Create Her - by Susan Hardwick-Smith (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

More than a guide to healthy aging, Create Her shows women how to become the vibrant future self they long to be--one intentional choice at a time.

Create Her is an honest look at aging for women in their midlife that is drawn from Dr. Susan's twenty-five-plus years as a gynecologist, menopause practitioner, and life coach.

Women in midlife are wise and educated. We already know what it takes to optimize our health. And yet we're often stuck in the gap between knowing and doing. Create Her bridges that gap--not by beating ourselves into becoming a better person, but by gently tapping in to what's unshakable, what we already deeply know is right.

Many of us are past the middle of life, and this call to be healthy is urgent. How we live our later decades matters--not just to us but to everyone who loves us. Aging well is not a selfish act. It is one of the most generous things we can do for ourselves and those who will care for us. And because generosity lives at the core of who we are as women, this reframe feels right. Taking care of yourself stops feeling like self-indulgence and starts feeling like love in action.

This book is built on a simple truth: Only from a place of self-love can we move forward with the wisdom that midlife offers. Balancing acceptance of who we are now, with agency to move toward the elder that we want to become, allows each decision to make our BED: our Best Elder Day. We are aging into our best future self. The question is whether we'll do it with intention, joy, and ease or with resistance and obligation.

While Create Her touches on the physical realities of health and menopause, it understands that emotional and relational wellness comes first. It's the quiet, unshakeable belief that "I am worth it and my health matters" that makes healthy choices feel natural rather than forced.

This isn't a book about how to be healthy. It's a deeply considered invitation to explore why--to free ourselves from fear and obligation when abandoning unhealthy habits and simply fall in love with something better.

About the Author

Susan Hardwick-Smith, M.D., is a board-certified gynecologist and Certified Menopause Practitioner specializing in women's midlife wellness, hormone optimization, and sexual wellness. She is the founder of Complete Midlife Wellness Center in Houston, Texas, and the best-selling author of Sexually Woke: Awaken the Secrets to Your Best Sex Life in Midlife and Beyond. She also hosts the popular podcast and YouTube show "Empowering Midlife Wellness."

Dr. Susan is the recipient of the Texas Super Doctor Award over a dozen times, as well as a multiple-time recipient of H-Texas magazine's Top Doctor and Top Doctor for Women Awards. She has been chosen as one of Houston's three best-rated gynecologists in several consecutive years. Dr. Susan is also an ICF certified life and leadership coach, multiple-time marathoner, highly experienced Ironman triathlete, and the mother of three young adults.