Episode 286: Becoming Your Best Version

At age 50, Maria Leonard Olsen found herself in a failing marriage, drinking excessively, willfully derailing her successful law career, and feeling her teenage children pull away from needing her. She was depressed and stuck.

On her 50th birthday, Maria decided her gift to herself was to go on a crusade to make the most of whatever time she had left. She set out to do 50 new things that were significant.

The list spanned physical challenges, adventure travel, and lifestyle changes. Each taught her something about herself and about how she wanted to lead the next years of her life to come.

This work transitioned into a passion to help others. Maria is a motivational speaker, self-help and children's books author, podcast host, radio host, and book marketing consultant. 

Listen to this episode of Whinypaluza, with Maria Leonard Olsen about creating excitement and meaning in your life if you are feeling stuck or depressed.

Here is what to expect on this week’s show:

• Hear Maria’s story that led her to heartache, and eventually turned that into self-discovery and fulfillment.
• What were the 50 things Maria embarked on after turning 50?
• Shifting her focus from despair to gratitude
• The most meaningful discoveries she made in her journey
• Courage- feeling the fear and doing it anyway!
• How Maria made her list of 50 things, and embarking on writing a book on it
• The increased thirst for trying new things now that she is 60
• Learning to talk back to your inner critic
• The regrets in her life
• Advice for other women who may be feeling detached, depressed, or stuck
• Maria’s sobriety journey and how she has stuck to it
• Working on overcoming codependency with her son
• Dealing with the harsh ramifications of poor decisions you made as a parent, and living your amends as you recover
• Finding lessons in all you encounter and experience
• Advice for creating adventure in your life, even if you are not outgoing

Connect with Maria:

• Website https://www.marialeonardolsen.com/
• Facebook https://www.facebook.com/FiftyAfter50/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel
• X (fka Twitter) https://twitter.com/FiftyAfter50
• Instagram https://www.instagram.com/fiftyafter50/
• LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/marialeonardolsen/
• Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/becoming-your-best-version/id1562910379
• TedX Talk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nR3cM9aRjes

Links Mentioned:

• The Happiness Lab podcast https://www.pushkin.fm/podcasts/the-happiness-lab-with-dr-laurie-santos
• 50 After 50 by Maria Leonard Olsen https://a.co/d/eESLERT
• Chris Olsen TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@chris?lang=en
• Chris Olsen Instagram https://www.instagram.com/chrisolsen/?hl=en

Follow Rebecca Greene

• Blog  https://www.whinypaluza.com/
• Book 1  https://bit.ly/WhinypaluzaBook
• Book 2 https://bit.ly/whinybook2
• Facebook https://www.facebook.com/whinypaluzaparentingandmarriage 
• Instagram https://www.instagram.com/becgreene5/ @becgreene5
• TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@whinypaluzamom?lang=en @whinypaluzamom
• YouTube https://www.youtube.com/WhinyPaluza

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices