Advertise on podcast: Momma’s Motivational Messages: Inspiration for Stressed Out Gen X Women

Send us Fan Mail You can help everyone else figure out what comes next. But when it’s your turn, you draw a blank. You know what your children are working toward. You remember what your family needs. But ask yourself, “What would I love to do?” and suddenly you’re thinking about the laundry. Or maybe you do have an answer. A class you keep looking at. A place you’d love to visit. Something you once enjoyed that nobody in your life even knows about. Then comes the familiar response: “Maybe later. Once things settle down.” After years of making sure everyone else had what they needed, it can feel strange to want something without explaining how it will benefit someone else. In this archive episode of Momma’s Motivational Messages, I share Rebecca’s story. She had been an empty nester for eight years before she began finding her way back to her own interests and desires. If you’ve been wondering why you haven’t figured out what you want yet, her story may feel familiar. I also share three journaling prompts to help you begin listening to your own answers. You don’t need a grand ambition ready. You don’t have to return to a dream you’ve outgrown. Start with what interests you now—even if you’re not sure where it could lead. What have you almost let yourself want, then talked yourself out of? Press play, and bring something to write on. Give your answer a little time before “That’s not practical” or “What would everyone think?” takes over. Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, and find more episodes at mommasmotivationalmessages.com. Support the show 🔔 Connect with Dr. PK Website: https://www.mommasmotivationalmessages.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/momsmotivations Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mommotivates

Send us Fan Mail There are episodes you record. And then there are episodes that stay with you.  This is one of those episodes.  PK sits down with Iselyn Hamilton for a conversation that starts in one place and ends somewhere completely unexpected. The story Iselyn shares — PK is not going to tell you what it is because you need to hear it in Iselyn’s own words — is the kind of story that makes you sit quietly for a moment afterward.  The kind that makes you ask yourself, honestly: am I actually living my life? Or am I waiting for something to change before I begin?  Press play. And then sit with what comes up.  Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and find everything at https://www.mommasmotivationalmessages.com Support the show 🔔 Connect with Dr. PK Website: https://www.mommasmotivationalmessages.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/momsmotivations Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mommotivates

Send us Fan Mail What if taking care of yourself was not the opposite of leaving a legacy — but the most important part of it? This reframe is at the heart of one of PK’s most personal episodes. Originally recorded for International Women’s Day, it is making its return now because the conversation about self-love as legacy is one that midlife women need to hear more than once.  PK shares a United Nations resolution that will make you see your own value in a completely new light. She traces the roots of the guilt that keeps women from putting themselves first. And she shares a simple but powerful timer technique that helps you interrupt negative self-talk before it convinces you that everyone else matters more than you do.   Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and find everything at https://www.mommasmotivationalmessages.com Support the show 🔔 Connect with Dr. PK Website: https://www.mommasmotivationalmessages.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/momsmotivations Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mommotivates

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever stopped to ask whether the roles you are still playing are ones you actually chose, or ones that simply became habit?  The over-giver. The self-sacrificer. The invisible one. Most midlife women can identify with at least one of these typical examples without thinking too hard. Some are living in all three simultaneously.  In this archive episode, PK names these roles with precision, traces them to their roots, and, most importantly, offers a release ritual that helps you begin to let go of the ones that are no longer serving you. This is one of her most requested episodes. And if you hear yourself in the Monica airport story — you will know why.  Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, and find everything at mommasmotivationalmessages.com   Support the show 🔔 Connect with Dr. PK Website: https://www.mommasmotivationalmessages.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/momsmotivations Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mommotivates

Send us Fan Mail You have been someone’s mother for so long that when someone asks who you are, outside of that role, the answer does not come as easily as it should. In fact, that is what happens when a woman devotes decades of herself to raising other humans. The identity does not disappear. It just gets very quiet while you wait for it to come back.  In this archive episode, PK goes deeper into the identity question, the one that does not get answered by picking up a new hobby. She shares a moment from Michelle Obama’s story that may surprise you. And she offers nine specific ways to begin rediscovering the woman who has been patiently waiting underneath all the roles.  Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, and find everything at mommasmotivationalmessages.com Support the show 🔔 Connect with Dr. PK Website: https://www.mommasmotivationalmessages.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/momsmotivations Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mommotivates

