REFLECT: The Week I Turned 42 

"Owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing that we will ever do."
— Brené Brown

This week I turned 42. And while yes, there was cake and glitter (because come on, how else do you celebrate), the real celebration happened in my heart.

I found myself looking back on the moments that have led me to where I am today, many of which were filled with darkness.

I’ll always remember the moment I called an ambulance for myself after taking an overdose of my antidepressants. Not because I wanted to die, but because I wanted to stop feeling so numb, I couldn’t feel anything. I remember the suffocating weight of depression, my heart racing with anxiety, the world felt so loud, yet I felt completely alone and questioning my existence.

I spent much of my life believing I was broken, that I was a problem that needed to be solved, and that there was something wrong with me. That my life would always be hard, that I was never going to be happy or enjoy anything.

Now I realise that every single one of those dark moments was a crack in my mirror ball, that each of those cracks was another moment that let the light in.

Each time I fell, each time seemed slightly darker than the time before, I still managed to find my way back. And each time I stood back up, I straightened my crown and found another layer of the woman I was always meant to be. It gave me another opportunity to fall in love with myself.

Whilst there are many lessons throughout the years, these are the ones that have had the biggest impact. Hopefully, one resonates with you and enables you to step closer to the version of yourself you were always meant to be.

1. You can never be everyone’s cup of tea, and that’s okay.

2. Find a hype crew who fills your cup and guard them with your life.

3. Don’t take advice from people who haven’t stood where you stand.

4. Failure isn’t a dead end; it’s a detour toward growth.

5. I am not a problem to be solved.

6. I am perfectly imperfect, and that is more than enough.

7. My quirks aren’t flaws, they're the reasons I’m loved.

8. The magic I’ve been searching for was always inside me.

9. If I’m unhappy and do nothing, that’s on me.

10. Choosing myself is the bravest, sexiest, most powerful thing I can do.

So as I step into my 42nd year, I don’t just feel older, I feel reborn. Confident. Sexy. Grounded. Free.

And I’m bringing all of it with me into this next chapter to grow, to create meaning, to help others, and to keep shining bright.

RISE: Your Weekly Glow-Up Check-In

This week’s energy: Darkness doesn’t define you, it refines you.

Your 3-step challenge:

1. Look back at a dark season in your life. Name the lesson it secretly left behind.

2. Choose one way to back yourself this week. (Saying no, setting a boundary, or prioritising joy.)

3. Write down one affirmation for your mirror. Say it daily until you believe it.

REAL TALK:

What if the very moments you tried to bury are the ones that made you unshakable?

Journal on this:

• Where have you mistaken survival for weakness?

• How could you see your scars as proof of strength instead of shame?

• Who might you become if you stopped trying to be “fixed” and started celebrating who you already are?

GLOW-DOWN: Choosing Yourself

In my work, I don’t help women “fix” themselves because you’re not broken. I help them strip away the noise, the people-pleasing, the self-doubt, so they can see what’s always been inside.

When you choose yourself, your health, your truth, your joy, you don’t just shine brighter. You give everyone around you permission to do the same.

42 feels like a glow-up. And if my life can turn from darkness to disco ball, so can yours.

💋 Your Sober Hype Girl