Is there a chance you’re still living according to a moment that maybe happened years ago?
A comment, a failure, an email, or a criticism that stuck with you longer than it should have.
In this New Year episode of The 50+ Nomad Podcast, I’m sharing a very personal story about something I didn’t realise was still shaping my behaviour. A confidence knock from nearly a decade ago that’s sneakily stopped me from fully backing myself and the work I create.
I talk openly about launching my new travel challenge cards, having a proper wobble, and the realisation that I’ve become excellent at creating… but hesitant when it comes to standing behind what I make and asking for the sale.
This episode is about the fears we disguise as preferences, burnout, or “that’s just not my thing anymore”, and how easy it is to let old stories dictate how big we play today.
I also talk about why “playing small doesn’t serve the world” — a line from Marianne Williamson’s poem — and what needs to happen if 2026 is going to be different.
I promise I don’t go too woo-woo on you. This is a practical, grounded conversation about awareness and action.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode
How a single moment from years ago can quietly shape your confidence today
Why perfectionism and “I don’t like selling” are often fear in disguise
The difference between creating and truly standing behind your work
Why community-building is a superpower, and what happens when you stop using it
The five-step framework I’m using to move through fear instead of dancing around it
How to take uncomfortable action without leaping off a cliff
Key Takeaway
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear,
Our presence automatically liberates others.”
— Marianne Williamson
Time-Stamped Guide
00:00 Welcome to 2026 + why this episode matters
01:05 Playing small, Marianne Williamson, and permission to shine
03:10 The real question for this year: what are we going to do about fear?
04:00 Launching the travel challenge cards and the wobble that followed
06:24 When the gremlins arrive: fear of selling and being seen
07:31 A pattern revealed: creating but never fully backing myself
09:00 Looking back to when I used to just do the thing
10:21 Teaching in public, pressure, and the email that changed everything
12:29 The confidence knock I never fully moved past
14:49 Introducing the idea of your “10-year hangover”
16:49 Step 1: Naming the real fear beneath the story
18:33 Step 2: Tracing fear back to where it started
20:01 Step 3: Separating identity from the situation
21:37 Step 4: One uncomfortable action this week
23:22 Step 5: Expect discomfort and do it anyway
25:00 Drawing a line under the old story
26:09 Monthly Freedom Challenge
Resources Mentioned
Marianne Williamson — Our Deepest Fear poem (referenced throughout the episode)
Amy Porterfield — “Share your scars, not your wounds”
Brené Brown — On doing the uncomfortable inner work and separating identity from outcomes
The 50+ Nomad Club — Monthly Freedom Challenge and private community
This Big World Travel Challenge Cards — 50 scratch-off travel prompts + free 12-month Club membership bonus
Join the Conversation
I’d love you to reflect on this:
What’s your 10-year hangover — or 5-year, or last-month hangover?
What’s the one thing fear has been keeping you from?
What uncomfortable action are you committing to this week?
Share your thoughts in the comments, I’m reading, responding & cheering you on.
🎁 Get a Full Year Inside The 50+ Nomad Club — Free
Right now, you can get a full year of Club membership (worth $97) completely free when you purchase a set of my 50 scratch-off Travel Challenge Cards. (If you’re already a member you get an extra year free)
Not only do you get your own set of the fabulous travel challenge cards, you get the community, micro hustle coaching, and a year of support to help you stop overthinking and start backing yourself again.
Let’s make 2026 the year we follow through instead of quietly talking ourselves out of the things that matter.
NB: Thanks for supporting my new venture. Once purchased, please message me with your order number and I’ll set you up with immediate club access. 😊🙏
