I had Brooke Shields on the podcast.

It turns out we both give ourselves pep talks in the mirror.

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When I sat down with Brooke Shields for My So-Called Midlife (episode live here!), I thought we’d talk about the usual stuff — aging, hormones, maybe a little reinvention.

But the conversation went so much deeper. We talked about therapy. About self-doubt (yes, even Brooke has it). About the armor we wear, the stories we carry, Depends (yes, really)… and what it means to finally show up for ourselves.

I hadn’t even spent that much time talking to Brooke in one sitting, but I walked away feeling like I’d known her for years. That’s the thing about this chapter of life: it strips away pretense.

We may all come from different worlds, but there’s something about midlife — raw, revealing, unfiltered — that connects us as women.

I meet women on this podcast and at conferences and in coffee shops. And we can always, on some level, relate to one another because of our experiences as women. I’m so grateful for that.

And it sounds cliché to say “we all need connection more than ever,” but... it’s true.

So I hope this episode makes you feel a little more seen, a little more grounded, and a little more connected to yourself and to the rest of us walking through this chapter.

Here are five moments from the episode with Brooke that stayed with me.

BUT BEFORE YOUR SCROLL!

This Saturday is Brooke’s birthday! I’d love it if you could all wish her a happy birthday in the comments. I’ll take a screenshot and share with her :)

Okay, now for the highlights.

1. “I was so nervous… acting opposite these two wonderful, beautiful, talented, nuanced, strong women who have done so much that I haven't done.”

Brooke shared this moment from set — acting alongside Glenn Close and Naomi Watts — feeling a wave of self-doubt. She literally went to the bathroom to give herself a pep talk in the mirror: “I am good. I am strong. I am smart.”

After the scene, someone gave her a compliment so sincere, so specific, that it broke her open.

The work, she said, isn’t just showing up — it’s showing up for yourself. Believing you belong. Even when your brain says otherwise.

2. “It’s really frightening to take down the walls… because that’s been your protection.”

We talked about emotional armor — the compartments we build to survive. How they become part of how we function.

For years, I avoided therapy because I was afraid that without those walls, I wouldn’t know who I was. But midlife is making me braver. I’m finally asking: What happens if I stop holding it all together? Who am I underneath?

3. “If you don’t like something you discover, in my heart of hearts, I do not believe that’s who you are. It shows up in your responses to things.”

And once you take down the walls… you might see something you don’t like. But that doesn’t mean it defines you.

We can learn to respond differently. We can look at the parts we’re not proud of — and choose better. This made space for grace. And for change.

4. “You’re either the hot girl at the bar… or you’re in Depends.”

If there was ever something that I laugh/cried about—it was this line from Brooke’s book.

And really, it gave me pause. Because that’s the trap so many of us feel stuck in: the world sees women as either young and sexy or old and irrelevant. There’s no space for the in-between. But that in-between? That’s where we actually live.

Midlife doesn’t make us invisible. It makes us more ourselves. We’re not done. We’re not diminished. We’re in process — still building, still becoming, still deserving of being seen.

5. “This isn’t a period. This is most of your life.”

This one came from me — but it’s something Brooke echoed again and again in her own way.

Midlife isn’t some tiny window we grit our teeth and try to get through. It’s decades. It’s a whole season of becoming. And if we treat it like the main event not the aftermath — we just might start to enjoy it.

I hope you enjoy listening to the episode as much as I did recording it. And if you haven’t picked up a copy of Brooke’s book, “Brooke Shields Is Not Allowed to Get Old” — make sure you do!

With love,

Reshma

On my mind this week:

• Happy anniversary, Nihal. 13 years, 2 kids, 2 dogs. We are so different and so alike. You’re the best friend and best husband every girl deserves.

• I stand with Harvard. My term on the Harvard Board of Overseers may have ended, but my support hasn’t. Last week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services slashed $60 million in federal grant funding to Harvard. I’m joining countless other alumni and supporters in donating to the University’s Presidential Priorities Fund to support research and teaching affected by the cuts. My heart goes out to all the students, faculty, and staff. This won’t go unanswered. Inspired by the show of unity at Harvard.

• Remember to wish Brooke a happy birthday in the comments below!