Send us Fan Mail The house is quiet. The schedule that organized your life for decades has dissolved. And somewhere underneath the relief, there is a guilt you were not expecting.  The guilt of finally having time for yourself.  In this archive episode, PK speaks directly to the midlife women and empty nesters who are standing in that quiet house wondering what comes next. This is not about suggesting generic advice about pursuing hobbies. Instead, she provides specific steps to reconnect with the woman who has been waiting patiently beneath all the roles.  Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, and find everything at mommasmotivationalmessages.com Support the show 🔔 Connect with Dr. PK Website: https://www.mommasmotivationalmessages.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/momsmotivations Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mommotivates

Send us Fan Mail Something is changing. And PK wants to tell you about it herself.  After four years of building Momma’s Motivational Messages, PK is ready for the next chapter. In this short but significant episode, she shares the story of how this show evolved — from its original audience to its true home — and announces the new name that finally says exactly what this show has always been about.  But she is not rushing. Because here is what she has learned about herself over four years of podcasting: she does her best work when the foundation is solid. So before the new name launches officially, she is going back into the archives and pulling out eight episodes that deserve a second listen — conversations that were already pointing toward everything that is coming next.  Think of it as a greatest hits series. Or a reading group catch-up before the next book begins.  In this episode, PK shares: •       The honest story of how Momma’s Motivational Messages found its true audience — and why it took longer than she expected •       Why she is taking eight weeks before the official launch — and what she will be sharing with you during that time •       The new name — and the meaning behind it that she cannot wait to tell you •       Why she is the right person to walk beside you in this season — not as a peer figuring it out in real time, but as someone a few steps further down the path •       What is coming for this community over the next eight weeks and beyond  This is a short episode. But it is one of the most important ones PK has ever recorded. Press play.   Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, and find everything at mommasmotivationamessages.com Support the show 🔔 Connect with Dr. PK Website: https://www.mommasmotivationalmessages.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/momsmotivations Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mommotivates

Send us Fan Mail You bought something for yourself last week. Something small. Something completely reasonable. And the guilt arrived before you had even finished paying for it. You are not alone in that. And it is not about money.  For many midlife women, spending money on themselves triggers a response that feels almost physical — a tightening, a second-guessing, a quiet voice that asks whether you really needed it, whether you really deserve it, whether you should have spent that money on something more responsible. On someone else.  That voice is not a financial problem. It is a self-worth problem. And in the final episode of The Unfinished GLOW’s Women’s History Month series, PK — Dr. Peggie Kirkland — names it precisely, traces it to its roots, and offers a completely different way to hold your relationship with money.  In this episode you will find: •       Why spending money on yourself feels wrong — and the surprisingly deep reason it has nothing to do with being irresponsible •       The structural and historical context that explains why so many women carry financial guilt  •       The house metaphor that gives you a completely new way to understand where you are in your financial life — without judgment •       The deeper reframe that changes everything: how you manage money is a form of self-respect •       Five practical, do-able financial wellness steps calibrated specifically for midlife women •       The three words that are the most important financial education you will ever receive  This is not a lecture about spreadsheets. This is a conversation about what you believe you deserve. And you deserve abundance in every form.  This is the series finale of the seven-part series celebrating women.   Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and find everything at https://www.mommasmotivationalmessages.com  🎙️ This episode is part of the Series Celebrating Women— seven conversations about the seven dimensions of self-care that midlife women deserve to prioritize. Listen to the full series here: https://www.mommasmotivationalmessages.com  The Full Series: 👉Episode #1:  Empty Nester & Midlife Mental Health: Signs You May Need Support & How to Get It  👉Episode #2: Midlife Fitness and Longevity:  Caring for the Only Body You Have  👉Episode #3:  Social Wellness for Midlife Women: Why Your Friendships Are      Literally Keeping You  Alive  👉Episode # 4:  Feeling Overwhelmed in Midlife?  Your Emotions Are Trying to Tell You Something  👉Episode #5: When Did You Erase Yourself From Your Own Life? 👉Episode #6:  Feeling Lost in Midlife?  Your North Star Has Been There All Along 👉Episode #7:  Why Does Spending Money on Myself Feel So Wrong? Financial Wellness in Midlife Support the show 🔔 Connect with Dr. PK Website: https://www.mommasmotivationalmessages.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/momsmotivations Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mommotivates

