THE PATH TO PEACE HAS A DOOR MARKED “EXIT”

The power of intentional withdrawal

PATHWAY TO PEACE

Everywhere you turn, there’s some article trying to scare the hell out of you about aging. Alone. Invisible. Unproductive. Useless.

They love painting that picture—the fear of being alone, the loneliness of solitude, the inevitable decline. Espcially the AARP crowd.

But here’s what they never talk about: the power of intentional withdrawal—the holy fire that comes when you step back to step in.

The World is Loud. My Soul is Louder.

I didn’t go silent because I was broken. I went silent because I was done.

Done performing. Done explaining. Done being polite about what no longer fit.

So I backed away. Not forever. Just long enough to clear the static.

We live in a world that tells us we need to be constantly surrounded by people to be happy. That alone means lonely.

But what if solitude is actually the key to reclaiming the dreams you set aside?

And in that stillness, I didn’t spiral. I sparked.

Your Dream Doesn’t Need a Hype Team

Let me give it to you straight:

Sharing your dreams too early is a trap. The moment you throw them into the world, here come the doubters, the fixers, the well-meaning buzzkills.

People love to weigh in on things they’ve never had the guts to do.

When we share our dreams too early, we open the door for unsolicited opinions that make us doubt ourselves, people minimizing what feels huge to us, and subtle shifts in how we see our own vision.

Maybe you’ve felt this before—excitedly sharing an idea, only to have someone react with indifference, skepticism, or advice that makes you second-guess yourself.

So I stopped offering my visions up for discussion. I stopped narrating my next move. I stopped inviting anyone into the sacred womb of what I was creating.

And wouldn’t you know it—everything started moving.

Not because I forced it. But because I finally got out of the way.

When I Stopped Talking, Life Started Moving

A year ago I would share everything. But I learned how valuable it is to guard my dreams, my ideas, my plans.

Instead I CHOSE to nurture my dream. Research, reading, contemplating, and above all FEELING. I would walk my long 18 ft hallway feeling my dream in real life. Often. Over and over. I could not have done this had I told anyone of my plans.

And something unexpected happened.

Ideas seem to drop into my mind - usually 3 or 4 at a time! My document file on google docs is jammed packed with ideas! Mostly for future articles. Then ideas for the community of like minded women to gather around an invisible table called zoom began to take shape. Then ideas for simple drop in live video visits with Substackers started perculating. I was awash in ideas!

And that’s when it hit me: If I had been running my mouth about my plans, over-explaining my next move, or seeking validation from others—I might have blocked these moments from happening.

This World Will Guilt You for Going Quiet

It will tell you you’re withdrawing. Shutting down. Being antisocial. It will whisper that you’re missing out, falling behind, disappearing.

But here’s what I know: Not all disappearances are losses. Sometimes they’re recalibrations.

Sometimes they’re upgrades.

And the people who can’t handle your silence? They were never built to hold your roar.

Does This Mean I’ll Stay in Solitude Forever?

Not entirely. I’ll still have coffee with friends, visit family, and engage when it feels right.

But I’m no longer forcing social interaction just because the world says I should.

Someone recently asked me: “If you knew everything was going to work out, what would you do for a year?”

At the time, I didn’t have an answer.

But after fully embracing solitude, I know exactly what I’d do: I want to travel across the country on Amtrak trains.

Will I do it alone? That part is still unfolding. But I finally feel like I have the space to let the answer come to me—without the noise of other people’s opinions.

My Advice? Shut the Door. Protect the Flame.

Whatever you’re rebuilding—your dream, your body, your rhythm, your identity—wrap it in velvet rope. Guard it with your damn life.

Don’t put it up for debate. Don’t explain it to people who wouldn’t get it if you drew them a map. Don’t apologize for needing space to become who you actually are.

Let it grow in the quiet. Let it gain strength before you expose it to the world.

And then, when it’s ready, you won’t need to convince anyone of its worth.

They’ll see it.

And more importantly—you’ll feel it.

Because once you cross that threshold, once you finally stop asking for permission?

Peace finds you. And it doesn’t knock.

It kicks the door in with fireworks.

PS - Tomorrow I will publish a sizzler about a manuel for life. This diamond in the rough will be sent to paid subscribers……

So, here’s the softball pitch: Become part of the Monirose Soul Tribe of like minded women who have desires, dreams and committment to reinvent retirement! Through midnight tomorrow night, annual subscriptions are 10% off plus I will ship you our wonderful new mug, perfect for your favorite moring beverage while reading Substack.