Reinvention at Midlife: “What If It Works Out?” (Self-Doubt → Bold Possibilities)

What if the thing you’ve been dreaming about doesn’t fall apart…but actually works out?

So often in midlife, we get stuck in a cycle of “what if it fails?” thinking. What if people judge me? What if I’m too old? What if I’m not ready?

But here’s the game-changing question I want you to hold close: What if it works out?

In this solo episode of Reinvention Rebels, I’m exploring how shifting the question changes everything in your midlife reinvention journey. Instead of focusing on fear, you can root yourself in possibility and courage.

✨ In this episode, I share:

• Why our brains are wired to default to fear, and how to break the cycle
• A personal story about flipping my perspective from doubt to daring
• The profound nugget that helped me win a Women Who Podcast Award (Mary Newell’s reminder that she is her own heroine at 75)
• How you can start building your own “what if it works out” mindset today

By the end of this episode, you’ll feel empowered to see your reinvention through a whole new lens, one that reminds you that the best is yet to come.

🎁 Free Gift for You: Stay tuned until the end where I’ll share how you can get my free guide, 100 Ways to Reinvent Yourself in Midlife. It’s packed with ideas to spark your next bold move.

The truth: reinvention isn’t about playing small. It’s about believing in yourself enough to imagine the best-case scenario.

Resources & Links:

• Grab your free guide: 100 Ways to Reinvent Yourself in Midlife
• Listen to Mary Newell’s inspiring episode, No Finish Line: Mary Newell on Running, Reinvention & Defying Age at 74
• Follow me on Instagram for daily reinvention inspiration: @reinventionrebels
  
  

Chapters

• 0:00 Embrace Reinvention: “What If It Works Out?”
• 3:40 Overcoming Fear: My Podcast Journey
• 7:40 Bet on Yourself: Win Your Reinvention

Transcript

00:00 - Wendy Battles (Host)
Reinvention isn't about having it all figured out. It's about choosing belief over fear. It's about asking better questions and listening for the answers. Let today be the day you flip the script. What if it works out? That's our new mantra, because, guess what? It just might. 

00:33
Welcome to Reinvention Rebels Stories of brave and unapologetic women, 50 to 90 years young, who have boldly reinvented life on their own terms to find new purpose and possibilities. I'm your host, wendy Battles. I need to kick your fears to the curb. Do it scared and step into who you are meant to be in midlife and beyond. These amazing women, these Reinvention Rebels, can help light your reinvention path. Come join us and let's get inspired together. Hey, hey there, beautiful soul, welcome to the Reinvention Rebels podcast. I'm your host, wendy. I'm so excited you're here. This is where we celebrate. Celebrate midlife boldness and how we are stepping into who we are meant to be in midlife and beyond. And today is a solo episode, and a juicy one at that. I'm so glad you're here. 

01:51
Have you ever found yourself on the edge of something new A job change, starting a passion project, moving, traveling solo and instead of imagining what could go right, your mind immediately jumps to everything that could go wrong. I have so been there way too many times. And what can I say? It's human, that's just our nature, I think, to lean into that. We've been conditioned to protect ourselves from failure, from disappointment, from being too much. But lately I've been sitting with a new question that feels radically rebellious in midlife what if it works out? What if it works out? So today we're flipping the script on fear. You know the one that says what if I fail? What if I look foolish? What if I'm too old? But what, just what, if it actually works out? What if things go right? This mindset shift has changed my life and I believe, rebels, it can change yours too. So it's going to be a great episode. And stick around until the end, because I've got a free gift just for you you 100 ways to reinvent yourself in midlife. It's packed with amazing ideas to help you reimagine what is possible. 

03:26
Whether you're 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, or above, it does not matter, or you're 30 or 40. We all need ideas and inspiration. So let's get into it. Let's start with the thing that so many of us do and I know I personally have done this plenty of times we talk ourselves out of taking action before we even begin. Sound familiar, we start a sentence with what if, but we always finish it in the worst way what if I fail? What if people judge me? What if I'm too late or too old or too behind or I just don't know? Sound familiar, fear loves to masquerade as protection, but really it just keeps us stuck. It tells us to play small and stay comfortable. But reinvention doesn't live in comfort zones, it lives in possibility. So here's my favorite reframe what if it works out? What if your dreams take off? What if you surprise yourself? What if your bold step becomes the beginning of your re-invention journey? Let me tell you a story about that. 