Send us Fan Mail You are going through the motions of a life that looks completely fine from the outside. And yet. Something is hollow in the middle of it. Like the color has turned down a few notches. Like you are living in your life but not quite inhabiting it. Like you used to know what your life was for — and somewhere in the middle of all the giving and the doing and the showing up, that knowing got very quiet.  If you have been sitting with a version of that feeling — the hollow, the grey, the vague but persistent sense that something is missing even when nothing is obviously wrong — this episode is for you.  In this episode, PK — Dr. Peggie Kirkland explores what spiritual wellness actually means for midlife women, why so many of us lose our sense of purpose and meaning during this season of life, and what it looks like to find your way back to the fixed point that has been there all along.  In this episode you will find: •       Why feeling hollow inside a life that looks fine from the outside is not ingratitude — it is spiritual depletion, and it is far more common in midlife women than we ever talk about •       The North Star metaphor that reframes the question ‘what is my life for?’ from a crisis into a navigation tool •       The research on values alignment and why living out of sync with what you actually believe creates chronic stress in the body •       Five questions that will tell you more about your North Star than any personality test ever could •       One specific fifteen-minute practice that begins to close the gap between the life you are living and the life you actually value  Your North Star has not disappeared. You have just been too busy to look up and find it. This episode helps you look up.  🎙️ This episode is part of the Series Celebrating Women— seven conversations about the seven dimensions of self-care that midlife women deserve to prioritize. Listen to the full series here: https://www.mommasmotivationalmessages.com  The Full Series: 👉Episode #1:  Empty Nester & Midlife Mental Health: Signs You May Need Support & How to Get It  👉Episode #2: Midlife Fitness and Longevity:  Caring for the Only Body You Have  👉Episode #3:  Social Wellness for Midlife Women: Why Your Friendships Are      Literally Keeping You  Alive  👉Episode # 4:  Feeling Overwhelmed in Midlife?  Your Emotions Are Trying to Tell You Something  👉Episode #5: When Did You Erase Yourself From Your Own Life? 👉Episode #6:  Feeling Lost in Midlife?  Your North Star Has Been There All Along 👉Episode #7:  Why Does Spending Money on Myself Feel So Wrong? Financial Wellness in Midlife Support the show 🔔 Connect with Dr. PK Website: https://www.mommasmotivationalmessages.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/momsmotivations Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mommotivates

