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Michelle Wimes

@michellemybelleinsta

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Passionate about my work, family, sharing love, light & inspiration. #lawyer #leader #teacher #speaker #writer #socialjusticewarrior #globalcitizen

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💙 WE THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN! HISTORY HAS BEEN MADE! 🇺🇸

I went to bed last night with tears of JOY and woke up with something I haven’t felt this deeply in a long time.

HOPE. 🙏🏽💙

Hope for our democracy. Hope for our daughters. Hope for an America that lives up to its promise of liberty, justice, and opportunity for ALL.

And what an extraordinary moment for WOMEN!

💙 Keisha Lance Bottoms — First Black woman elected governor in American history!

💙 Gina Hinojosa — Texas’s first Latina governor!

💙 Deb Haaland — First Native American woman elected governor!

💙 Dr. Amy Acton — Ohio’s first woman elected governor!

As a Black woman, mother of three daughters, and lifelong advocate for equity and inclusion, these historic milestones are deeply personal.

I think of the women who came before us, who fought to open doors they would never walk through themselves. And the generations of young women who will follow.

Representation MATTERS. Breaking barriers MATTERS.

But here’s what my years in leadership have taught me:

Who sits at the table matters. What happens at that table matters even MORE.

Today, I celebrate the possibilities. Tomorrow, the work continues.

Because history won’t simply remember who won.

It will remember what they DID with the opportunity. 💙

#Election2026 #WomenMakingHistory #RepresentationMatters #BlackWomenLead #hope by @michellemybelleinsta

#theaudacityofhope by @michellemybelleinsta

RETIREMENT DIARIES | Episode 46 | The Power I Stopped Giving Away ❤️

WHEW. This one is PERSONAL.

For years, I waited for someone else to change before I could feel happy, secure, and FREE.

Then came divorce, a healing retreat in Portugal, and one life-changing realization:

I had outsourced my own POWER.

I couldn’t change someone else. But I could stop abandoning MYSELF.

And that revelation transformed not only my relationship with my former husband, but more importantly, my relationship with ME.

At 60, I’m learning to trust myself, set boundaries, reclaim my independence, and embrace ALL that I’m capable of.

Apparently, that includes operating a snowblower! 😂💪🏽

The marriage ended. But so did the waiting.

And let me tell you, reclaiming my power feels FUCKING GOOD! ❤️

✍🏽 I’ve shared the deeper story in Episode 46 of my new Substack, Retirement Diaries. Read the full essay at the link in my bio!

Inspired by the wisdom of @dene.logan . ❤️

#RetirementDiaries #Episode46 #ReclaimYourPower #LifeAfterDivorce #HealingJourney by @michellemybelleinsta

RETIREMENT DIARIES | Episode 45 | The Most Expensive Word I Ever Learned to Say Was NO. 😂

Y’ALL! Three months into retirement, I’ve discovered something REVOLUTIONARY.

I CAN SAY NO!

And it feels FUCKING GOOD! 🤣

After nearly 40 years of practicing law, leading organizations, and being everybody’s problem solver, I promised myself a YEAR of rest.

But apparently retirement doesn’t come with a DO NOT DISTURB sign! 😂

Recently, an organization I love offered me $250 for THREE DAYS of consulting.

I respectfully declined.

Three days later, another organization offered that SAME amount for ONE HOUR of executive mentoring.

WAIT A DAMN MINUTE! 🤣

SAME WOMAN. SAME EXPERTISE. DIFFERENT PRICE TAG!

Like that bottle of water that costs $1.50 at the gas station and $4 at the airport.

Same water. Different context!

Now, I LOVE mentoring and giving back. But there’s a difference between generosity and OBLIGATION.

For years, I said YES because I didn’t want to disappoint people. Then I’d be exhausted, resentful, and wondering WHO THE HELL agreed to this?!

Oh, wait. ME! 🤦🏽‍♀️🤣

Not anymore!

At 60, my time, freedom, and PEACE are precious.

My worth isn’t negotiable. My participation IS.

Imagine practicing law for 15 years only to discover at 60 that NO IS A FUCKING FULL SENTENCE! 😂

No closing argument required!

Sometimes the most expensive word isn’t NO.

It’s YES to something that costs you your PEACE. ☮️

What have YOU finally learned to say NO to? 🚫

✍🏽 Read the full story on my Substack! Link in bio.

#RetirementDiaries #KnowYourWorth #LifeAt60 #ChiefJoyStrategist #Boundaries by @michellemybelleinsta

I AM ENOUGH. Even When the Scoreboard Says Otherwise. ❤️⚽️

Whew. Parenting adult children is NOT for the faint of heart!

Yesterday, my mom and I traveled to Oklahoma to cheer on @saigewimes and her WVU soccer team. Unfortunately, it was their third consecutive loss.

