The Courage to Reinvent Yourself
How I found the strength to rewrite my story
Courage to:
Embrace the Unexpected: She had the courage to pursue her lifelong dream of writing, proving it's never too late to reinvent yourself.
Overcome Adversity: She openly shares her journey with addiction and demonstrates immense courage and vulnerability, inspiring others to confront their own challenges.
Trust Your Inner Voice: She encourages others to listen to their intuition and create lives that feel authentic and fulfilling, even when it means defying societal expectations.
Meet
:
Q: Tell us a bit about your background.
: I am a woman navigating mid-life. I am 46 years old, a mom to two (a teenage son and a tween daughter), a wife, daughter, sister, friend, an Enneagram 1 (*sigh*), a dog-lover, an empath - who dares to dream. Who believes it’s not too late to be something else. My “real job” is in law - I am a real estate attorney. Law hardly ever leaves room for creativity, and I crave creativity in this season of my life. I always longed to be a writer, yet I convinced myself that it wouldn’t fit into the equation of my life. I no longer believe that - for me or anyone else.Q: If you had to choose an SEO keyword for your life, what would it be?
Seeker
Q: What are your hobbies, passions, obsessions, or what excites or inspires you? What sets your soul on fire?
: I live in Massachusetts and was born and raised here. I am a proud New Englander and can’t imagine not living in this part of the U.S. I love the change of seasons, particularly the beauty that is fall (September and October are my absolute favs!) You can often find me hiking, meandering trails with my dog or out looking for new beaches to walk and explore. Being in nature grounds me and it is a non-negotiable for me. I need time outside to thrive. I spend a lot of time courtside cheering on my two kids. Both my son and daughter play a LOT of basketball (year-round) and we are a family of hoopheads.
I also love yoga and reading. Lots of reading. Writing is what lights me up, though. I process so much by moving my way through the world with words. I didn’t realize how much I needed to pour my words out until I started writing again. I was an English major in college but somewhere, somehow, I let my life drift away from writing. Until my 40s. Which is when I feel like I came back online to life.
Q: What is the most courageous thing you’ve ever done?
: Admit to myself that I was an addict. The bravest thing I’ve ever done is listen to the internal whisper that told me, this isn’t you. This is bigger than you and you can get out from underneath it. The alcohol you think you need to get through life is robbing you of all that you want and all that you can be. Q: Why do you write on Substack?
: I write on Substack to honor the young girl inside me who had lofty dreams of crafting stories. I am here because my younger self’s voice is reverberating inside me in this 4th decade of my life. She brings me here saying, “remember how I told you this is what you wanted.”
Q: What are your values as a writer/creator?
: My values are to trust the flow of artistry when it visits. To trust that I am in a season of honoring creativity, connection and that it won’t lead me astray. I feel deeply that sharing words and stories and truths pulls us together so that collectively, we feel less alone. And connection is one of my core values that I feel called to live into as I age. Q: How do you connect with your readers?
: I connect with my readers in all the ways I show up here on Substack. I feel connected to them even before I hit post. I feel connected to them when I have a hit of an idea that I want to write about as I wander and wonder on a hike. I connect with them in the comments of my essays where I always feel an upswell of gratitude for this community. I connect with them in the Note apps where there is such rich literary citizenship. Writers and readers go there to lift each other up. I connect with my readers every time I feel inspired to keep showing up here. 
Q: Why did you join the Connected Community project, and how do you find it so far?
I joined the Connected Community because I believe creativity can thrive and regenerate when in community. I love writing on Substack, and I also know that I want to challenge myself in how I grow and expand here. I love the concept behind this project—unlocking creative potential. In myself and in and among others. Writing is a solitary craft, and I love the energy behind this project—bridging connections amongst writers.
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Beautiful 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🦋
Beautiful reflections and sharing, Allison. You are such a connector here on Substack-connecting your readers to you; to ourselves and to one another. I learn so much from you. The way you show up for yourself and others makes me think, “Hey. Maybe I can do this writing thing, too.”