Inspiring You to Embrace Your Life's Purpose & Possibilities
Author: Stacy Hawkins Adams
Through her fiction and nonfiction, author, journalist and writing coach Stacy Hawkins Adams inspires readers (and budding writers) to find meaning in their own stories, grow from life's lessons and thrive.
Like this post? Please leave a comment, then share it with others.
Also visit Stacy at StacyHawkinsAdams.com to sign up for her newsletter, and friend/follow her on Instagram @StacyInspires, X(Twitter) @StacyInspires and Facebook @StacyInspires. Learn more about her coaching services at AuthorInYou.com.
This time last week, I was wrapping up a visit to Savannah, Georgia, where I had an opportunity to gather with some of my favorite people – women I’ve coached over the past 8 years through Focused Writers, an online membership community I founded to support budding authors.
Stacy Hawkins Adams and members of her Focused Writers coaching group.
I am sunsetting this version of my coaching service as I prepare to launch a new model in 2025.
Our farewell month for the group included this “girls trip” to Savannah.
We strolled River Street, dined at the famous (and delicious) Mrs. Wilkes’ Dining Room and enjoyed a seafood boil at the beautiful home of our group member Wanda Lloyd.
Wanda invited local Gullah-Geechee storyteller (and recent TEDx Savannah speaker) Lillian Grant-Baptiste to join us for an evening of conversation about the power of oral and written stories, and their role in preserving culture and history. Lillian enthralled us with a performance of one of her works.
And I read my first draft of an inspirational nonfiction piece that I hope spoke to the women’s hearts.
Today, “writing in Savannah” (among other things) is on my To Do list, and I’ve scored a perfect pair of new readers to help me get it done.
Gullah-Geechee storyteller Lillian Grant-Baptiste
Part of that time will include penning some grateful reflections for having had an opportunity since 2015 to closely guide 30+ writers of all ages and stages through some facet of their writing journeys.
From as far as London, and from the East Coast to the West of the U.S.; from brand-new scribes to a veteran newspaper editor; from a global speaker and retired educators to a law professor and entrepreneurs, it has been my honor to mentor them through the birth and publication of their books, blogs, essays and articles; to prep them for traditional publishing opportunities and self-publishing journeys, and to advise how to market themselves and their work.
The most treasured aspect of Focused Writers has been the community of authentic care and support that we collectively built.
My pivot from hosting the group in its current membership format means new and exciting things are on the horizon. (Updates will be shared first with my newsletter subscribers. DM your email address to be added.)
However that unfolds next year, my mutual respect and care for these amazing alums, and others from the Focused Writers community, will endure!
Those are the words of my millennial daughter, Shelby, who frequently tells people that her Baby Boomer generation mother is in her third career.
Perhaps we Boomers took a lesson from actress Betty White, who once said: ““Retirement is not in my vocabulary. They aren’t going to get rid of me that way.” White lived up to her own prediction by performing well into her 90s.
Like many in my generation, after officially “retiring” in 2013 as an editor in seven daily newspaper newsrooms, I kept working. I became a professor, an author, an essayist and opinion writer, podcaster and a community volunteer.
Working long and hard was ingrained in the professional corps of my generation. And now, Based on a recent survey, it seems like the work-until-forever trend may be the case with the Gen Z generation, those who are behind the Baby Boomers – albeit for a different reason.
In April 2024, AARP reported that 20% of adults ages 50+ have no retirement savings, and more than half (61%) are worried they will not have enough money to support themselves in retirement.
The parents of my Boomer generation worked for what now seem like unreasonably small wages, yet they were able to sustain households. The elders in my family, those whose health allowed them to live long enough to enjoy the fruits of their labor, used their relatively comfortable pensions and meager Social Security checks to enjoy hobbies, church activities and time with family. My elders didn’t seem to covet working after retirement.
Not me. Now in my mid-70s, I believe working keeps my mind sharp and my body agile. After I left my first career, I didn’t look forward to hobbies, and after decades of work-related travel I had little thirst for long vacations. My years as a newsroom leader were full of exciting challenges — hiring great staff, developing talent, the demands of breaking news and daily deadlines.
No day was like the day before. That’s the pace I kept, yet I knew it would be difficult to totally pump the brakes just because I was no longer working in newsrooms. I knew it was time to redefine myself professionally.
These days I encounter quite a few other retirees who have transitioned from one hard-working career to the next, some of them still earning money and some simply enjoying the satisfaction of volunteering.
After departing my last newsroom, the Montgomery Advertiser in Alabama, I stepped into the role as a university department chair and professor, landing back in the coastal Georgia hometown that I departed 45 years before. Then a few years later I decided to step away from academia, and I began my non-fiction writing career, which included two books published in 2020, followed by a COVID-inspired virtual book tour. These days I am a lecturer and moderator on topics of great interest to me. And I continue to mentor the next generation of journalists and aspiring authors.
For those who may be approaching retirement and wondering how to adapt to the next chapter of life, here are some insights from my experience.