Send us Fan Mail You are good at your job. You show up. You deliver. You have been doing it for years. So why does it feel like there is nothing left inside it? If you have ever felt like you are going through the motions — present in body but absent in spirit, carrying on with everything while feeling completely numb on the inside — this episode is for you. In Episode 5 of our Women's History Month series, PK names something that most women carry quietly for years without ever having the right words for it. It is not laziness. It is not ingratitude. It is what happens when a woman has been so busy showing up for everyone else that she has gradually — one skipped walk, one unanswered feeling, one "fine, busy, you know" at a time — erased herself from her own life. And the worst part? It happens so gradually that most women do not notice until one day they look in the mirror and think: I am not sure I know who that woman is anymore. In this episode, you will hear: Why professional burnout is not just a work problem — it bleeds into your relationships, your parenting, your sleep, and your physical health Why the question "what do you do?" has quietly become the answer to "who are you?" — and what that costs you The oxygen mask principle — and why putting yourself first is not selfish, it is the only strategy that actually works Seven practical, research-grounded strategies for reclaiming your professional health in a hybrid, always-on world And the reframe that changes everything: the women who navigate professional transitions with the most grace are not the ones who loved their work less. They are the ones who loved themselves more. You do not have to do it all. You do not have to do it perfectly. And you do not have to do it alone. If this episode spoke to something deep inside of you that you may not have spoken out loud, please leave a review at: https://www.mommasmotivationalmessages.com 🎙️ This episode is part of the Series Celebrating Women— seven conversations about the seven dimensions of self-care that midlife women deserve to prioritize. Listen to the full series here: https://www.mommasmotivationalmessages.com  The Full Series: 👉Episode #1:  Empty Nester & Midlife Mental Health: Signs You May Need Support & How to Get It  👉Episode #2: Midlife Fitness and Longevity:  Caring for the Only Body You Have  👉Episode #3:  Social Wellness for Midlife Women: Why Your Friendships Are      Literally Keeping You  Alive  👉Episode # 4:  Feeling Overwhelmed in Midlife?  Your Emotions Are Trying to Tell You Something  👉Episode #5: When Did You Erase Yourself From Your Own Life? 👉Episode #6:  Feeling Lost in Midlife?  Your North Star Has Been There All Along 👉Episode #7:  Why Does Spending Money on Myself Feel So Wrong? Financial Wellness in Midlife Thanks to  RDNE Stock project for use of the image Support the show 🔔 Connect with Dr. PK Website: https://www.mommasmotivationalmessages.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/momsmotivations Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mommotivates

Send us Fan Mail  Your Emotions Are Trying to Tell You Something: Emotional Health What if the heaviness you have been carrying — the irritability, the quiet sadness, the feeling that you are one small thing away from falling apart — is not a sign that something is wrong with you, but a sign that something inside you is finally asking to be heard? In Episode 4 of the Women's History Month Reset, PK makes the case that your emotional health is not a luxury, a weakness, or something to manage in private. It is the foundation on which everything else in your life is built. And for midlife women who have spent decades showing up for everyone else, it is the one thing most urgently in need of tending. You'll hear why midlife is the season when suppressed emotions tend to surface — and why that is actually your body's wisdom at work, what the science says about the physical consequences of unprocessed emotions on the midlife female body, why the women most likely to ignore their emotional health are the ones who are strongest for everyone else, and how to recognise the early warning signs before your emotional health begins to spiral. PK also walks you through what it actually means to look under the hood of your emotional life, introduces a framework for understanding what your feelings are telling you rather than managing them into silence, and closes with practical steps you can take today to begin tending your emotional health — before it demands your attention in a way you can no longer ignore. Your emotions are not the problem. They are the signal. And this episode will help you finally learn to read them. Affirmation: "I honor my emotions as messengers of truth. I am worthy of being seen, heard, and valued — beginning with myself." 🎙️ This episode is part of the Series Celebrating Women— seven conversations about the seven dimensions of self-care that midlife women deserve to prioritize. Listen to the full series here: https://www.mommasmotivationalmessages.com  The Full Series: 👉Episode #1:  Empty Nester & Midlife Mental Health: Signs You May Need Support & How to Get It  👉Episode #2: Midlife Fitness and Longevity:  Caring for the Only Body You Have  👉Episode #3:  Social Wellness for Midlife Women: Why Your Friendships Are      Literally Keeping You  Alive  👉Episode # 4:  Feeling Overwhelmed in Midlife?  Your Emotions Are Trying to Tell You Something  👉Episode #5: When Did You Erase Yourself From Your Own Life? 👉Episode #6:  Feeling Lost in Midlife?  Your North Star Has Been There All Along 👉Episode #7:  Why Does Spending Money on Myself Feel So Wrong? Financial Wellness in Midlife Support the show 🔔 Connect with Dr. PK Website: https://www.mommasmotivationalmessages.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/momsmotivations Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mommotivates

