JB

Julie’s Journal

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Julie Bolejack is a 73-year-old activist, entrepreneur, and lifelong creative with a passion for empowering diversity, equity and inclusion, championing human and animal rights, and exploring the intersections of business, advocacy, and personal growth. With a master’s degree in business and decades of experience in project management, she now dedicates her time to helping people embrace new chapters in life. She’s a wellness enthusiast, and advocate for meaningful change – Julie is always learning, laughing, and elevating.

  • There comes a moment in almost every life when the question changes.

    It isn’t, “What do I want to be when I grow up?”

    It’s…

    “Now what?”

    Maybe retirement wasn’t what you imagined.

    Maybe your career ended before you were ready.

    Maybe the children have grown, a relationship has changed, you’ve experienced loss, or you’ve simply realized the life you’ve been living no longer feels like the one you’re meant to be living.

    I’ve asked that question myself.

    It’s what led me to write Bloom Again. And it’s what inspired me to write this next book.

    I’m delighted to share that Now What? A Practical Guide to Starting Again Without Starting Over is now available on Amazon as an eBook, with the paperback releasing on Thursday, July 9.

    This isn’t a book filled with quick fixes or empty promises.

    It’s a thoughtful companion for anyone standing at the edge of change, wondering what comes next. Through personal stories, practical reflections, and gentle encouragement, I hope it helps you discover that you don’t have to have everything figured out before taking your next step.

    One of the central ideas in the book is simple:

    You don’t have to start over. You simply have to start from where you are.

    If you’ve ever felt uncertain about your next chapter, I wrote this book for you.

    If someone you love is navigating a major life transition, perhaps this book will be a meaningful gift for them as well.

    Thank you to everyone who has encouraged me, read early drafts, shared your own stories, and reminded me why this message matters. Your support has meant more than I can express.

    I hope Now What? finds the people who need it most.

    Here’s to new beginnings—and to discovering that some of life’s most meaningful chapters begin with two simple words:

    Now what?

  • Health Is Not Punishment

    Group of friends in activewear toasting with bottles of fresh juice at an outdoor healthy living event
    Friends celebrate healthy living with fresh juices at a park event

    I spent many years hearing health discussed almost entirely through criticism.

    Lose weight.
    Try harder.
    Cut carbs.
    Fix yourself.
    Improve yourself.
    Shrink yourself.

    No wonder so many people feel exhausted by wellness culture.

    What if health was approached differently?

    What if it was less about punishment and more about care?

    Care for your future.
    Care for your energy.
    Care for your peace of mind.
    Care for the body that has carried you through every heartbreak and every joy.

    At this stage of life, I am less interested in chasing youth and more interested in protecting vitality.

    I want strength to travel.
    Energy to create.
    Mobility to walk through gardens and museums and farmers markets.
    Clarity to enjoy conversations with people I love.

    That feels far more meaningful than chasing perfection.

    A healthy life is not built from shame.
    It is built from respect.

    And perhaps that is the healthiest mindset of all.

    Julie Bolejack

    The Mindful Activist

    My book “Bloom Again – A Memoir of Reinvention is available on Amazon

  • Eating Close to the Earth

    The farther food moves from nature, the farther many of us seem to drift from feeling well.

    I am not interested in food perfectionism. Life is hard enough without turning lunch into a moral crisis.

    But I do think our bodies recognize honesty.

    Fresh greens.
    Real butter.
    Soup made from ingredients our grandmothers would recognize.
    Bread that molds because it’s actually bread.

    There is wisdom in eating closer to the earth.

    And there is something quietly rebellious about refusing to let giant corporations completely dictate how we nourish ourselves.

    Healthy living does not have to become another exhausting identity project.

    It can simply be:
    More real food.
    More water.
    More walking.
    More rest.
    More sunlight.
    More presence.

    The basics still matter.
    Maybe now more than ever.

    — Julie Bolejack
    The Mindful Activist

    ✨ For more thoughtful reflections on everyday living, visit JulieBolejack.com