Aging ain't for Sissies

Marcy Backhus
  • 4.3 (9)
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  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Aging isn't easy. My name is Marcy Backhus and I am your host! Make sure your complete well-being is handled with a community and information that can make it easier and FUN. Aging needs humor, which you can find in the "Aging ain't for Sissies" Podcast, along with informational guests that give us the information we need. 

  1. 5H AGO

    I Stopped Proving My Worth And Started Protecting My Peace

    Send a text We close our road series with a simple truth: arrival can mean intact, not impressive. From cruise calm to medical detours handled with grace, we trade urgency for awareness and performance for peace, and we choose alignment over achievement. • closing the road series with arriving differently • redefining success from achievement to alignment • pausing before yes and setting boundaries • shifting from urgency to awareness and curation • resting without apology and trusting instincts • Medicare Advantage PPO working out of state • choosing peace over performance and overextension • bringing home gentle arrivals and self-trust Please remember to share, like, whatever you can do to help me grow my podcasts You can email me at Marcybacchusmedia at gmail.com You can get all three of my podcasts at Marcybacchusmedia.com

    21 min

  2. 23H AGO

    Finding Steady Joy In The Season You’re In

    Send a text Joy doesn’t always arrive with fireworks. Sometimes it slips in softly during a quiet morning coffee, a shared smile with a stranger, or the decision to leave your phone on airplane mode and watch the horizon breathe. That’s the energy we bring here: a real-time reflection on what it means to experience steady joy, the kind that expands when we slow down, say no with kindness, and choose “enough” without apology. We share stories from a spa-centered cruise, why skipping Wi‑Fi can be an act of self-care, and how the ocean’s pace teaches us to unclench time. From a tender exchange over a name badge to letting go of the need to document every view, these moments reveal how presence reshapes happiness. We unpack the joy of not rushing—lingering over meals, allowing conversations to deepen, and proving to ourselves that nothing falls apart when we pause. Instead, we notice more and need less. There’s practical wisdom here, too: how self-knowledge cuts through second-guessing, how boundaries invite better energy, and why enough is not settling but discerning. If you’ve spent years accumulating plans, stuff, and expectations, consider this a gentle nudge toward peace and clarity. The takeaway is simple and powerful: joy grows where attention goes. Breathe, look around, and name one good thing you can feel right now. If this conversation helps you find a little more ease, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs permission to slow down, and leave a review so more people can discover the quiet side of joy.

    11 min

  3. JAN 29

    Strength Without Performance, Peace Without Permission

    Send us a text A swollen hand, a missed Disneyland day, and a suitcase full of TJ Maxx finds might not sound like a manifesto—but this week turns into a vivid map of becoming. Between a family dust-up, a rare infection biopsy, and a hopeful green light for an upcoming cruise, we face the question that quietly shapes midlife and beyond: Who am I becoming, and who am I done trying to be? I walk through the messy middle of identity shifts, the kind that don’t announce themselves with fireworks. There’s the Target moment asking for help when my hand won’t cooperate, the decision to rest instead of push, and the relief of telling the truth even when it’s uncomfortable. We talk about releasing the roles that used to keep us safe—the peacekeeper who pays with her own peace, the tireless performer, the palatable version who overexplains—and how alignment feels like shoulders finally dropping. Along the way, you’ll hear what it’s like to navigate a rare infection (biopsy, stitches, waiting on cultures), the reality of locked-up essentials in big box stores, and the courage to speak up about the state of the country without turning this space into a shouting match. If you’ve felt a quiet resistance to who you used to be, this conversation gives language and permission. We explore choosing peace over approval, listening to intuition, honoring limits, and refusing to rush—a practical blueprint for aging with honesty and heart. The payoff isn’t perfect days; it’s the absence of self-betrayal. You stop forcing yourself into rooms that shrink you. You stop negotiating with your gut. You start trusting that showing up as you are is enough. Press play for a clear, compassionate take on growth, boundaries, recovery, and real strength. If the message resonates, share it with a friend who needs it, subscribe for more candid conversations, and leave a review to help others find the show.

