Loving that Midlife

Lori Buck

Are you a woman navigating the sometimes beautiful - sometimes challenging -  season of midlife? If so, this podcast is for you! Together, we'll explore how to take control of your thoughts to take control of your life, how to parent teens and young adults, how to reconnect with your husband, how to discover the new you as you enter the next chapter of life, and much more.  Join me, Lori Buck, certified Christian life coach, for practical advice, relatable stories, and a community of women who get it. 

  1. 3d ago

    You’re Allowed to Change Your Mind: When Quitting Isn’t Failure in Midlife

    What if quitting isn’t failure? We’ve been told that quitters never win and that we should finish what we start—but sometimes continuing to do something that no longer works for us isn’t perseverance. Sometimes it’s simply staying stuck. In this episode of Loving That Midlife, Lori Buck explores what it means to change your mind in midlife. Maybe you’ve outgrown a tradition, a family role, a responsibility, or even something you once genuinely loved. Lori shares personal stories about quitting piano as a child, hating track, stepping away from a decades-long tradition, and rethinking how she approaches everyday responsibilities. She also talks about what happens when women wait until they’ve reached their breaking point and want to “burn it all down.” Sometimes the answer isn’t quitting altogether—it’s changing how we do something, sharing the responsibility, or becoming more selective about where we spend our energy. Midlife gives us an opportunity to ask some important questions: Do I still want this? Would I choose it today? Am I doing it because I want to, or because I’ve always done it? And do I need to quit, change it, or simply stop carrying it alone? Changing your mind doesn’t mean you were wrong before. Sometimes it means you’ve grown. If you liked this episode, please share it with a friend! And if you loved this episode, please rate the show and leave a review so others can find it, too.   You can also follow me on my socials: Instagram: @loribuckcoaching Facebook: Lori Buck Coaching Website: www.loribuckcoaching.com  Email: lori@loribuckcoaching.com

  2. Sep 9

    What Are You Waiting For? How to Stop Putting Your Life on Hold in Midlife

    What are you waiting for? In midlife, it's easy to put our lives on hold while we wait for something to change. We tell ourselves we'll be happier when the kids are more independent, when our marriage is better, when our bodies feel different, when we have more time, or when we finally figure out what we want. But what if we're spending too much of our lives in what Dr. Seuss called the “Waiting Place”? In this episode of Loving That Midlife, Lori Buck explores why we wait for circumstances to change—and the deeper truth that we're often waiting for those circumstances to make us feel a certain way. What if you could begin creating some of those feelings now, rather than making your happiness dependent on something happening in the future? This isn't about pretending you don't want things to change. It's about learning how to stop putting your life on hold while you wait. Lori shares practical coaching questions to help you identify what you're waiting for, uncover how you expect it to make you feel, and consider what you can begin creating right now. And in this week's Midlife Moment, Lori discovers that her long-awaited trip to 30A taught her something surprising about what she actually wanted—and that maybe the fancy beach experience wasn't nearly as important as a soft-serve ice cream cone and a tacky beach souvenir. If you liked this episode, please share it with a friend! And if you loved this episode, please rate the show and leave a review so others can find it, too.   You can also follow me on my socials: Instagram: @loribuckcoaching Facebook: Lori Buck Coaching Website: www.loribuckcoaching.com  Email: lori@loribuckcoaching.com

