, that sneaking suspicion you aren’t enough.

That inner commentary about where you fall short all the time. The mean internal remarks about your ability to handle life and how you just don’t measure up.

And aren’t you fed up with how it’s been holding you back from pursuing what you truly desire?

A better relationship or more meaningful …