    25 min

  4. JAN 23

    Why Rest Alone Won’t Cure Your Exhaustion

    Send us a text The kind of tired that lingers after a nap has nothing to do with willpower. We pull back the curtain on bone-deep exhaustion—the mental load, relentless micro-decisions, and invisible emotional labor that compound over years—and show how it steals energy even on quiet days. From road-trip reflections to birthday milestones and the real logistics of keeping life running, we connect the dots between responsibility, capacity, and why the smallest question can feel like a breaking point. We unpack decision fatigue with real examples: the constant “what’s for dinner,” the health appointments you juggle, the family calendars you manage, and the diplomacy you perform to keep peace. Then we name the emotional labor many women carry—remembering, reminding, smoothing, holding space—and how that ongoing vigilance wears down attention and patience. You’ll hear practical, compassionate ways to create relief, not just rest: fewer obligations, firmer boundaries, less explaining, and honest limits that match your current season. Expect clear, workable ideas you can put to use today. Learn how to offload choices with simple systems, embrace no as a complete sentence, and choose ease without guilt through routines, defaults, and meal planning. We reframe rest as fuel rather than a prize, and we invite you to spend energy only where it truly matters. You’re not broken, lazy, or failing—you’re human, and you’ve carried a lot. If you’re ready to feel lighter and protect your bandwidth, press play, take what you need, and try one small change this week. If this conversation helps, share it with a friend and leave a quick review so others can find it too.

    17 min

  5. JAN 16

    Slow Down To Live More

    Send us a text What if the fastest way to feel better isn’t faster at all? On a solo drive from Chicago to Flagstaff along Route 66, I kept catching myself trying to beat the ETA, race the clock, and turn every mile into a metric. Then the open road—and a few ridiculous roadside stops—reminded me: you don’t get extra points for arriving early, you just get more tired. So I tested a different rule set. Stop when hungry. Rest when tired. Choose the safer workout. Take the scenic detour for a laugh. The world kept spinning, and my shoulders finally dropped. We dig into why slowing down feels suspicious, especially for those of us raised to earn rest only when everything is done. I talk about urgency as a default setting, how busyness gets mistaken for worth, and the quiet fear that pausing means falling behind. A slow-rolling house on the highway becomes the metaphor: it kept moving while I paused, and yet I passed it again—proof that pace is less linear than we think. We walk through practical, low-drama strategies: leave earlier, say “let me think,” take mental health days without backfilling them, and let silence do its work in conversation. Your calm does not need to match someone else’s chaos, and someone else’s poor planning doesn’t become your emergency. There’s also the deeper payoff: discernment. With age comes the ability to choose fewer, better plans, protect energy, and notice who and what actually feels good. I share the travel choices that prioritized safety over ego, the inner voice that got louder when the schedule got lighter, and the reminder that what’s meant for you won’t pass you by because you paused. Speed is optional. Presence is not. If you’re craving permission to breathe, this one’s your green light. If this resonated, subscribe, share it with a friend who’s always “on,” and leave a quick review. What’s one thing you’ll do slower this week?

    25 min

  6. JAN 9

    Choosing More Of What Matters

    Send us a text Ever feel the pressure to reinvent yourself by February? We’re choosing a better path. After a year marked by cancer and stacked medical emergencies, I’m done proving and ready to design a year that actually fits: slower travel, calmer mornings, kinder boundaries, and choices that honor energy, not ego. This isn’t about becoming someone new; it’s about becoming more of who you already are—on purpose. We start with ease as a strategy. I’m taking a six-week road trip and breaking it into humane days so I arrive well, not wrecked. That mindset spills into work, home, and service. I share how we built systems for a record stewardship campaign at our cathedral and why I’m handing leadership on so others can thrive. Ease isn’t slacking; it’s intentional design that keeps the most important things front and center. Peace gets a real definition here: fewer circular fights, slower replies, and acceptance of people as they are—especially the ones we love. We talk about joy shifting from big, performative moments to small, repeatable pleasures you can count on: a quiet coffee, a comfortable bed, a text from someone who knows your heart. Then we get honest about choosing yourself without guilt, receiving help when you need it, and learning what enough finally feels like—enough plans, enough stuff, enough proving. If you’re craving a good year instead of a big year, you’re in the right place. Letting go created room; choosing wisely fills it with ease, peace, joy, and contentment you can sustain. Press play, take what serves you, and tell us: what are you choosing more of this year? Subscribe, share with a friend who needs a gentler plan, and leave a review to help more people find the show.

