How to Reclaim Joy, Self-Trust, and Identity in Midlife
What does it really mean to live from a place of joy? And why does it feel so hard to access in the middle of everyday life?
In this heartfelt and laughter-filled episode of The Empowered & Embodied Show, Kim Romain and Louise Neil sit down with transformational success coach and speaker Heather Vickery to explore the power of joy, midlife identity shifts, Human Design, and the radical permission to choose yourself.
Heather brings over two decades of leadership experience to her work guiding conscious leaders through personal and professional transformation. Her focus? Helping people build genuine self-trust, so joy becomes a daily set point—not just a fleeting moment.
Whether you’re trying to find your rhythm, craving rest, or simply ready to feel more like yourself again, this episode is a warm, validating, and powerful invitation home.
Reclaiming Joy as a Daily Practice
Joy isn’t something we wait for. It’s something we cultivate—deliberately, and often in small ways. Heather shares how she invites joy into everyday life, even when the circumstances aren’t perfect. It’s not about constant happiness; it’s about presence, choice, and making space for what actually feels good.
The Human Design of Burnout
Heather, Kim, and Louise explore the framework of Human Design, including what it reveals about how we manage our energy, why so many of us feel burnt out, and how misaligned expectations can lead to frustration, exhaustion, and resentment. Midlife becomes a key opportunity to stop living by someone else’s script—and start honoring your actual design.
Midlife as Portal, Not Crisis
There’s a moment in midlife when the internal pressure to perform, please, and perfect just… breaks. And something new begins to emerge. The conversation dives into how menopause, the Chiron return, and the so-called “zero f*cks fifties” offer women a deeper sense of freedom, clarity, and unapologetic choice. But that clarity often comes with grief and disorientation as old identities fall away.
Self-Trust, Permission, and Power
At the heart of the episode is a radical reframing of empowerment. Heather doesn’t believe in the idea of empowering others—instead, she holds space for people to empower themselves. Self-trust isn’t something you earn. It’s something you choose to build.
“You are the only one who can empower yourself. You are the one with the wand. I’m just giving you some pathways to use it.”
Key Takeaways
Joy is a choice, not a result. It doesn’t show up unless we make room for it.
Midlife is an awakening. With it comes loss, truth, and the chance to start again.
Self-trust changes everything. You don’t have to have all the answers—you just have to begin.
Compassionate self-touch can rewire your nervous system. And there’s no wrong way to love yourself.
You don’t need permission. The life you want starts with choosing yourself.
Key Moments
00:00 Intro: Welcome to The Empowered and Embodied Show
02:08 Meet Heather Vickery + Embodied Joy as a Set Point
03:51 Why We Don’t Laugh Enough (and Why That Matters)
06:50 Choosing Joy Instead of Waiting for It
09:27 Listening to Your Intuition & Midlife Downloads
10:53 The Chiron Return & Zero F*cks Fifties
15:14 What Embodied Joy Looks Like on a Regular Tuesday
19:12 Doing the Work vs. Letting the Work Work You
23:16 Trusting Yourself Enough to Take the Leap
26:31 How Do We Help People Know They Have Magic?
30:22 The Difference Between Being Awake vs. Performing
34:22 New Morning Ritual: Compassionate Self-Touch
38:57 There’s No Wrong Way to Love Yourself
40:34 The Power of Permission, Play, and Legos
44:26 Self-Compassion, Even When It Feels Unsafe
45:18 Final Takeaways: Don’t Wait for Joy. Create It
49:41 Wrap-Up: You Are Not Alone on the Fringe
Connect with Heather Vickery
🌐 Website: vickeryandco.com
🎙 Podcast: Was It Chance?
🗓 Free Office Hours: Tuesdays at 12pm CT – Register via her site
📰 Substack: braveheathervickery.substack.com
Are you ready to reclaim your power and live (and work) with more ease? Discover your unique blueprint to do just that with Kim's Strengthscape Self-Mastery Profile.
If this conversation stirred something in you—if you're shedding old identities, craving deeper clarity, or simply ready to reconnect with your joy—you’re not alone.
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