Confessions of a Freebird - Midlife, Divorce, Heal, and Date Differently with Somatic Experiencing, Empty Nest, Well-Being, Happiness
Are you somewhere in the middle of your life wondering — is this all there is?
Maybe you've spent decades putting everyone else first. Maybe you're navigating divorce, empty nesting, loss, or the quiet ache of a life that no longer fits. Maybe you're ready for something more — you are stuck and don't know how to get there yet.
This is "the" podcast for "that".
Confessions of a Freebird is a space for people in midlife who are done surviving and ready to live again. Three times a month, host Laurie James — author of Sandwiched: A Memoir of Holding On and Letting Go, certified somatic practitioner, coach, mother of four, divorcée, and recovering caregiver — brings you honest conversations and embodied tools for the journey back to yourself.
Expect raw personal reflections, expert conversations, and somatic coaching strategies covering everything from divorce strategies, grief, trauma healing, and anger to sex, dating again, finances, caregiving, and reinvention. Because the people who need this podcast aren't looking for toxic positivity — they're looking for someone who gets it.
Every episode is an invitation to stop managing and start feeling. To stop performing fine and start living freely. To come home to yourself through attuning to the body — and design a life that fits who you actually are now, not who you were twenty years ago or who someone else told you to be.
Whether you're in the thick of the sandwich generation, starting over after loss or divorce, or quietly dreaming of your next chapter — you're in the right place.
Confessions of a Freebird. Your midlife permission slip to evolve, heal, and fall in love with your life all over again.
Because the most important relationship you'll ever have is the one you have with yourself.
XO,
Laurie
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Confessions of a Freebird - Midlife, Divorce, Heal, and Date Differently with Somatic Experiencing, Empty Nest, Well-Being, Happiness
How a Midlife Transformation can Create a Deeply Meaningful Life with Karen Salmansohn
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Do you want to make sure you’re not just alive… but truly living? My guest this week suggests, starting by contemplating your own death.
In this transformative episode, I’m joined by Karen Salmansohn, bestselling author and behavioral change expert known for blending humor, heart, and science to make life’s most meaningful lessons accessible. We dive into her latest book, Your To Die For Life, and explore how embracing mortality awareness can be the catalyst for deep, lasting transformation. Her gentle but powerful tools will help you shift from a near-life experience into an intentionally well-lived one.
Karen shares a fresh perspective on how contemplating death isn’t morbid—it’s motivating. Through research-backed tools and creative exercises, she shows us how to shift from a “near-life experience” to a purpose-filled, fully engaged existence.
In this episode you’ll learn:
- Why writing your own personal eulogy might be the best place to begin
- How to reconnect to the present moment when life feels like it’s speeding past you.
- What Aristotle had to say about living a well-lived life (and why it still matters)
- The connection between your core values and creating a more meaningful life.
- Why mortality awareness isn’t morbid, it’s motivating.
- What “death awareness” actually means—and how it helps you plan for your future
- How contemplative practices (like a marble mortality jar!) can shift you to intentional living.
- Why a legacy mindset shapes how you show up in the world
- The role of identity-based habits in living intentionally.
How mindset shifts, nervous system regulation, and somatic healing support a grounded, joyful life.
This is your invitation to pause and reflect—not with pressure, but with compassion. Whether you're navigating midlife or simply craving a deeper sense of purpose, this conversation offers practical wisdom for creating a more purpose-driven life.
Much love,
Laurie
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DISCLAIMER: THE COMMENTARY AND OPINIONS AVAILABLE ON THIS PODCAST ARE FOR INFORMATIONAL AND ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY AND NOT FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROVIDING LEGAL, MEDICAL OR PROFESSIONAL ADVICE. YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LICENSED THERAPIST IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCING SUICIDAL THOUGHTS. YOU SHOULD CONTACT AN ATTORNEY IN YOUR STATE TO OBTAIN LEGAL ADVICE. YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LICENSED MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL WITH RESPECT TO ANY MEDICAL ISSUE OR PROBLEM.