Finding Yourself in the Empty Spaces of Midlife

A few years ago, my sister and I decided, on a whim, to go see a "reader." I walked in curious and expecting nothing, ready to just notice whatever came up.

She had me lie on my back, close my eyes, and be fully present. For an hour she offered impressions. Some were deeply personal. A few were startlingly accurate. She talked about my mother. She talked about balance. At one point she stopped and said, "You might be the most balanced person I've ever had on my table."

I laughed. "That took a lot of work."

And it had. Years of working, parenting, leading, building, juggling. Balance never showed up as a gift. I carved it, carefully, out of early mornings and late nights and the stubborn decision to keep going on the days life felt impossible.

Then she said one more thing, and it came back to me a lot:

"Tap into your creativity, Anna, and you have unlimited potential."

I drove home wondering if she meant painting, or music, or sewing the way my mom used to. So I tried all of it. Let's just say the world is not clamoring for my watercolor landscapes, and my hobby room is a graveyard of half-finished projects.

But eventually something clicked, and it's the thing I now watch land for so many women in the middle of a career shift or stepping into a bigger role:

Creativity isn't always artistic. Sometimes it looks like vision. Reinvention. Strategy. Nerve.

It shows up when you design a retreat that transforms people. Or build a business from scratch. Or lead a team through uncertainty with clarity and heart.

Entrepreneurship has been my most profound creative act—a long experiment in imagining what could be, then shaping it into reality. It has also been a rediscovery of myself after decades of pouring energy into family and career.

And when you send your kids into the world and suddenly have time again, that silence can feel disorienting… and liberating.

That space—those empty moments—can feel terrifying. But they can also feel like freedom.

New beginnings always carry a duality: excitement and fear.

Excitement because you can sense possibility stirring—the opportunity to create, to build, to reintroduce yourself to yourself.

Fear because the unknown whispers, What if you fail?

But after coaching leaders, entrepreneurs, and women stepping into their next chapter, here's what I know:

Fear isn't a stop sign. It's a companion.

Let it sit beside you while you sketch your next idea, plan your next offering, or imagine your next season of life. Fear keeps you humble. Excitement keeps you moving.

And maybe that was the reader's message all along: Creativity is not about being an artist. It's about having the courage to step into the blank space and see what you can become.

If you're navigating an empty nest, considering entrepreneurship, preparing for retirement, or reshaping your leadership path, here's what I want you to remember:

- Stay curious. The most transformational chapters start with, "I wonder if…"

- Expect fear. It's a sign you're expanding.

- Make room for joy. You don't always need a five-year plan. Sometimes you just need space to dream.

- Believe in your potential. It is larger than you think.

Because on the other side of fear is freedom. And on the other side of freedom—that's where you find yourself again.