No More Hiding: More Than a Mantra, It’s a Movement

I can’t believe I’m finally here — on the other side of a war with depression and lost identity… of overextending and overexplaining myself, trying to be everyone’s savior while I was drowning. It’s taken nearly two years to write this piece. Writing it required emotional courage — returning to feelings I tucked away long ago because I didn't have time to feel my feelings. What began as a private journal entry became the start of my road back to joy, peace, and surrender.

Welcome to no more hiding. (yes… intentionally lowercase). I’m glad you’re here. Come in and get comfortable. There’s something here for everyone, and if you've stumbled on this blog by accident and haven't reached midlife yet -- just keep living, Baby. Time flies when life is lifing. My blogs are written from the heart. Alongside other women navigating midlife transition, we speak truth in sisterly love and share authentic stories about our losses, victories, and the hard lessons we’ve learned while rediscovering ourselves.

Midlife isn’t a crisis. It’s a crossroad.

I’ve chosen to live joyfully, authentically, unapologetically — and I invite you to join me. My hope is that every post feels like a conversation with a trusted friend: encouraging you, giving you warm hugs, reminding you of your strength, and cheering you into your next chapter.

Here you’ll find:

• real stories of resilience, reinvention, and joy

• practical tools for navigating life’s transitions

• events, resources, and partnerships that support your growth

Women carry a lot — probably more than the universe ever intended. We build rockets, fly jets, launch companies, save lives, run corporations, govern nations, raise families, and hold communities together. So it’s no wonder that by midlife we sometimes feel lost… we’ve spent years taking care of everyone else. no more hiding is a place where laughter comes easily and your heaviness doesn’t have to be explained.

I get it.
I get YOU.
I AM YOU.

no more hiding gives you a safe haven, a sanctuary...a soft place to land — and that feeling remains at the heart of everything we do. Because the best version of you was never meant to be hidden. So with that, here's my first ever blog:

no more hiding: More than a Mantra, It's a Movement (April 2024)

The Weight of Wait

I spent most of my life being ashamed of my natural hair, my weight, and my desire to feel proud and whole…to be successful without guilt…to live in purpose outside of the church pews….to be seen and live free on my own terms. I was so busy living someone else’s life that I lost myself. In 2001, I became a single mom. My beautiful daughter became the center of my life as I juggled motherhood, career advancement and completing advanced degrees. I became so busy breaking generational curses and changing my legacy that I forgot to save a piece of myself for later.

After my daughter moved abroad for college in 2019, I fell into a quiet depression. I looked in the mirror and saw someone I didn’t recognize—a 300 pound, single middle-aged, post-menopausal woman with thinning hair and a tired heart. I didn’t know who I was anymore, what I enjoyed, or who I wanted to become.

The Loss of Lost

Deciding that I had too much life left (to live miserable), in January 2023, I sought therapy. With the support of a wonderful therapist who gave me homework and the tools to rediscover and recreate myself, I found happiness again. I journaled, created vision boards, reflected, cried….and healed. Slowly, I found joy again. Pure joy—the kind of joy that makes you giggle out loud standing in the frozen food aisle when absolutely nothing is funny.

I started golfing. I started dancing. I started painting. I started living…joyfully, and in doing so, I met other women like me who could relate to my journey and who rallied around me in loving encouragement and held me accountable for keeping the promises I made to myself.

Image generated with AI by Renetta Smith 2025.

Let me be clear here: Living joyfully is a process. It didn’t happen overnight. It’s a choice. Sometimes it was an uncomfortable choice – a desperate choice – an aggressive choice. Sometimes it was as uncomfortable as wearing the wrong girdle through a long church service. You don’t trip into joy…you have to work at it intentionally and push yourself with grace and loving encouragement. Living joyfully takes courage and discipline. Plain ole ordinary FOCUS. It took an unapologetic decision to choose myself – on repeat.

With every step forward, I made new promises to myself: I wasn’t going to wait until I lost weight to go golfing and dancing – I lost weight while moving my body learning to golf and dance. I wasn’t going to wait for the perfect lace-front “hot-flash retardant” wig to hit the market to cover my thinning hair – I’m rocking thin gray curls with confidence. I wasn’t going to wait for someone to join me at the theater—I’d go alone, dressed like a woman dating herself. And I wasn’t going to wait on apologies from those who hurt me or misguided me – I created my own closure, set firm boundaries, and moved forward with grace.

I chose to stop hiding – from my pain, from my past, from my power.

No More Hiding: Saddle Up and Save Yourself

What started as a whisper I repeated to myself during my morning meditation: “No more hiding, Renetta”, became a declaration. I no longer wait for permission to live happily. I no longer wait for things to be perfect to feel joy. no more hiding™ is a call to action to women who are ready to stop shrinking and start living.

The lesson learned is that I didn’t stay stuck. I found clarity. I turned my aches into awakening and my fears into dreams. I found liberation, self-acceptance, and the boldness to stand fully in MY truth – unapologetically. And, I’m having a blast!

no more hiding™ is my gift to women who are ready to live whole, live seen, and live free. I’m still on the journey – with a golf club in one hand and a paintbrush in the other – laughing, glowing, and growing.

The best version of me was never meant to be hidden. And, neither is yours.

Live Whole. Live Seen. Live Free.

Renetta

Founder & CEO, no more hiding™