I bought a bright orange scooter.
It’s a Buddy – like a Vespa, but a little less fancy. It turns heads and corners with ease. And it makes me happy.
I’ve never owned a car. Never really needed to. So yes, this orange flash might raise an eyebrow or two. Is it my version of the classic red sports car, known to accompany a man’s midlife crisis?
Midlife? Sure – I’ll claim that.
Crisis? Not even close.
Yes, I’m in the midst of a multi-faceted life transition, which I wrote about here. And while I am definitely reckoning with an aging body and end-of-life matters, this feels like a period of exciting evolution for me.
I’m not alone on this ride. As I coach women with impressive senior leadership resumes, I’m hearing a chorus of uneasy questions:
What now? What’s next? Who am I, untethered from role and routine?
They feel accomplished and grateful. But at the same time, they have a dull ache – a yearning for something more aligned, more alive.
In the current state of political and ecological uncertainty, they are seeking hope. Perhaps you are, too? I like to offer something else: permission. Permission to let go, explore, and reinvent.
It’s no secret that sacred plant medicine has played a starring role in my own evolution. Psychedelic journeys also led me to gaining certification in Psychedelic Integration Coaching and to leading ELLEder Journeys for women. (I named it “ELLEder” to evoke the wisdom, feminine spirit, and boundless possibility of women in mid-life—gifts that are sometimes still waiting to be discovered.)
Psychedelics aren’t magic. But when experienced with care and intention, they can illuminate what’s been buried beneath the old roles and routines. They foster clarity, purpose, connection, and…
…fun! My scooter is arguably practical in getting me from my Woodstock home to the Sunflower supermarket. But zipping around in a flash of orange also feels so darn good.
So I ask you: What’s your version of an orange Buddy?
Permission to take off? Already granted!