Send us Fan Mail Your Tribe Is Your Medicine: Social Health What if the most powerful health intervention available to you right now isn't a supplement, a workout plan, or a new morning routine — but a phone call to your best friend? In Episode 3 of the Women's History Month Reset, PK makes the case that your social connections are not a luxury. They are medicine for your mind, your body, and your spirit. And the research to back that up is more compelling than most women realize. You'll hear four reasons why your friendships deserve to be treated as a non-negotiable health practice, what a landmark 80-year Harvard study found about the single greatest predictor of longevity, why the U.S. Surgeon General declared loneliness a public health epidemic comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes a day, and why midlife women — who are by nature social architects — are also the first to let their friendships slip when life gets busy. PK also introduces a metaphor that will change how you see every relationship in your life, connects women's social power to Women's History Month in a way you won't forget, and closes with five practical ways to start tending your relationship garden — starting today. Your tribe is not a distraction from your work. It is not a reward for when everything else is done. Your tribe is part of what keeps you well. Affirmation: "I invest in my relationships, and they sustain me. My community is a source of strength, healing, and joy." 📋 Free Resource: Download your reflection checklist — Where Have You Been Running on Empty? Join Our Inside List to receive your Checklist!  https://www.mommasmotivationalmessages.com 🎙️ This episode is part of the Series Celebrating Women— seven conversations about the seven dimensions of self-care that midlife women deserve to prioritize. Listen to the full series here: https://www.mommasmotivationalmessages.com  The Full Series: 👉Episode #1:  Empty Nester & Midlife Mental Health: Signs You May Need Support & How to Get It  👉Episode #2: Midlife Fitness and Longevity:  Caring for the Only Body You Have  👉Episode #3:  Social Wellness for Midlife Women: Why Your Friendships Are      Literally Keeping You  Alive  👉Episode # 4:  Feeling Overwhelmed in Midlife?  Your Emotions Are Trying to Tell You Something  👉Episode #5: When Did You Erase Yourself From Your Own Life? 👉Episode #6:  Feeling Lost in Midlife?  Your North Star Has Been There All Along 👉Episode #7:  Why Does Spending Money on Myself Feel So Wrong? Financial Wellness in Midlife Support the show 🔔 Connect with Dr. PK Website: https://www.mommasmotivationalmessages.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/momsmotivations Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mommotivates

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Women’s History Month Reset, Dr. PK focuses on physical wellness for midlife women. Many women spend decades prioritizing everyone else's needs—until their bodies start sending signals that they can’t ignore. According to global health research, regular physical activity helps reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes, depression, and many chronic illnesses that increase with age. But physical health is not about punishing workouts or unrealistic goals. It’s about partnering with your body instead of ignoring it. In this conversation, you’ll learn: • why physical wellness becomes even more important after 50  • how sedentary lifestyles affect long-term health  • simple ways to incorporate movement into your daily life  • why physical vitality supports emotional and mental wellness This episode will encourage you to step back into your life—not as an observer, but as a participant. 📋 Free Resource: Download your reflection checklist — Where Have You Been Running on Empty? Join Our Inside List to receive your Checklist!  https://www.mommasmotivationalmessages.com 🎙️ This episode is part of the Series Celebrating Women— seven conversations about the seven dimensions of self-care that midlife women deserve to prioritize. Listen to the full series here: https://www.mommasmotivationalmessages.com 👉 The Full Series: 👉Episode #1:  Empty Nester & Midlife Mental Health: Signs You May Need Support & How to Get It  👉Episode #2: Midlife Fitness and Longevity:  Caring for the Only Body You Have  👉Episode #3:  Social Wellness for Midlife Women: Why Your Friendships Are      Literally Keeping You  Alive  👉Episode # 4:  Feeling Overwhelmed in Midlife?  Your Emotions Are Trying to Tell You Something  👉Episode #5: When Did You Erase Yourself From Your Own Life? 👉Episode #6:  Feeling Lost in Midlife?  Your North Star Has Been There All Along 👉Episode #7:  Why Does Spending Money on Myself Feel So Wrong? Financial Wellness in Midlife ✅ Support the show 🔔 Connect with Dr. PK Website: https://www.mommasmotivationalmessages.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/momsmotivations Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mommotivates

