Am I Having a Midlife Crisis, or Is the World Just on Fire?
Why My Content Is Shifting Toward Money, Power, and the Bigger Picture
The movies always told us a “midlife crisis” meant buying a flashy car or dating someone half your age. Cute trope but not exactly my reality. For a semi-well-adjusted 38-year-old woman, my midlife crisis looks more like emotional clutter, a storage unit I avoid, and playing Hello Kitty Island Adventure instead of journaling.
If you’ve noticed my content feeling a little scattered lately, this is why:
I’ve been trying to figure myself out again. In real time. On camera.
What a Midlife Crisis Actually Looks Like in Your Late 30s
According to Forbes, a midlife crisis is “a period of emotional turmoil in middle age, characterized by a strong desire for change.”
And after reading the signs… I’m 6 for 6.
☑️ Mental clutter
☑️ Nostalgia overload
☑️ Social withdrawal (even for an introvert)
☑️ Loss of interest in topics that once defined me
☑️ Questioning whether past achievements still fulfill me
☑️A general sense of “what am I doing with my life?”
The short version?
A lot of what I’m feeling is normal — even if none of it feels normal.
I’ve Always Been a Goal-Getter… Until Now
Most of my life followed a simple formula:
Have an idea → do the wildest possible thing → make it happen.
My first job out of grad school?
I literally entered a Maxim modeling competition solely to pitch a TV show idea to the editor-in-chief… and it worked. Maxim Sports 1-on-1 defined my early 20s and catapulted me into jobs I’ve only ever dreamt of. From 2005 to 2021, I accomplished every goal that set my mind to. I had so much energy, and I was so ‘green’ that I felt my goals (both big and small) were limitless… and there were.
Now? I’m “goaled out.” And the only energy I can muster is from supplements.
Not because I’m lazy — because the world around me shifted in ways I can’t ignore.
The System Is Breaking — And It’s Breaking Us
For years, I felt this moment coming but it seemed no matter how hard I tried to push against it, my feelings of frustration would only get worse. Turns out - it wasn’t a ‘me’ problem (finally). I went looking for myself… and found the world needed questioning more than I did.
This is where my midlife crisis turned into something bigger.
I’ve spent years teaching personal finance, and many of you have used those strategies to become debt-free or build real stability. But lately, it feels dishonest to talk about money, success, survival, purpose - without also talking about power, policy, and politics.
Graduating with crushing student loans isn’t normal.
Working 2–3 jobs to survive isn’t normal.
Million-dollar “starter homes” aren’t normal.
A country with trillionaires and food-insecure families isn’t normal.
For years, I believed, “I did it, so you can too.”
But now I understand: Success is not just personal, it’s political.
Why My Content Is Shifting Toward Macro Personal Finance
I’ve taught everything I can teach about the how of money:
budgeting
saving
debt payoff
sinking funds
planning
investing basics
financial goal setting
You already have all the tools.
But now I want to ask bigger questions:
Why is the economy so hostile to young people?
Why are basic milestones out of reach?
Why do we blame individuals for systemic issues?
Why do elections matter for your bank account?
Why is everything so expensive in 2025?
These aren’t “political topics.”
These are personal finance topics — just on a macro level.
This New Era Makes Me Nervous… And That’s Why It Matters
I’m comfortable being opinionated.
I’m less comfortable sharing opinions online, where facts often lose to feelings.
Sharing my debt-free journey was easy because it was based on my experience. There was no questioning or arguing with my experience.
But when talking about the student debt crisis, housing unaffordability, or rising economic inequality, it somehow becomes an us-versus-them mentality.
This is uncharted territory for me.
It will probably be uncomfortable for both of us but it’s necessary.
Welcome to the New Era — For Me and This Community
If you’re spiraling or questioning your direction… you’re not alone.
We’re going to figure it out together: the personal, the financial, the emotional, and the systemic.
We’re just getting started.