My heart aches for these young women. 💔

Behind the privilege of playing Division I soccer are grueling schedules, constant travel, academic demands, physical exhaustion, and enormous emotional pressure.

And after every disappointment, they have to pick themselves up and do it all over again.

As parents, we wish we could take away the hurt. But sometimes all we can do is SHOW UP, LOVE them through it, and remind them of their worth. ❤️

Recently, I heard the founder of TOMS shoes share three powerful words from his healing journey:

I. AM. ENOUGH.

Yesterday, I gave Saige and her bestie, Tyler, bracelets with those words.

Because their worth isn’t determined by a scoreboard, a coach’s decisions, or anyone else’s expectations.

And when life feels overwhelming, I always ask Saige:

“What is the NEXT best step you can take?”

Just one step. Then another.

And always remember WHO you are and WHOSE you are. 🙏🏽

Whether we’re cheering from the stands or screaming at the television hundreds of miles away, our family will ALWAYS be in her corner.

To Saige, Tyler, and every young woman on this team:

You are enough when you WIN.

You are enough when you LOSE.

And you are STILL enough when life doesn’t go according to plan.

The scoreboard tells us who won the game.

It does NOT tell us who you are. ❤️⚽️

#IAmEnough #BeyondTheScoreboard #WVUSoccer #scholarathletes by @michellemybelleinsta

RETIREMENT DIARIES | Episode 43 | The Joy of Being a Beginner Again 🛼❤️

At 60, I’m learning that you’re NEVER too old to try something new, revisit an old hobby, or simply PLAY! 😂

Last night, I took my SECOND roller-skating class with my girlfriends Rebecca and Nicole, and y’all, we are having a TIME! 🛼🤣

What started as a fun adventure has introduced us to an entire community of the friendliest people—different ages, backgrounds, and abilities—all showing up for the music, movement, exercise, laughter, and pure JOY of skating.

No titles. No expectations. Just people encouraging one another and having FUN!

After nearly four decades of being expected to have all the answers, I’m discovering the freedom of being a BEGINNER again.

Sometimes I don’t even have my BALANCE! 😂

But that’s the beauty of this chapter.

✨ Trying new things.
✨ Rediscovering old passions.
✨ Making new friends.
✨ Intentionally cultivating JOY.

My word for 2026 is GROUNDED. And apparently, sometimes that means learning to stay upright on eight wheels! 🤣

The goal isn’t to be good at everything. It’s to stay curious enough to try ANYTHING.

Here’s to girlfriends who roll with you, communities that welcome you, and never losing the little girl inside who just wants to PLAY! ❤️🛼

#retirementdiaries #ChiefJoyStrategist #LifeAt60 #RollerSkating #cultivatingjoy by @michellemybelleinsta

RETIREMENT DIARIES | Episode 42 | The Women They’ve Become ❤️

Of all the things I’ve accomplished in my 60 years, NOTHING fills me with greater pride than these three extraordinary human beings.

Sydney. Gabrielle. Saige. ❤️

Whew. I am SO damned proud of the women they’ve become!

Not simply because of their accomplishments, ambition, intelligence, or courage. But because of their HEARTS. Their character. Their compassion. Their resilience. Their willingness to live boldly, love deeply, and find their own way in this world.

I spent so many years raising them, guiding them, worrying about them, praying over them, and preparing them for life.

And somewhere along the way, something beautiful happened.

The little girls I raised became women I deeply admire.

Now, at 60, one of retirement’s greatest gifts is having the TIME to walk beside them as they navigate adulthood. To listen more. To learn from them. To cheer them on. And sometimes, simply to marvel at who they’ve become.

I may have given them life, but they continue to give mine extraordinary meaning.

Being their mother will always be my greatest privilege. Being invited to walk beside them as grown women? One of my greatest JOYS. ❤️

#RetirementDiaries #ProudMom #Motherhood #MyThreeDaughters #LifeAt60

@sydwimes @gabwimes @saigewimes by @michellemybelleinsta

RETIREMENT DIARIES | Episode 41 | The Art of Doing Absolutely Nothing 🌴☀️🌊

Sometimes the best thing you can do for yourself is absolutely NOTHING.

Five glorious days in San José del Cabo with a dear friend of more than 30 years, her husband, and some wonderful company.

No agenda. No deadlines. No expectations.

Just delicious Mexican food (hello, chilaquiles! 😋), leisurely breakfasts prepared by a private chef, breathtaking ocean views, afternoons by the infinity pool, beach days, art galleries, cocktails, laughter, and conversations that didn’t have to end because somebody had somewhere to be.

And a “From Scratch” marathon that had us crying our eyes out! 😭❤️

But the greatest gift wasn’t the beautiful setting.