    22 min

  7. JAN 2

    Aging, Editing, And The Joy Of Letting Go

    Send us a text Forget the pressure to reinvent yourself. We’re starting the year by choosing relief over resolutions and building a life that feels lighter, calmer, and more honest. I share a comfort-first plan for a six-week road trip—smart hotel picks, slower pacing, and the joy of clean bathrooms—and use it as a lens for unpacking emotional luggage. From gummy bears to good coffee, the practical choices become metaphors for midlife edits: keep what helps, leave what hurts, and skip the drama you didn’t sign up for. We take on the heaviest habit of all: relentless self-critique. I talk candidly about weight, medication, old family messages, and the daily work of kinder self-talk. Then we put that compassion into action with boundaries that stick. No can be a complete sentence. You don’t owe a backstory for every decision, whether it’s a travel budget, a deadline you won’t meet, or a plan you’re not comfortable with. When you stop explaining to win approval, you reclaim time, money, and peace. Friendships get the same thoughtful treatment. Not every ending is a fight; some are edits made with gratitude. We explore how to release connections that take more than they give, while cherishing the people who remain. To guide the year, I offer better questions: What am I done carrying? Which obligations feel heavier than they should? What version of myself am I still performing? Wanting less isn’t failure—it’s wisdom. Aging isn’t shrinking; it’s editing. Keep what matters and let the rest go. If this season feels lighter, you’re doing it right. If it feels heavy, be patient—clarity will come. If this resonates, tap follow, share it with a friend who needs permission to let go, and leave a review so more listeners can find the show.

    21 min

  8. 12/26/2025

    From Resolutions To Intentions: A Kinder Way To Grow

    Send us a text Resolutions feel like a trap when life is already full. This conversation offers a gentler, braver path: set intentions that match your energy, honor your season, and still move you forward. Fresh off a joyful, busy holiday and looking ahead to a milestone 65th birthday, we talk candidly about aging, boundaries, and what it means to spend time like the precious resource it is. We lay out five grounded intentions you can adopt today: listen to your body and move in ways that feel good; protect your energy with clear boundaries and fewer draining commitments; stay curious by learning new tools and trying small challenges; nurture relationships with honesty and care; and enjoy life now rather than waiting for perfect conditions. Along the way, you’ll hear real stories—from water aerobics wins to city walks in Chicago, from crossing suspension bridges to taking the train despite fears—that show how tiny, brave choices add up. You’ll also get a peek behind the mic: launching a third show, Unbottled, focused on sobriety and everyday habits; building Marcy Bacchus Media; and how podcasting provides purpose beyond sponsors. We talk about solo travel plans out West, turning intentions into monthly check-ins, and practicing self-kindness around weight changes tied to cancer medication. No rigid rules, no shame spiral—just practical ways to choose what matters and celebrate progress. If you’re ready to trade all-or-nothing goals for a way of living that lasts, press play and pick one intention to guide your year. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs a gentler start, and leave a review to help more listeners find the show.

    24 min
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4.3
out of 5
9 Ratings

About

Aging isn't easy. My name is Marcy Backhus and I am your host! Make sure your complete well-being is handled with a community and information that can make it easier and FUN. Aging needs humor, which you can find in the "Aging ain't for Sissies" Podcast, along with informational guests that give us the information we need. 

Information

  • Creator
    Marcy Backhus
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    116
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Aging ain't for Sissies
  • Show Website
    Aging ain't for Sissies