Ep. 164 Braver Than She Knew: Starting Over At 58 with Cathy Collier

**Braver Than She Knew: Starting Over at 58**   **What happens when the life you thought you’d have suddenly isn’t your life anymore?**   **In this episode of The Beauty In The Mess, I sit down with author, speaker, and educator Cathy McCoy Collier, who found herself starting over at 58 after more than 30 years of marriage.**   **After years of betrayal and trying to save her marriage, Cathy finally reached her limit. Walking away meant facing fears she had avoided for decades: living alone, managing money, making decisions by herself, grieving the family life she thought she would have, and discovering who she was outside of being a wife.**   **Cathy shares honestly about infidelity, gray divorce, self-worth, fear, faith, loneliness, friendships, dating again, and the surprisingly small moments that helped her realize she could build a life of her own.**   **We also talk about her faith-based journal, *Braver Than I Knew*, which grew out of her own healing journey and is designed to help women navigate divorce, loss, major life changes, and unexpected new beginnings.**   **Cathy’s story is a reminder that sometimes bravery doesn’t feel brave at all. Sometimes it’s simply taking one step when you have no idea what comes next.**   ### **2:20 – The moment Cathy knew she had finally reached her limit** ### **5:20 – Filing for divorce after more than 30 years of marriage** ### **6:20 – The fear of starting over financially at 58** ### **9:20 – How divorce ultimately brought Cathy back to her faith** ### **11:20 – Finding the counselor who helped her begin healing** ### **14:20 – Protecting her adult sons while telling the truth about the divorce** ### **16:20 – Learning to make decisions alone after 32 years as part of a couple** ### **19:20 – The moments Cathy believes prepared her to finally leave** ### **20:20 – The humiliation of infidelity and realizing “His sin is not my shortcoming”** ### **21:20 – Grieving the family and future she thought she would have** ### **27:20 – Losing relationships and discovering who was really in her corner** ### **29:20 – Rebuilding her self-worth and creating new boundaries** ### **31:20 – Why Cathy named her book *Braver Than I Knew*** ### **32:20 – Why the first brave step is the hardest** ### **33:20 – Freedom, loneliness, and adjusting to life on her own** ### **35:20 – Learning that she no longer needs someone else to feel complete** ### **37:20 – How faith became central to Cathy’s healing** ### **42:20 – Trusting herself, trusting God, and finally being able to exhale** ### **46:20 – Dating after 50 and the lighter side of starting over** ### **50:20 – Inside Cathy’s 52-week journal, *Braver Than I Knew*** ### **54:20 – Cathy’s advice when you don’t feel brave enough to take the first step** ### **56:20 – Gray divorce and knowing when you’ve finally had enough** ### **59:20 – Why Cathy has never regretted leaving** ### ✨ Connect with Cathy McCoy Collier **·**        https://www.braverthaniknew.com ·        **Instagram:** @braverthaniknew ·        **Facebook:** *Braver Than I Knew Journal* ·        **Email:** cathycollier.author@gmail.com ### ✨ Connect with Michele Simms • Website: thebeautyinthemess.com • Instagram: @the.beauty.in.the.mess • LinkedIn: Michele Simms ### • Facebook Group: The Beauty in the Mess Podcast ### 💬 Rate & Review If Rita's story encouraged you, please consider leaving a **5-star review** and sharing this episode with someone who needs the reminder that heartbreak doesn't have to be the end of their story. * * * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.