01/10/2024
**My Journey to Rediscovering Myself in Midlife**
It all started in some 12 years ago when we made the life-altering decision to move from the picturesque KwaZulu-Natal North Coast in South Africa to the UK. On paper, my life looked perfect – we lived in a beautiful oceanfront home, surrounded by nature’s peace and luxury. But inside, I was restless, unsettled, and yearning for something more. We had a life that many dream of, but I found myself feeling trapped in a cycle of keeping up with appearances, always striving for more, and still feeling empty. The constant pressure to maintain our lifestyle was suffocating. My marriage was strained, my soul felt disconnected, and I had this persistent, nagging urge to be more, do more, and live a life with deeper purpose.
So, when the opportunity came to move to the UK, we jumped. I thought maybe a change of scenery would fix things. But life doesn’t work that way, does it? After two years, my husband was commuting between the UK and Austria for work, my two boys were navigating adolescence and trying to do their best to fit into a new school system. After just 2.5 years, our family was once again uprooted. We packed up and moved to Austria, hoping it would somehow bring peace to our unsettled lives.
While we were in the UK, we welcomed two new members into our family—Charlie, a rescue dog, and Leila, a sweet Labrador puppy.
These two came with us to Austria, and while Leila became my forever present shadow and grounding force, Charlie pushed me and challenged me in every way possible - physically, emotionally and mentally. He had a history of trauma and a dysregulated nervous system that made every day unpredictable.
Walking him was chaos. He pulled me, dragged me, and embarrassed me in front of strangers. I was overwhelmed by his behaviour, lost in a sea of frustration and helplessness.
It wasn’t just about Charlie. It was about me. He was reflecting back at me all the emotional turmoil I was carrying. The anxiety, the lack of control, the anger simmering under the surface—it was like looking in a mirror.
I realized Charlie wasn’t just a dog with issues; he was a catalyst, pushing me to confront my own struggles.
My search for answers led me down a path of learning and studying - dog behaviour, neuropsychology, trauma healing, holistic practices, mindfulness, nervous system regulation, and so much more. But what I was really doing was healing myself alongside him.
I discovered that peace doesn’t come from controlling everything around us; it comes from within.
And through that journey, I began to see how our dogs, just like our life experiences, are here to teach us, to guide us back to ourselves.
That realization transformed my life and inspired me to start my own business, **Heart Connection Dogs**, where I helped many dog guardians struggling with their own sensitive, reactive dogs.
What I was really doing, though, was supporting mostly women like me - women who felt lost, disconnected, stressed out by life, lacking self confidence and unsure of how to move forward.
I taught them how to find peace, not by trying to “fix” their dogs, but by deepening the connection they shared, building trust and understanding on both ends of the leash.
And yet, even as I guided others, I knew my journey was far from over.
Everything shifted again when I found Creatrix®. This life-changing methodology allowed me to break free from the emotional blocks and my own intergenerational trauma that had been holding me back for so long. It opened my eyes to the power of healing, not just for myself but for generations before me. Through this work, I found my self-worth again. I stepped into my sovereignty, finally feeling like I could embrace who I was meant to be.
Looking back now, I realize that so much of what I went through was a reflection of the common struggles we women face in midlife. The emotional turmoil, the questions about who we are and what we want, the transitions in our bodies, our roles, our identities - it’s all part of the midlife awakening. Menopause, relationships, careers, motherhood, and even our spiritual journeys - they all converge in this perfect storm, asking us to take a hard look at who we really are beneath the surface.
I am almost 56 years old, post-menopausal, and finally at peace with who I am. But it wasn’t always this way. I spent years in the wilderness of emotional upheaval, self-doubt, and sleepless nights wondering if I would ever feel like myself again. I was stuck, trying to hold on to old roles and beliefs that no longer served me, until I was finally able to release them and step into my authenticity.
Now, as a **Creatrix® Transformologist®**, my passion is to help other women—women just like you—who are on their own journey of self-discovery.
Women who may not realize that the anxiety, the restlessness, the sense of something missing, is actually an invitation. An invitation to rediscover who you are, to let go of the past, and to step fully into the woman you are meant to be.
Life doesn’t stop when we reach midlife; in fact, it’s just beginning. I feel like the stage has been set for me to really shine, and discover new layers of potential that I didn't even know I had.
This is the time for us to reclaim our power, rewrite our stories, and finally put ourselves first. You are not alone on this journey, and you are more than capable of transforming your life into something extraordinary.
I want to deeply thank each and every one of you here for being in my life. It has been an honour and a joy to support you and your dogs, and I hope that you will continue your journey of discovery and healing together.
Heart Connection Dogs is now a chapter I am closing to make room for my next chapter in supporting women as a Creatrix® Transformologist®. And, perhaps you will continue on this journey with me. But if you feel its time for a new direction, then I encourage you to follow your heart. Listen to your inner guidance -it's never wrong. 🥰
Blessings to you and your dogs.✨🙏🐶 ❤️
If you would like to stay in touch, please consider joining my 'Wisdom Blossoms' Newsletter using the link below.
https://sue-mimm.ck.page/wisdomblossoms
Family dog coaching, training and holistic behaviour therapy