It was the opportunity to slow down, reconnect with an old friend, and simply BE.

For nearly four decades, my life revolved around productivity, responsibilities, and what needed to be done NEXT.

Retirement is teaching me something different:

✨ Rest doesn’t have to be earned.

✨ Joy doesn’t have to be scheduled.

✨ And doing nothing isn’t the same as wasting time.

My word for 2026 is GROUNDED. And sometimes being grounded means getting away long enough to reconnect with yourself.

I spent so many years making a living.

Now I’m learning the art of simply LIVING. ❤️

And these five days? Exactly what my soul needed. Thank you @aprilmillerboise !

#RetirementDiaries #Episode41 #LifeAt60 #restandrestoration #theartofdoingnothing by @michellemybelleinsta

Y’all, I’m starting to think being single and retired at 60 might be the worst thing that ever happened to me! 😂🤣

I mean, all this FREEDOM?!

Traveling whenever I want. Showing up for my daughters. Making memories with friends. Writing my Retirement Diaries. And waking up every morning with my PEACE intact!

The audacity of a life that requires nobody’s permission! 😂

I’m not opposed to finding love again. But at this stage, anyone entering my life needs to ADD to the joy—not interrupt the peace.

Because at 60, my peace is NOT up for negotiation! ❤️💋

Inspired by Raquel Herrera-Maar.

#RetirementDiaries #LifeAt60 #SingleAndThriving #PeaceOverDrama #LifeAfterDivorce by @michellemybelleinsta

RETIREMENT DIARIES | Episode 40 | The Story Is Still Unfolding! ✨

40 EPISODES! Who knew?! 🎉

When I started writing my Retirement Diaries, I simply wanted to document life after nearly four decades of working, leading, and defining myself through professional accomplishments.

No strategic plan. No content calendar. No monetization strategy.

Just a woman learning how to BE after spending most of her life DOING.

Then something unexpected happened!

The editors of Executives Diary discovered my reflections on LinkedIn and reached out to tell my story.

This week, they published a feature titled “Michelle Patterson Wimes Is Building a Blueprint for Retirement.” 🥹❤️

One lesson I’m still learning?

“A day does not have to be optimized to have value.”

WHEW! 🙌🏽

I’m grateful for this unexpected recognition and for everyone who’s followed along on this journey of reinvention, joy, freedom, and rediscovery.

Forty episodes later, I’m realizing that sometimes our most meaningful opportunities emerge when we stop chasing the next title and simply start living.

The title ended. The curiosity didn’t. ❤️

🔗 Read the feature at the link in my bio!

#RetirementDiaries #Episode40 #LifeAfterLeadership #RetirementReimagined #LifeAt60 by @michellemybelleinsta

Soooooo PROUD of you @sydwimes ! Go chase those dreams! You deserve nothing but the BEST life has to offer! #professionaldancer #crazyhorsedubai #dreamsdocometrue #dreamjob by @michellemybelleinsta

RETIREMENT DIARIES | Episode 39 | Faith for Every Landscape ☁️⛰️🙏🏽

On my way to Mexico to visit a dear friend of more than 30 years, I found myself looking out the airplane window at two breathtakingly different landscapes.

First, beautiful clouds stretching endlessly toward the horizon.

Then, rugged mountains rising from the earth.

At the same time, I was listening to a powerful sermon by Pastor Steven Furtick about the walls of Jericho.

For seven days, the Israelites marched around those walls in obedience to God. No visible progress. No signs that anything was changing.

But God was working even when they couldn’t see it.

And then, on the seventh day, THE WALLS CAME TUMBLING DOWN! 🙌🏽

What a reminder for this season of my life.

Sometimes we’re flying above the clouds, basking in God’s blessings, enjoying the beauty of a life we once prayed for.

Other times, we’re facing mountains so enormous we can’t imagine how we’ll ever get to the other side.

But here’s what I’m learning:

The same God who carries us above the clouds walks WITH us through the mountains.

Our assignment isn’t always to understand the journey. Sometimes it’s simply to TRUST the One who is guiding us.

To keep praying when the answers haven’t come.

To keep walking when the path isn’t clear.

To keep believing when the walls haven’t moved.

And to remember that God’s silence is not God’s absence.

Retirement has given me more time to appreciate the beautiful landscapes of my life. But faith reminds me that even the difficult terrain has a purpose.

So wherever you find yourself today—above the clouds, climbing a mountain, or circling a wall that refuses to fall—

KEEP THE FAITH. KEEP WALKING. KEEP TRUSTING GOD.

He hasn’t brought you this far to abandon you now. ❤️

“For we walk by faith, not by sight.” — 2 Corinthians 5:7

#RetirementDiaries #WalkByFaith #TrustGod #FaithForTheJourney #GodsTiming by @michellemybelleinsta