The Freedom of Caring Less (In a Good Way)

Please note: regardless of what it says on the invitation, this Meetup is always scheduled for Wednesdays from 5-6:30 PST. Sometimes the event is sent from another time zone and is not reflected in PST. Please ignore that—that would be incorrect. Please note this Meetup is ALWAYS scheduled for 5-6:30 PST regardless of what is written in the blurb.

# The Freedom of Caring Less (In a Good Way)

So much of the conversation about aging focuses on loss — changes in our bodies, shifts in energy, roles that fall away, and the challenges of navigating a world that often values youth over
experience. Those realities are true, and they matter.

But there is another side to this stage of life that doesn’t get nearly as much attention: the well-earned freedoms that come with growing older.

Many of us reach a point where we begin to loosen our grip on the outer symbols that once felt so important — how we dressed, how productive we were, how much we did for others, how closely we kept up, and how much we worried about what people thought of us. These things may have shaped us, motivated us, even sustained us at earlier times in our lives. But they may also have quietly limited us or kept us striving in ways that no longer feel necessary.

As older women, we sometimes discover a new and unexpected freedom: the freedom to care less about performing, the freedom to care less about what others think of us, the freedom to care less about sacrificing ourselves for others and live instead, more as simply being.

We may find ourselves:

• Saying no with less guilt

• Choosing comfort over appearance

• Letting go of relationships or expectations that drain us

• Caring less about approval and more about authenticity

• Realizing we don’t have to prove ourselves in the same ways we might have done earlier

This shift can feel disorienting at times. Without some of the old roles and definitions, we may feel confused wondering ‘Who am I now?’ This can result in some grief in letting go of our familiar identities.

Yet, with these changes also comes the opportunity for opening toward something new to emerge.

And alongside that uncertainty, there can be a surprising lightness. A sense of relief. And even some playfulness.

In some ways, this stage of life can feel like a return to our younger selves — perhaps like our 20s when we were open and fresh to discover ourselves. But unlike our youth when we had
pressure to impress others, now we have far more experience and often don’t care about what others think of us. Compared to our 20s, while we now are likely to have less energy, instead we often have greater clarity and wisdom about what is important to us in our lives. We know more about what drains us, what nourishes us, and where we want to place our precious life force toward things that really matter to us.

In our meetup group, we will gently explore the freedom of caring less in ways that are life- giving rather than numbing. This isn’t about withdrawing from life or becoming indifferent. It’s about becoming more discerning. It’s about choosing where our care, attention, and energy genuinely belong.

Together we’ll reflect on questions like:

• What do I no longer feel the need to prove?
• What expectations or “rules” am I ready to let go of?
• Where has caring less brought me more peace?
• What truly deserves my care at this stage of life?

Through conversation, reflection, and shared stories, we’ll honor the wisdom that comes from our lived experience as we celebrate the freedoms that can emerge when we release what no longer fits.

Join us on February 18th from 5-6:30 PST

Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89494059358?pwd=y0pbzYvdtqVJBdI9S5CZwIKwCM4jTv.1