Your Utmost Life

How to Reclaim Who You Are When You’ve Forgotten Who That Is—Without Starting Over or Walking Away from Your Life

• Misty Celli • Episode 10

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Have you ever looked in the mirror and wondered, "Who am I beyond being a mom?" That question might seem small, but it's profoundly important. According to research, 71% of mothers report being most strongly defined by their roles as mothers—a number that jumps to 87% for those not in the workforce. When that all-consuming role shifts, many women find themselves in what I call the "invisible mama syndrome," experiencing a gradual erosion of personal identity that happens so subtly they don't realize it until they feel like strangers in their own lives.

This episode is deeply personal because it's about that moment when you discover you've become a supporting character in your own journey—and how to step back into the lead role without guilt, drama, or waiting for permission. I share my own story of setting a table for dinner and realizing I had only laid out three plates, not because I had forgotten someone, but because I didn't count myself. That moment broke me in a soft, quiet way as I recognized how I had confused efficiency with purpose and mistaken being needed for being fulfilled.

The beautiful truth is that reclaiming yourself doesn't require demolition of your current life. You don't need to blow up your marriage, quit your job, or move away. What you need is reconnection, not reconstruction. Through the Your Utmost Life Method—Discover, Design, and Do—you can begin transforming this transition into transformation. We explore three simple practices you can start today: the morning mirror exercise, identity inventory, and one decision rule. These aren't assignments to complete but invitations to return to yourself.

Whether you're approaching an empty nest or simply feeling lost in the demands of motherhood, remember: you don't need anyone's permission to evolve, but you do need to give yourself permission to begin. Download the free Your Utmost Alignment Check-In and join a community of women walking the same path of reclamation and redesign. You weren't meant to disappear as your next chapter begins—you were meant to emerge.

📲 Share this episode with a friend who needs to know she’s not broken—just buried. Let her know she’s not alone.

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✨ Continue your journey at Your Utmost Self - free resources, articles, and more.

Misty:

Have you ever found yourself alone in your own house, quiet, still surrounded by things you've chosen, yet suddenly feel like a stranger in your own life? Not because something big happened, but because nothing has the rhythm of everyone else's needs, schedules and routines. It's been your metronome for years and now, as the noise fades, so does your sense of self. You wonder where did I go? That question might seem small, but it's one of the most profound things you'll ever ask yourself. It's not about starting over. It's about waking up, and today I want to help you do just that. Right now, right where you are, we're going to explore how to reclaim the truest, most genuine parts of you without blowing up your life, walking away from your family or waiting for some magical sign to tell you it's time. Motherhood is a gift, but let's be honest it can also leave you feeling overwhelmed, invisible and disconnected from the woman you once were. If you ever wondered, who am I beyond being a mom, know this you are not alone. Welcome to your utmost life. I'm Misty, a mom just like you, who has faced chaos, self-doubt and the loss of identity, hitting rock bottom and emerging stronger, with clarity, confidence and purpose. Each week, we will explore practical tools and transformative truths to help you reclaim your identity, rebuild your confidence and rediscover the joy that lights you up. On this journey together, you'll break free from overwhelm, embrace your worth and step fully into the most authentic version of yourself. Through heartfelt conversations and actionable strategies, you will learn how to design a life that excites and fulfills you, a life where you become the woman you were always meant to be, because you're not just a mom. You are so much more, and if you're ready to embrace her, let's get started.

Misty:

According to Motherly State of Motherhood Survey, 71% of moms report being most strongly defined by their roles as mothers. For those who aren't in the workforce, that number jumps to a staggering 87%. There's nothing wrong with deeply identifying with motherhood, but what happens when that role shifts, when it no longer demands the all-consuming focus it once did? If you felt lost, with zero identity outside of being a mom and wife, if every role you play revolves around meeting someone else's needs, if you feel more invisible by the day, if you've ever thought this season should feel like freedom, but it feels more like free falling. Today's episode is deeply personal because it's about that moment when you look in the mirror and realize you've become a supporting character in your own journey and, more importantly, it's about how to step back into the lead role without guilt, without drama and without waiting for permission. Most women don't even realize they're suffering from what I call the invisible mama syndrome, the outward symptoms of a deeper, more dangerous root issue the identity eraser effect. And let me be clear, this isn't about failure. It's about a slow, silent unraveling of self-worth that happens over time, when your value is measured solely by how well you show up for others and never by how deeply you know, trust and honor yourself. In fact, research shows that it takes most mothers 18 to 24 months to successfully transition from being a primary caregiver to reclaiming their identity as independent women after their children leave home. That's not just a gap, that is a vulnerable identity void. But you're not alone, you're not behind. You're exactly where your transformation begins.