  3. Sep 2

    Stop Fighting Reality: How to Stop Making Hard Things Harder in Midlife

    What if the thing making a hard situation even harder isn't the circumstance itself—but the fight you're having with the fact that it's happening? In this episode of Loving That Midlife, Lori Buck explores what it means to stop fighting reality when you're facing something you can't change. Because some circumstances really are hard. Dementia, addiction, difficult relationships, health struggles, loss, and other painful realities don't become easy just because we think differently about them. But while we can't always change our circumstances, we can notice when our thoughts, expectations, and attempts to control the uncontrollable are adding another layer of suffering. Lori shares a powerful coaching question: “What if we take changing reality off the table?” And from there, she explores how we can stop asking, “How do I make this situation different?” and start asking, “Given that this is the situation, what do I want to do?” This isn't about giving up or pretending hard things aren't hard. It's about recognizing where you have agency—and learning how to make your experience of a difficult circumstance easier. Because sometimes you can't change reality. But you don't have to keep fighting it, either. And in this week's Midlife Moment, Lori discovers that preparing for a long-awaited beach vacation isn't quite as relaxing as the vacation itself—including a broken dryer, perimenopause, a sick daughter, and an indoor clothesline that has her family feeling like they're living on the prairie. If you liked this episode, please share it with a friend! And if you loved this episode, please rate the show and leave a review so others can find it, too.   You can also follow me on my socials: Instagram: @loribuckcoaching Facebook: Lori Buck Coaching Website: www.loribuckcoaching.com  Email: lori@loribuckcoaching.com

  4. Aug 19

    It’s Never Too Late to Learn Something New in Midlife

    What happens when you decide to learn something new in midlife—and suddenly find yourself feeling like you should already know how to do it? That’s the topic Lori Buck covers this week on Loving That Midlife, because it's exactly where she's found herself recently while starting a new music theory class. Although she's excited to learn, she's also had some moments of frustration, self-doubt, and more than a little resistance to being a beginner. She's caught herself thinking, I should know this already.” But maybe the better question isn’t, “Why don’t I already know this?” Maybe it’s, “What am I willing to feel in order to get what I want?” In this episode of Loving That Midlife, we’re talking about what we can gain when we’re willing to be beginners again. Because learning something new can require us to tolerate frustration, confusion, awkwardness, vulnerability, and even the feeling that we’re not very good at something—at least not yet. And discomfort doesn’t necessarily mean something has gone wrong. Sometimes discomfort is simply part of learning. We’ll talk about why being a beginner can actually build confidence, expand our possibilities, and make us more empathetic toward people who are struggling to learn something we already know how to do. We’ll also talk about the expectations we carry in midlife and how the thought “I should have learned this already” can keep us from learning it now. Because there are things you may want in this season of your life that require you to be willing to feel uncomfortable first. So what are you curious about? What would you try if you gave yourself permission to be a beginner? And what might be waiting for you on the other side of the discomfort? It’s never too late to learn something new. If you liked this episode, please share it with a friend! And if you loved this episode, please rate the show and leave a review so others can find it, too.   You can also follow me on my socials: Instagram: @loribuckcoaching Facebook: Lori Buck Coaching Website: www.loribuckcoaching.com  Email: lori@loribuckcoaching.com

  5. Aug 12

    When Your Child's College Drop-Off Doesn’t Go the Way You Expected

    You pictured college drop-off a certain way. Maybe there would be tears, hugs, a meaningful goodbye, and a Hallmark-worthy moment with your child. But what if reality looks completely different? What if your child is anxious, distracted, excited to leave, or seems ready for you to go? What if the goodbye you've imagined for months lasts five minutes in a parking lot? In this episode of Loving That Midlife, we're talking about what to do when college drop-off doesn't meet your expectations—and how to handle your sadness and disappointment without making your child responsible for your emotions. I'll share a story about a mom who was so disappointed by her son's goodbye that she told him she was disappointed in him. It's a powerful example of what can happen when an unmet expectation becomes a judgment of our child's character. We'll talk about the difference between unvoiced expectations and unrealistic expectations, why your child's attitude is on them but your response is on you, and how to feel your emotions without asking your child to make you feel better. We'll also touch on what comes next when the house feels a little emptier—and the surprising realization that your child may not need you less. They may just need you differently. If you're navigating college drop-off, launching a child into adulthood, or struggling with the emotions that come when reality doesn't match what you hoped for, this episode is for you. If you liked this episode, please share it with a friend! And if you loved this episode, please rate the show and leave a review so others can find it, too.   You can also follow me on my socials: Instagram: @loribuckcoaching Facebook: Lori Buck Coaching Website: www.loribuckcoaching.com  Email: lori@loribuckcoaching.com