04:44
Five years ago, I had this nudge, a little whisper. First I heard re-invention rebels. One day, when I was meditating Over time, I heard you should start a podcast. And let me tell you, the whisper was persistent. It wouldn't leave me alone. But in my mind I immediately jumped to the negatives. I don't know how to start a podcast. What if no one listens? What if I'm terrible at it? All those what if doubts started bubbling up, coupling up fast. But then something shifted. I paused and asked myself what if it actually works out? What if I just try? What if this turns into something beautiful? And I leaned into that question with curiosity, not certainty, definitely not expertise. With curiosity, not certainty, definitely not expertise, just curiosity and courage. So I took one small step then another. 

05:50
I watched YouTube videos about starting a podcast. I googled how to start a podcast. I found a self-paced course on starting a podcast. I made a list of midlife women I admired and asked them to be my first guests. Friends, colleagues honestly, anyone I thought had a reinvention story. I talked to a friend that had started a podcast to find out what she did, because she didn't have a clue or believe in herself either. Then I emailed everyone I knew. When I launched and when my friends started listening, I asked them to write Apple podcast reviews because I knew every little bit helped. 

06:33
Can I be totally real? I really did not know what I was doing at first. Nope, I stumbled, I questioned myself, I fumbled over my words. Some of those early episodes. They were rough and I listen now and the sound quality isn't even that great, but I kept going. I let my why lead me. I believe there were women out there who needed to hear stories of what's possible in midlife and beyond. Women like you navigating change, searching for purpose, longing to feel seen. And over time, I found my podcast legs. My voice got stronger, my guests, they inspired me deeply and my audience grew. I grew. Can you relate? Maybe there's something you want to start and fear is whispering. What if you fail? Take a moment right now and flip that question. What if it works out? 

07:41
Fast forward to today and something incredible happened. I just found out that I'm a winner of a Women who Podcast Award in the Profound Nugget category Me, the woman who won second guest. Everything about starting a podcast. And the clip that won it was from a recent episode featuring one of my favorite guests, now 75-year-old, mary Newell, a wise, funny, vibrant soul who has been running for 20 years now, who started at 55. And it was all about that moment when she realized she was her own heroine. Talk about profound. Was her own heroine. Talk about profound. That's the magic that happens when we bet on ourselves, when we shift the narrative about what's possible, when we take some small chances and just start doing it and see what happens and grow from there. And I'm going to tell you, rebels, if I can do this and start this podcast and win awards. 

08:56
Well, you can do anything too, in your own way, your own version of your reinvention, even if you're unsure, even if you're worried. Can I do it? What if everything goes right? So I want to ask you this what if you stopped waiting for the right time? What if you took one baby step toward your dream today? What if you trusted the nudge? You know that little inner voice whispering at you like it whispered to me. 

09:28
Reinvention isn't about having it all figured out. It's about choosing belief over fear. It's about asking better questions and listening for the answers. Let today be the day you flip the script. What if it works out? That's our new mantra, because, guess what, it just might. Rebels, thank you so much for tuning in today. 

09:59
If this episode resonated with you, I'd love to hear about it. Tag me on Instagram at Reinvention Rebels or drop me a DM. And if you love this episode and you've got friends, colleagues, aunties, sisters you name it share this with them, because we all need this spark, we all need to be reminded. What if it all goes right? That's the question. What if it all goes right? That's the question. And, as promised, I've got a special gift for you 100 ways to reinvent yourself in midlife. It's your spark starter to dream bigger, bolder and more joyfully, because life is short and y'all we need to go for it. You can grab it at reandmitchinrebelscom slash 100 also. The link is right here in the show notes for easy access. I hope you will check it out and begin to think about what could be possible if everything went right when I think about my reinvention. 

11:02
One last thing before we go, I want you to check out my friend Sally Ann Duplantier's really cool webinar, wellness Wednesdays. If you're looking for some inspiration as you age and who isn't? I think you're really going to love it. Details, of course, are in the show notes. Until next time, rebels, keep shining your light and asking yourself what if it works out? You are amazing and can do anything. I believe in you and I can't wait to see you shine. You've got this. The world needs you and all that you have to offer you.