Misty:

I want to take you back to a moment in my own story. It was shortly after we moved from Montana to Houston, a move we had prayed about and believed in. We were full of hope a new home, new roles, new schools for kids, new everything. In those early months I did what I had always done I made sure everyone was taken care of, so they felt secure, like it was home and they could be confident in their new situation. I got the kids' school situated, found a new church, scheduled the vet appointments for the dogs and figured out the grocery stores and memorized everyone's new schedule. I felt like I was doing a good job.

Misty:

Friends would say Misty, you're amazing, how do you manage it all? And I'd smile, nod and maybe even feel a little spark of pride. But here's the thing that no one tells you you can excel at supporting everyone else and still slowly disappear. I realized it as I was setting the table for dinner one night. I had only laid out three plates, not because I had forgotten someone, but because I didn't count myself. That moment broke me in a soft, quiet way. I stood there trying to figure out what was wrong with the table. Something seemed to be missing and the answer was me. I started to see it everywhere. I couldn't answer basic questions like what do you want to do today Without defaulting to what others might need? I had a closet full of clothes that worked for everyone else's events, but nothing that felt like me. I become this well-oiled machine of management and care, and I couldn't remember the last time I had felt joy, just for me. It wasn't just a little bit of depression, it was burnout. I was invisible living.

Misty:

Research on empty nest syndrome shows it's linked to the absence of alternative roles for the parent in which they could establish their identity. In other words, if being mom was your whole identity, what happens when that role fundamentally changes? The scariest part I was really good at it. I could manage, organize, anticipate needs and keep everything running smoothly, and I was so proud of myself. But somewhere along the way I had confused efficiency with purpose and I had mistaken being needed for being fulfilled. I remember sitting in my car after dropping the kids off at school one morning, just sitting there in the parking lot, and I couldn't think of a single place I wanted to go. That was just for me. Every destination in my mental map was tied to someone else's needs the grocery store, the dry cleaners, the post office all errands for other people. That's when it hit me I had become the ultimate support system, but I had no system supporting me.

Misty:

This wasn't about being a bad mom or an unhappy wife. It was about losing touch with the woman who existed beyond those roles, the woman who had dreams that weren't just about her children's futures, the woman who had preferences, desires and a voice that wasn't just used to call everyone to dinner, and maybe you know exactly what I mean. Maybe you're sitting in your car right now listening to this and feeling that uncomfortable recognition. Maybe you're in your kitchen surrounded by the evidence of a life you've built, but no longer recognizing it as yours, and maybe you're walking through your neighborhood trying to remember the last time you did something, just because it brought you joy. According to research, when parents experience emptiness syndrome, it frequently results in depression and a loss of purpose.

Misty:

But what I'm going to suggest today is that this moment of identity crisis isn't something to fear. It's actually a doorway to something beautiful, if we have the courage to walk through it. What if I told you that the very skills that made you an exceptional mother anticipating needs, creating stability and putting others first are the same skills that have kept you invisible in your own life? This isn't your fault. We live in a culture that practically sanctifies maternal sacrifice. We're told that good mothers put themselves last and that selfishness is the ultimate virtue. And while there's truth in the beauty of giving to others, what happens when giving becomes erasing. Studies show that between 40 and 50 year olds, women's happiness tends to bottom out before beginning to rise again. This is the U-shaped curve of happiness that researchers have documented across cultures. The good news there's an upswing coming, but we don't have to wait passively for it. We can actively create it.

Misty:

So many women believe that change in the season equals chaos. That if you start prioritizing your needs, your family will fall apart. That wanting more means you're ungrateful or not enough. But this belief system is part of the identity eraser effect a slow, invisible unraveling of your self-worth. You think you're keeping the peace, but you're actually maintaining your own eraser. I used to call it the invisibility maintenance strategy, but it's really just one of the many ways the identity eraser effects keep you small and stuck. Think about it this way Would you ever tell your daughter that she should disappear once she becomes a mother? Would you counsel your best friend to dim her light so others could shine? No, you'd probably tell them both that they deserve to be whole people and that motherhood should add to their identity, not erase it. So why do we accept a different standard for ourselves?

Misty:

The truth is that reclaiming yourself isn't requiring demolition. You don't need to blow up your marriage, quit your job or move to another country. Those are the desperate measures people take when they've been invisible for too long. What you need to do is reconnection, not reconstruction. Research has debunked the myth that midlife transitions require dramatic upheaval. In fact, a study found that only 23% of the people reported experiencing what they call that midlife transitions require dramatic upheaval. In fact, a study found that only 23% of the people reported experiencing what they call a midlife crisis, and of those, only one third just 8% of the total said that the crisis was related to aging itself. The rest simply experienced major life transitions that they navigated without dramatic upheaval.

