Midlife Reinvention Thought Leader: Yvonne Marchese
An in-between season in midlife can feel unsettling, but it may also be a quiet threshold where clarity begins to form through curiosity, presence, and small moments of appreciation.
Curiosity as a Companion When You Don’t Know What’s Next
There’s a particular kind of discomfort that comes with not knowing what’s next.
Not the dramatic, rock-bottom kind.
Not the obvious “everything is falling apart” moment.
This is quieter.
It’s the feeling of standing in a doorway—no longer fully in the life you’ve known, but not yet clear on what’s emerging. You’re functioning. You’re showing up. From the outside, things might even look fine. But internally, there’s a low hum of uncertainty.
That’s where I find myself right now.
I don’t have tidy language for it yet. I just know I’m in an in-between season—personally and professionally—and I’m practicing not rushing myself out of it.
After all, I’ve been here before.
I was here when I left my acting career to step into motherhood.
I was here when I didn’t know what was next professionally and eventually found my way into becoming a photographer.
I was here before I started the Late Bloomer Living Podcast.
Each time, the clarity came later. Never on demand.
The In-Between Is Not the Same as Being Stuck
One of the most common stories we tell ourselves in midlife is that uncertainty equals failure.
If we don’t have clarity, a plan, or a confident next step, something must be wrong.
But what if the in-between isn’t a problem to solve?
What if it’s a threshold?
This month inside the Age Agitators Club, we’ve been exploring the theme Finding Glimmers in the In-Between Times, and it’s changing how I relate to this season entirely.
Glimmers aren’t big breakthroughs or dramatic signs. They’re subtle. Easy to miss if you’re only scanning for answers.
A brief sense of ease.
A moment of connection.
A quiet noticing of beauty.
A soft exhale you didn’t realize you were holding.
Glimmers don’t demand action. But they can guide you. They gently point toward what feels life-giving, steadying, or true—especially when the bigger picture feels blurry.
The In-Between Season in Midlife Isn’t a Failure State
There’s a lot of pressure in midlife to “figure it out.”
To pivot with confidence.
To reinvent decisively.
To move quickly from questioning into clarity.
But an in-between season in midlife isn’t evidence that you’re behind. It’s often a sign that something deeper is reorganizing.
Many women experience this same quiet uncertainty in midlife, especially during moments of transition like empty nesting, career reevaluation, or identity shifts. At Kuel Life, we often explore how these pauses can become powerful turning points — including how to reinvent yourself after 40, when clarity unfolds through curiosity, patience, and self-trust rather than urgency.
Sometimes the most honest work we can do is stay with the uncertainty long enough to hear what it’s asking of us.
Curiosity in Anxious Times
This idea came into sharper focus during a recent podcast conversation I had with Lynn Borton, host of Choose to Be Curious.
We talked about curiosity not as a personality trait or productivity tool, but as a practice—one that becomes especially valuable during anxious or uncertain times.
Curiosity doesn’t require confidence.
It doesn’t demand optimism.
It doesn’t insist on answers.
Curiosity simply asks: What’s here right now? What can I learn from this?
When anxiety pushes us to figure everything out, curiosity invites us to stay present—to notice without judgment and without forcing clarity too soon.
That landed deeply for me, because I’ve noticed how quickly my own mind wants to label this season.
What’s wrong?
What’s next?
How do I fix this?
Curiosity offers a different posture. One that says:
Let me stay.
Let me notice.
Let me appreciate what’s here.
Glimmers Live in the Body, Not the Master Plan
Here’s something I’m learning in real time: glimmers aren’t found through analysis or future-planning.
They live in the moment.
They live in the body, not the to-do list.
A sense of lightness when I talk about a certain idea.
Energy returning after a playful break.
Relief when I give myself permission not to decide yet.
The mind wants answers.
The body wants safety.
Curiosity helps us notice glimmers. And glimmers help us trust that we’re not lost—even when we don’t know exactly where we’re headed.
Letting the Next Chapter Emerge
Getting older has taught me this: clarity is rarely something we think our way into.
More often, it reveals itself slowly, through attention and appreciation.
If you’re in an in-between season too—questioning, re-evaluating, or quietly wondering what’s next—I want you to hear this:
You don’t need to force an answer.
You don’t need a five-year plan.
You don’t need to rush yourself into certainty.
You can let glimmers guide you—one small spark at a time.
Sometimes the bravest thing we can do is stay curious long enough for the next chapter to unfold.
In a culture obsessed with certainty and productivity, noticing what you can appreciate right now may be one of the most powerful ways to move forward.
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About the Author:
Yvonne Marchese is the host of the Late Bloomer Living Podcast, a professional photographer, mother and wife. At the age of 48, she realized that she’d bought into a story about getting old that was adversely affecting her health and relationships.
Changing her story about aging inspired her to start the Late Bloomer Living Podcast where she is on a mission to redefine society’s ideas on aging and exploring how to live a life by design. Yvonne believes that midlife is filled with possibility, that it’s never too late to pursue a dream and that the stories we tell ourselves have tremendous power. Who knew that midlife could be so much fun? Follow Yvonne on IG –@latebloomerliving
