The Climb to Joy: What a Cycle Class (and an Entrepreneurial Grandmother) Taught Me About Living On Purpose

I walked into cycle class last week with my usual mix of excitement and nerves.

The lights dimmed, the music pulsed, and soon enough I found myself climbing that resistance hill — legs burning, breath quickening, my brain whispering, “This is too much.”

But here’s the thing: discomfort is not a problem.

It’s often the very clue that something is shifting.

That climb — as tough as it felt — reminded me of another conversation I’d just had with my friend Sue, a grandmother and life coach who decided to start something brand new in her grandmotherhood years.

Her climb wasn’t on a bike.

It was in rediscovering ambition, embracing self-awareness, and saying yes to something she’d never considered before.

Rediscovering Ambition

Sue shared that her ambition never really disappeared. It had always been there — tucked beneath the busy years of raising children, working, and caring for others.

Becoming a grandmother didn’t dim it; instead, it gave her the clarity to bring it forward in a fresh way.

Her story is a powerful reminder: ambition doesn’t expire with age. It waits for us to notice it again.

The Joy of Self-Awareness

The real turning point came when Sue started thinking about her thinking. She noticed how her old thoughts were holding her back — the quiet doubts, the “too late” whispers, the outdated stories about aging.

By becoming more self-aware, she found something surprising: joy. Not the fleeting kind that depends on circumstances, but the deep, steady joy that comes from knowing you can create your own story at any age.

Living On Purpose

That’s where Sue’s journey and my cycle class collide. Both reminded me that living on purpose is not about avoiding discomfort. It’s about noticing what you think, choosing how you respond, and climbing with intention — even when it feels hard.

As grandmothers, soon-to-be grandmothers, or hope-to-be-one-day grandmothers, we are in a season that invites us to rethink what’s possible. We don’t have to settle for the old scripts. We get to write new ones.

Watch Here 🎥

Want to see the conversation come alive? Watch the YouTube version here — it’s fun, and you’ll see the joy on our faces as we talk about rediscovering ambition and rethinking what’s possible.

Or Listen In

🎧 Listen to Episode 117 here
Rediscovering Ambition: One Grandmother’s Honest Conversation on Aging Differently

If Sue’s story sparks something in you, maybe it’s time for your own first step.

✨ Click here to get your Confidence Boarding Pass — a simple form that helps you pause, reflect, and see if a conversation about clarity, purpose, and possibility is right for you.

Because ambition never really leaves. Sometimes it just waits for us to notice.