Misty:

Here are three myths that keep women in the fog of invisible living. Myth one if I feel this lost, I must just need to blow it all up. This belief whispers. Something must be wrong with my life. I need a dramatic reset, but that's simply not true. Sometimes, what you need isn't deconstruction, it's attention. Reconnection doesn't mean starting over. It means coming home to yourself and the life you've already have.

Misty:

Myth two I should just be grateful. This one's sneaky. It sounds virtuous. And listen. I am grateful, grateful for my family, my home, my opportunities. There aren't words to express the love and gratitude I have. But gratitude is not a muzzle. You can love your life and still want to grow. Just like we remodel our homes without moving, you are allowed to renovate your soul. Myth three it's too late. Please hear me on this. It is never too late to become who you were always meant to be. Identity isn't static. You are not behind, you are in process, and that means right now is the perfect time to return to yourself.

Misty:

The Washington Post featured an article in which one woman described her midlife awakening. She said, even though on the surface it looked like I was all in as a mother, I had been resisting my motherhood and trying to escape it, to find myself. But I didn't need to escape my children or my role as a mother to solve my identity crisis. I needed to accept my children and my role as a mother, our interconnectedness, more deeply. That's the beautiful paradox here.

Misty:

Reclaiming yourself isn't about abandoning your roles. It's about inhibiting them more fully, consciously and with more of you in them. So where have you been waiting for permission to change? And what if the consent you're seeking can only come from you? The journey back to yourself isn't a straight line. It's not a five-step process you can check off and be done with. It's a waking up, a gradual revealing of the woman who's always been there all along. That's why I developed the your Upmost Life Method. It's a framework for women ready to reclaim themselves without starting over. This isn't about adding more to your plate. It's about making room for what matters most.

Misty:

The your Upmost Life Method walks you through three phases that turn this transition into transformation. Discover, design and do. These aren't just linear steps to success. They're seasons of self-return. Let's break them down. Discover who am I, beyond the roles I've played. This is about peeling back the layers of expectations and labels and automatic behaviors to find your core truth. It's not archaeology, it's homecoming. In the discover phase, we dive into questions like what were your dreams before the needs of everyone else becoming your primary focus? What activities used to light you up before efficiency became your main goal? What values guide you, separate you from what society says? A good mom, wife, woman should value. Research from the Seattle Midlife Women's Health Study found that women's identified rediscovering self as one of the most challenging aspects of midlife. It's challenging precisely because it's essential.

Misty:

The second phase is design. What does life look like when aligned with who you truly are. This is where you create a vision based on your values, not your history. It's not selfish. It's sustainable. The questions include how can you weave your needs into the fabric of family life? What boundaries would create space for your growth without abandoning your commitments? And what does a day in your ideal life feel like? And the do phase how can I become more of me without creating chaos or having my family feel as though they aren't good enough? This is where vision becomes action, through intention, not selfish action. It's not about perfection. It's about progression. The do phase explores what small daily habits reinforce your reconnection, how can you communicate your needs with confidence, not with an apology, and what support systems can help me sustain your transformation. Now let me share three insights that bridge the gap between the old way of disappearing and the new way of thriving.

Misty:

First, you don't need to abandon your life to reclaim yourself. You need to redesign your relationship with it. Think about it as a house renovation. You don't typically demolish the entire structure. You work with the good bones, improve the flow, update what's dated and add touches that make it unmistakably yours. Your life is that house. Your identity reawakens in this renovation.

Misty:

Second, the identity crisis isn't about who you've lost. It's about who you're becoming. The emptiness you feel it's not a void. It's space for growth. Nature shows us this truth. A seed needs space to grow into a tree. A butterfly needs the emptiness of a tree. A tree needs of a chrysalis to transform. What feels like a loss is actually potential.

Misty:

Third, your worth was never dependent on your roles. It was always inherent in your being. You were worthy before you became a mother. You were valuable before you became a wife, partner or employee. Those roles gave ways to express your love and talent, but they didn't create your value. That's why the your Utmost Life Method doesn't treat your identity as something defined. We treat it as something to design, because you're not trying to be who you used to be in your early twenties. You're designing the woman you're becoming, a life that encapsulates all of you and where you want to be.

Misty:

Imagine waking up six months from now, feeling deeply connected to yourself, excited about your days and confident in your decisions, without guilt or apology. Imagine being the woman your family sees as a whole, not just helpful. That future isn't a fantasy. It's waiting for you to claim it. Now let's get practice. How do you start reclaiming yourself after being invisible for so long?

Misty:

Here are three small but mighty practices to begin today. First is the morning mirror exercise. It's 30 seconds daily. Before you do anything for anyone else, look at yourself in the mirror for 30 seconds, not to critique your appearance, but to see yourself, make eye contact with your reflection and simply say hello, I see you. Then ask what do you need today and wait for an answer. It might be small. I need five minutes with my coffee before everyone wakes up. Honor that need, no matter how tiny.

Misty:

The identity inventory is a 15 minute and you only do it once. Take a piece of paper and write down every label, role or identity that currently describes you Mother, wife, employee, cook, chauffeur, emergency response team, whatever comes to mind. Circle the ones you consciously chose. Put a star by the ones that bring you joy. Now add three roles or identities you'd like to reclaim or develop. This isn't just an exercise, it's a declaration of your multi-dimensional nature. Third is the one decision rule, and this is ongoing Each day.

Misty:

Make one decision based solely on your desires, not on efficiency or others' needs. This could be as simple as choosing the blue shirt because you love the color, not because it hides stains better, or take the scenic route home because the baby cows bring you joy, even if it takes three minutes longer. These simple, small choices rebuild your decision-making muscles and reminds your brain that you have a preference, a voice, and that you matter. Also, remember these aren't assignments to complete. They're invitations to return to yourself. There's no deadline on becoming whole again, unlike most identity work which tells you to dig up your past. The your Upmost Life method helps you design your future starting with who you are right now. When resistance rises and it will remember, the discomfort isn't a stop sign. It's a signpost. It means you're moving beyond the familiar into the authentic.

Misty:

Now I can already hear some of you thinking that sounds great for the other woman. But my situation is different. Or I'm too far gone to rediscover myself now, or maybe my family needs me to stay exactly as I am. Let me speak to those thoughts directly. First, you're right that your situation is unique. Your path back to yourself will look different from everyone else's, but the principles remain. You deserve to be a whole person, not just a role. Second, about the too late thought research on happiness across the lifespan consistently shows that women in their 60s and beyond report higher levels of life satisfaction than women in their 40s. It's never too late to reclaim your joy. And third, regarding your family needs what if the greatest gift you could give your family isn't more of your exhausted service, but your authentic presence? What if they deserve the real you, not just the role you play?

Misty:

Here's a story I love. A woman in her mid-50s had raised three children as a stay-at-home mom. When her youngest left for college, she fell into a deep depression. She was convinced her life's purpose was over. During a session with her therapist, she revealed that before having children, she dreamed of being a landscape designer. That was so long ago. She said it's too late now. Her therapist asked will you still be alive in four years? I assume so. She said. Then you could get a degree in landscaping design and still have a 20-year career doing what you love. Four years later, she opened her own landscaping design business, not because she abandoned her identity as a mother, but because she expanded it to include the woman she had always been.

Misty:

You don't need anyone's permission to evolve, but you do need to give yourself permission to begin. Today we've explored three truths that can transform your transition from invisible to vibrant. The identity loss isn't the end of your story. It's actually the beginning of a more authentic chapter. Two you don't have to choose between service and self. They can beautifully coexist.

Misty:

Three this season isn't your conclusion. It is your commencement. If you keep waiting for the right time to rediscover yourself, another year might pass as you continue wondering where you went. But if you choose to see this transition as your transformation point, next year at this time you could be living as the most authentic version of yourself. Yet so what do you choose? Another season of waiting for life to happen to you, or one brave step toward designing the life you truly want. Your first step can be so simple.

Misty:

Download it at your utmost self dot com forward slash alignment check-in. It's a five-minute self-discovery tool that will help you identify exactly where you are in your journey of alignment, and with one small action, you can take this week to move towards your most authentic self. I designed this tool specifically for women who feel disconnected from themselves but aren't sure where to start reconnecting. It's the same framework I used in my own journey back to myself, and I'm sharing it with you because I know how powerful that first step can be. When you download the check-in, you'll be part of a community of women ready to walk the same path of reclamation and redesign. There's something powerful about not walking alone.

Misty:

Share your biggest takeaway from today's episodes in your stories and tag me. Use hashtag utmost rising so I can find it. We can start creating a movement of women committed to being fully seen in our multidimensional glory. If this episode resonated, I'd be so grateful if you'd leave a review sharing which part of it hit home. Your words help other women find this message right when they need it most. Next week's episode will be powerful, continuing today's conversation what to do when you want a new chapter but don't know who you are anymore. Without waiting for a sign or a breakdown, explore how uncertainty doesn't disqualify you from moving forward. It can actually become the launching pad for your most aligned life. Remember you weren't meant to disappear as your next chapter begins. You were meant to emerge. Thank you for spending this time with me today. Until next week, I'm Misty and this is your utmost life podcast.