  6. Aug 5

    When Your Teen Is Leaving for College and Everything Gets Weird

    What happens when your teenager is getting ready to leave for college—and suddenly everything feels a little… weird? They’re excited to leave, but they’re also irritated, distant, argumentative, or picking fights with their siblings. You’re trying to soak up these “last few weeks” together, while also wondering why everyone seems to be getting on everyone else’s nerves. If you’ve experienced this, you may be familiar with soiling the nest—that strange season when a teenager seems to push you away just as they’re preparing to leave home. This year we’re looking at what happens when the whole family is navigating the transition. What about the siblings who are getting the emotional fallout? How do you hold boundaries while still giving your teenager grace? And how do you stop putting pressure on yourself to make these final weeks together perfectly memorable? We’ll talk about understanding your teen without excusing disrespect, giving them space without withdrawing emotionally, and keeping your focus on the long-term relationship you want with your adult child. And in this week’s Midlife Moment, I’m taking you along on my recent trip to England with my youngest daughter after her study abroad in Italy. Ten days, three cities, a LOT of walking, aching feet, British museums, trains, getting lost, and a surprising lesson in letting go of control—and embracing my role as a very happy passenger princess. Because whether your child is leaving for college or you’re simply navigating one of the many transitions of midlife, there’s something important to remember: The good doesn’t have to cancel out the hard. And the hard doesn’t mean something has gone wrong. Welcome to the 50/50 life.  If you liked this episode, please share it with a friend! And if you loved this episode, please rate the show and leave a review so others can find it, too.   You can also follow me on my socials: Instagram: @loribuckcoaching Facebook: Lori Buck Coaching Website: www.loribuckcoaching.com  Email: lori@loribuckcoaching.com

  7. Jul 15

    Wake Up to Your Own Life

    Last week, we talked about one of the biggest realizations of midlife: our days are numbered. So now what? Do we panic? Reinvent ourselves? Start checking off a bucket list? In this Season 1 finale of Loving That Midlife, Lori explores a quieter—and ultimately more meaningful—response. Instead of asking, "What do I have to get done today?" what if midlife invites us to ask, "What am I faithfully building with the life I've been given?" Through personal stories, timeless wisdom, and practical coaching, Lori shares why so many women spend years responding to everyone else's needs—and how midlife offers a beautiful opportunity to become intentional again. In this episode, you'll discover: Why realizing your days are numbered can become a gift instead of a fearThe difference between reacting to life and intentionally creating itHow your childhood dreams may have been fulfilled in ways you never expectedWhat cathedral builders can teach us about living a meaningful lifeWhy faithful stewardship is more freeing than chasing purposeHow ordinary, everyday choices become the foundation of a life well livedYou'll also hear encouragement from Micah 6:8, 1 Peter 4:10, and the beautiful image of planting an apple tree—even if you may never sit in its shade. If you've been wondering what's next in this season of life, this episode is an invitation to stop living by default and begin living with greater intention, one faithful day at a time. Because a meaningful life isn't something you find. It's something you faithfully build. This episode also marks the Season 1 finale of Loving That Midlife. Lori will be back in August with Season 2 and more conversations to help you navigate midlife with wisdom, hope, and purpose. If you liked this episode, please share it with a friend! And if you loved this episode, please rate the show and leave a review so others can find it, too.   You can also follow me on my socials: Instagram: @loribuckcoaching Facebook: Lori Buck Coaching Website: www.loribuckcoaching.com  Email: lori@loribuckcoaching.com

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About

Are you a woman navigating the sometimes beautiful - sometimes challenging -  season of midlife? If so, this podcast is for you! Together, we'll explore how to take control of your thoughts to take control of your life, how to parent teens and young adults, how to reconnect with your husband, how to discover the new you as you enter the next chapter of life, and much more.  Join me, Lori Buck, certified Christian life coach, for practical advice, relatable stories, and a community of women who get it.