
Show Notes
What if many of the symptoms women experience after 40 aren’t signs that something is wrong—but invitations to care for themselves differently? In this empowering conversation, Elaine Starling sits down with fitness coach, entrepreneur, cancer survivor, and women's wellness advocate Jeanne Phares to explore what women truly need during perimenopause and menopause. Together they challenge outdated beliefs about aging, fitness, and self-care while revealing practical ways to build strength, vitality, confidence, and longevity. Jeanne shares her remarkable journey from being diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia despite being in excellent health to rebuilding her strength and discovering the profound role that skeletal muscle, sleep, mindset, and self-worth play in healthy aging. If you've been feeling tired, frustrated, disconnected from your body, or uncertain about how to navigate midlife changes, this conversation offers both hope and practical guidance for creating greater abundance through physical, emotional, and spiritual strength.
Topics Covered YouTube Chapters 0:00 Why Women Over 40 Feel Different in Their Bodies 2:33 Connecting with Divine Wisdom Through the Body 10:58 Jeanne's Cancer Survival Story & Wake-Up Call 15:15 Why Women Must Stop Putting Themselves Last 16:45 Defining Abundance Through Strength and Vitality 20:07 The Hidden Cost of Losing Muscle and Bone 24:00 Becoming a Powerful Role Model Through Self-Care 25:05 Bringing Spiritual Practice into Strength Training 28:38 The Mindset Shift Required for Lasting Change 31:48 Small Daily Habits That Create Big Results 34:40 Why Sleep Is the Foundation of Wellness 39:37 Jeanne's Confidence Forward Habits Guide 41:10 How to Support Yourself Through Midlife and Beyond
Key Takeaways 🌟 Menopause is not an illness—it is a natural transition that can be navigated with knowledge and support. 🌟 Strength training helps preserve muscle, build bone density, improve sleep, reduce brain fog, and support long-term vitality. 🌟 Women often put themselves last, but true abundance begins when we learn to receive care as well as give it. 🌟 Small daily actions consistently practiced create profound long-term transformation. 🌟 Celebrating tiny wins trains the mind to notice progress and creates momentum for growth. 🌟 Gratitude becomes even more powerful when expanded into an abundance practice. 🌟 Sleep is one of the most important foundations for physical, emotional, and cognitive health. 🌟 Your body is not your enemy—it is a sacred partner carrying your Divine gifts into the world.
Step-by-Step Process Shared Building Inner and Outer Strength 1. Create a Vision Define what strength, vitality, and wellness look like for you. 2. Set Meaningful Goals Establish one-month, two-month, and three-month milestones. 3. Focus on Weekly Actions Break larger goals into manageable daily and weekly habits. 4. Prioritize Sleep Develop a calming evening routine that supports deep restoration. 5. Build Strength Gradually Use safe, intentional movement and resistance training appropriate for your stage of life. 6. Celebrate Small Wins Notice progress daily and reinforce positive momentum. 7. Receive the Benefits Expect positive changes before they arrive and remain open to receiving them.
Questions Answered in This Episode • Why do so many women feel disconnected from their bodies after 40? • What actually happens during perimenopause and menopause? • How does strength training support longevity and healthy aging? • Why is skeletal muscle so important for women in midlife? • How can mindset influence physical health and wellness outcomes? • What role does sleep play in building strength and vitality? • How can women stop putting themselves last and begin prioritizing self-care? • What are the simplest first steps someone can take today?
Pull Quotes "Your body is not your enemy. It is the vehicle you use to share your Divine gifts." "Abundance begins when you believe you are worth caring for." "Cel
More from The Abundance Journey: Live From Your Inner Power
Do you keep waiting until you know exactly how things will turn out? What if your Inner Power only becomes visible after you begin? Elaine Starling connects three Divine Downloads about love, action, and the thoughts that shape your experience. Discover how to welcome Divine guidance, receive appreciation without dismissing it, and take one aligned step even when the whole path isn’t clear. Explore the free Consciousness Advantage™ and discover The Consciousness Blind Spot™: https://www.theabundancejourney.com/consciousness-advantage
What if the reason you still feel stuck isn’t a lack of knowledge—but something your reactions are inviting you to notice? Elaine Starling explores why even spiritually aware people can hesitate to receive the support, visibility, ease, and opportunities they truly want. Discover how Grateful Curiosity can replace self-criticism with understanding, and why your inner growth deserves celebration long before the results become visible. Explore The Consciousness Advantage™ free at https://MasteringAbundance.com
You’ve meditated. Journaled. Visualized. Practiced gratitude. Set Intentions. So why might peace, fulfillment, and abundance still feel just out of reach? In this solo episode, Elaine Starling explores a possibility that can change the way you approach personal growth: the event is not the experience. Your consciousness shapes your experience.
What if the most valuable book you’ll ever read is already sitting on your shelf? You highlighted the passages. You loved the ideas. You may even have thought, “This could change my life.” But did anything actually change? Nick Hutchison, founder of BookThinkers and author of Rise of the Reader, joins Elaine Starling to explore the difference between consuming information and turning what you learn into lived experience. Nick shares a practical SMART goal strategy that gives you a clear Intention before you begin reading, helping you recognize the ideas that matter and actually do something with them. You’ll also discover why context matters, how conversation can deepen learning, when to read your most important material, and why engaging actively with ideas can strengthen your ability to think for yourself. Because finishing the book isn’t the goal. Applying what matters is. Want Nick to recommend a book specifically for you? DM him on Instagram and tell him about a problem you want to solve, a skill you want to develop, or something you’re curious about. Instagram @bookthinkers BookThinkers Book Club
What if that dream you can’t forget, the gut feeling you can’t explain, or the coincidence that arrived at exactly the right moment deserves more of your attention? Psychologist Dr. Nic Sebastian and sociologist Prof. Michael Sebastian join Elaine to explore what happens when you begin treating your dreams, intuition, signs, synchronicities, and inner knowing as information worth noticing. You’ll hear the extraordinary story of the dream Prof. Mike recorded three years before meeting Dr. Nic, discover why the pair believes many of us are conditioned to dismiss our internal guidance, and learn about HU, the simple vibrational practice at the center of much of their work. Most importantly, this conversation invites you to experiment for yourself: become present, pay attention, track what happens, and discover how guidance uniquely shows up for you. Explore The Precision Guidance Protocol and Divine Guidance Institute: https://divineguidanceinstitute.org/ Take the Higher Awareness Quiz: https://divineguidanceinstitute.org/take-the-quiz/