My goddess crush, Libby of Goddess Attainable, recently did me the honor of asking me to write a “guest post” for her beautiful blog, which we did as an interview. With her permission, I’m reposting parts of it below. To check out the entire post, please go here.

Libby and I are about two decades apart in age, and she embraced and started rocking her goddess badassery much earlier in her life than I did. I’m just getting started in my 60s. But what is this “goddess” stuff all about? As Libby put it, “It sounds intimidating and otherworldly. But really, it’s about recognizing your own worth.” Amen to that. And it’s true, for me that awakening happened when I most needed it to.

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“I have adored this goddess from the moment I stumbled across her blog. After typing “goddess” in my WordPress Reader search field, I found The Hot Goddess, and I’m so happy I did! I wanted to find and follow other like-minded goddesses, and share with them my own journey of my goddess awakening. Natalie, is one of those goddesses who has had an incredible life journey, and she’s still on it! And over time, I have come to believe that her and I are kindred blogger spirits! It’s so amazing what happens when you open yourself up to others.”

A GODDESS AWAKENING HAPPENS WHEN YOU NEED IT TO

THAT MOMENT WHEN YOU RECOGNIZE YOUR POWER AS A WOMAN

“It’s an amazing occurrence that I don’t think can be forced. It’s rather divine, in fact. But I think it can happen to any of us, at any time, when The Goddesses deem it so.

“It sounds intimidating and otherworldly. But really, it’s about recognizing your own worth, like for real.”

Goddess Attainable

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GA: What was happening in your life in the years leading up to that moment when you went from living your life as a disempowered goddess, to an empowered one? This is the moment I refer to as “when the goddess arrived.”

Natalie: I was 60 before I claimed my goddess arrival. I began to put some profound life changes in motion at 59 — retiring early from my second career as a teacher, and traveling around the world for 70 days as a first-time solo traveler — but I still struggled to completely believe in my own power. I still gave too much control to the voice inside my head and its defeating, negative self-chatter.

Prior to 59, I’d spent decades doing what other people expected of me, and not giving any power to my own needs, or the importance of taking time to understand what those needs were. People had expectations of me, and I needed to meet those expectations. There were appearances to be kept up. 

There was no room for the frivolity of fulfillment. No time for the indulgence of introspection.  No realization of a right to self-love and -acceptance. I had other work to do. Other priorities to tend to. Other people’s needs to address.

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GA: DESCRIBE HOW YOU CAME TO REALIZE YOUR POWER. WAS IT AN AHA MOMENT, OR DID IT TAKE PLACE OVER A SERIES OF EVENTS?

Natalie: I’d finally given myself permission to be happy, at 59, but I didn’t truly trust that happiness until after I turned 60. That’s when I created The Hot Goddess website for a class I was taking. The site was not public. And I found a liberating, yet safe and controlled freedom to “share” my voice in a private blog that no one could see on the Internet. 

I wrote and posted privately for months leading up to my 61st birthday, and felt more and more empowered by the words I typed on my screen. Finally, I reached the point where I didn’t want to hide my words anymore.  There was power there, rising from my writing, and I thought it might inspire others.  I was ready to share my unfiltered truth with the world, though I was afraid — very afraid — to be so open and raw and vulnerable where everyone could see.  I think that’s when the goddess light cast its long beam and gave me the courage I needed. Courage to be bold, and to stop caring about what other people think. Courage to ignore my self-critical chatter, and to act in the face of overthinking. And courage to claim my power, my voice, and my happiness — out loud and in public. 

It’s not a constant, never-failing courage yet. But it is an enduring frame of mind that rebounds quicker and prevails over doubt and fear faster and with more power and resilience. That’s what I consider goddess power.

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GA: EVER SINCE “THE GODDESS ARRIVED,” WHAT CHANGES HAVE YOU MADE IN YOUR LIFE?

Natalie: I love myself more, especially when there are setbacks and disappointments. I’m loving myself unconditionally. I walk away from bullshit. I’ve always been the queen of walking away, actually, but it was always from a place of fear and uncertainty, and sometimes on a whim of anger. That kind of walking away can lead to falling back. Now, if this goddess walks away from something or someone it’s from a place of confidence and power.

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GA: CAN YOU SHARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT MAKE YOU MOST HAPPY RIGHT NOW?

Natalie: I’m writing a blog post now about what “happy” is. I think we get it wrong when we think happiness comes from extraordinary things happening in our lives. For me, happiness comes from noticing and appreciating all the little ordinary things that make me smile and bring me moments of joy every day. “Happy” feelings can be fleeting yet recurring. I often say I am now the happiest I have ever been in my entire life, with the exception of the day my son and only child was born.  That doesn’t mean I am never sad or disappointed now. It means I’ve allowed myself to take notice and soak in more of all the little ordinary moments of happy feelings that occur throughout my day. It means I’ve given myself permission to be happy by finding happy in small or big things everywhere. Some of these things include:

• Conversations and time with my adult son
• Making bourbon, and seeing my little biceps pop when I flip bourbon barrels
• Writing and reading Portuguese without using Google Translate
• Watching the sun rise over the lake, and walking by the lake listening to birdsong or a train whistle in the distance
• Truly caring about someone I am emotionally attracted to
• Being silly and laughing at myself until I snort as I’m standing in front of a mirror trying to hula-hoop
• Vibrating panties with a remote control
• Realizing how resilient I am, and telling myself I am badass (talking to myself like I would talk to a friend)
• McDonald’s french fries (yes, girl, I went there) heated in my air fryer, with a chilled Manhattan, up
• Not giving a fuck if someone doesn’t like who I am.

Continue reading…

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When did you recognize your power, dear readers? Did your awakening happen when you most needed it to?

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Libby is all about recognizing, claiming, and using our power, and I am grateful for her support and encouragement on my journey. Be sure to check out the Goddess Attainable blog, podcast, merchandise, and Instagram page.

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