A woman commented that she was fired at 55 after a great performance review. No warning. No logic. Just gone. If that doesn’t rattle you, it should. What shook me wasn’t their job loss. It was realizing how many of us have been taught to tie our identity, safety, and worth to something that can end with a calendar invite, even when we did everything right. That’s why I believe midlife isn’t about starting over. It’s about building options so one decision, one company, or one moment doesn’t get t