Send us Fan Mail In this first episode of the Women’s History Month Reset series, Dr. Peggie Kirkland (PK) explores one of the most important pillars of self-care: mental wellness for midlife women. Many women over 50 have spent decades caring for children, partners, careers, and communities—often putting their own emotional needs on the back burner. But midlife can bring new challenges: • empty nest transitions  • identity shifts  • caregiving stress  • career changes  • loneliness or burnout In this episode, PK shares research-based insights on mental health, common warning signs of emotional overload, and practical ways to protect your mental well-being. You’ll also learn: • how to recognize mental health signals your body may be sending  • why many midlife women delay seeking support  • how self-care strengthens your ability to care for others  • why making yourself a priority is not selfish—it’s necessary If you’re navigating life after raising children, redefining your identity, or entering a new chapter, this conversation will help you build a stronger foundation for your next season. 📋 Free Resource: Download your reflection checklist — Where Have You Been Running on Empty? Join Our Inside List to receive your Checklist!  https://www.mommasmotivationalmessages.com 🎙️ This episode is part of the Series Celebrating Women— seven conversations about the seven dimensions of self-care that midlife women deserve to prioritize. Listen to the full series here: https://www.mommasmotivationalmessages.com 👉 The full series: 👉Episode #2: Midlife Fitness and Longevity:  Caring for the Only Body You Have  👉Episode #3:  Social Wellness for Midlife Women: Why Your Friendships Are      Literally Keeping You  Alive  👉Episode # 4:  Feeling Overwhelmed in Midlife?  Your Emotions Are Trying to Tell You Something  👉Episode #5: When Did You Erase Yourself From Your Own Life?  👉Episode #6:  Feeling Lost in Midlife?  Your North Star Has Been There All Along 👉Episode #7:  Why Does Spending Money on Myself Feel So Wrong? Financial Wellness in Midlife         Support the show 🔔 Connect with Dr. PK Website: https://www.mommasmotivationalmessages.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/momsmotivations Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mommotivates

Send us Fan Mail Have you been wondering how to rediscover your passion after the empty nest—without pressure, overwhelm, or trying to reinvent your entire life? In Part 3 of this three-part series on rediscovering passion in midlife, we move from understanding why passions get deferred to learning how to begin again in a healthy, doable way. If you’re a woman in midlife or an empty nester who feels stuck, unsure where to start, or quietly longing for more, this episode is for you. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why harmonious passion matters—and how to choose passions that fit your life nowHow following curiosity (not pressure) leads to clarityWhy scheduling “passion dates” supports consistency and mental well-beingHow community and accountability increase courage and reduce lonelinessHow to reframe failure as data, not a reason to quitThese research-informed strategies are designed to help you take small, sustainable steps toward rediscovering purpose, creativity, and joy—without turning passion into another obligation. You’ll also hear a powerful metaphor about tending everyone else’s garden for years—and why it’s finally time to plant something for yourself. Across this three-part conversation, we’ve explored: Why passions get deferred during motherhood and caregivingWhy it’s absolutely not too late to begin againWhat gets in the way (fear, guilt, perfectionism, and time)How to start your next chapter with intention, compassion, and self-trust Here’s the reality: You’re not starting over. You’re starting wiser. 🎁 GET STARTED RESOURCE Download Your Pathway to Passion, a free 5-day challenge designed to help you reconnect with what truly lights you up—one doable step at a time. 👉 https://www.subscribepage.io/its-your-pathway-to-passion 🎧 Enjoying the podcast? Please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1547117289 Remember:  You don’t have to figure it all out today.  One step is enough. Support the show 🔔 Connect with Dr. PK Website: https://www.mommasmotivationalmessages.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/momsmotivations Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mommotivates