We learnt to stick up for ourselves in our 40s: here's what you need to know.

Our little list of life lessons on 'standing your sacred ground'...

One of the best things about the privilege of ageing as a woman is learning how to better define your needs and then make sure they are met (in a way that is aligned with everything you now know you stand for).

Trish & I are in our 50s but it wasn’t until we hit our 40s that we really learnt how to start asking for we wanted and stick up for ourselves. Until then we’d probably bent around others rather than expected them to bend around us, we’d been accommodating, possibly inclined to general people pleasing and we’d often wondered how we could make things work for others rather than how it could work for us at home and work.

We don’t do much of any of that any more. Looking at things through the lens of midlife wisdom means we come at things with the idea it has to suit us, or align with our values rather than vice versa.

And last week we learnt a new phrase from podcast guest Lucinda Light that sums up our new super power: ‘stand your sacred ground’. So we thought we’d put together the life lessons we’ve learnt when it comes to sticking up for ourselves, the tips we think may help you stand your scared ground… enjoy - and do share how you stand yours in the in comments below.

From Lorraine:

Meet me where I am: When Lucinda used the phrase SYSG in our interview she was referring to her mindset on Married At First Sight Australia. She said she went in thinking “I hope he likes me” instead of “I hope I like him”.