Give yourself time to figure out the next step. When you officially “retire” you may first be overwhelmed with calls for opportunities to volunteer, lead projects, join boards or get involved with someone else’s projects. Take some time to rest, clean out your closets or plant a garden – whatever gives you pleasure as you ponder your next chapter.
Dress for a different kind of success. Speaking of cleaning closets, one of the things I discovered is that I had way too many professional clothes and not enough casual stuff. Grocery shopping in the middle of the day dressed in business casual attire was not cool. My advice: set aside a small budget for more casual stuff; find a consignment store or donate much of your professional wardrobe. Hard-working, cash-strapped GenX or millennial workers may appreciate the value of your recycled items.
Go for long walks (especially if you have a dog). I discovered that walks with my Bella are therapeutic and a great opportunity to meet neighbors, enjoy the changing seasons and think about life’s next steps. And, I found that some of my best writing ideas come to me while walking.
Find a new community. If you are antsy to get out of the house and enjoy social events, check out neighborhood websites or social media to see what’s going on around you. In my community, I joined The Learning Center, where members enjoy lectures and programs that enhance our knowledge of our community, the humanities and culture in the company of other active senior citizens. Many new friendships have been developed at the center.
Maintain career connections. Stay in touch with former career colleagues, especially those who are also retired or retiring soon. And make yourself available to mentor young people who aspire to grow in your career field. Young people need the wisdom of our experiences.
One lesson I learned about retirement was from TV personality Fred Rogers, who recorded “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood” until he was 72 years old. He said this about working life: “Often when you think you’re at the end of something, you’re at the beginning of something else.”
Embrace that as you look for your own next beginning.
Photo credit: Jamie Weaver
Wanda Lloyd, an editor who worked at The Washington Post, USA Today and five other daily newspapers, is the author of COMING FULL CIRCLE: From Jim Crow to Journalism, and she is co-editor of MEETING AT THE TABLE: African-American Women Write on Race, Culture and Community.
I had an interesting conversation a while ago with a friend about what mid-life holds. Is it a juncture at which you look back on opportunities missed, hopes dashed, dreams deferred and resign yourself to whatever may come?
Or, do you see yourself at 40-, 50- or 60-something (and beyond) on the verge of new opportunities, just waiting to be seized?
Your perspective, and the actions you take as a result, make all the difference.
Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote the first novel in her Little House on the Prairie series when she was 65.
One of my mentors sought and obtained her master’s degree in her early 70s.
I read an article recently about Etta Baker, a mother of nine who recorded her first album appearance as a blues guitarist in her 40s and went on to perform with musical greats well into her late 80s.
More examples abound.
So what chapters are you continuing to craft for the story of your life?
It’s not over until you decide to stop reaching, seeking, growing and pursuing. If you dream it and put some strategic thought, muscle and focus behind it, you can do it.
Give someone who’s struggling an extra hug or a helping hand.
Say something positive in response to negative words or feedback.
Do a random act of kindness for the person you least expect to appreciate it; they need it most.
Tell yourself you’re special, because you are. The more love you pour into your own soul, the more you’ll have to share with others.
Make an effort to smile. It will light up your face and touch someone else’s heart.
Inspired by this Life Untapped blog post? Subscribe today to receive more of Stacy’s occasional musings – and share the link to this post with others in your circle.
As April, which is also National Poetry Month, comes to a close, I invite you to enjoy this poem I penned a decade ago. It is based on the themes in my third novel, Watercolored Pearls — a longstanding reader favorite.
I hope this piece inspires you to embrace your worth as a “pearl in progress” and to pick up a pen and try writing a poem yourself! Whether it be for personal enjoyment, healing through creativity, or for public impact, just do it.
You may amaze, inspire and encourage yourself. For we all have something to say, and we’re all worth being seen, heard and valued.
Inspired by this Life Untapped blog post? Subscribe today to receive more of Stacy’s occasional musings – and share the link to this post with others in your circle.
As we enter April, consider reflecting on your first 90 days of this year and give thanks for your life’s shifts – especially those that are helping you become a better version of yourself.
Just as winter shifts to spring in stages (more cold days before warmer ones consistently take hold);
and babies do practice runs (more wobbling before finally walking and toddling);
and tides cross a shore at their own pace (gently rolling onto a beach one wave at a time),
our human shifts are often gradual, and sometimes formidable. Yet if you look closely, you’ll also find that they are meaningfully worth it.
Consider how this process has unfolded (or is unfolding) in various areas of your life.
Give yourself kudos for not giving up, and for being further along than you thought possible. If necessary, challenge yourself to get up, get unstuck and grow.
Your future self will thank you.
Inspired by this Life Untapped blog post? Subscribe today to receive more of Stacy’s occasional musings – and share the link to this post with others in your circle.
It’s another day and another week to give it all you got, and the invitation this week is perhaps both simple and challenging, depending on your perspective:
Now that we’ve entered March and spring is on the horizon, why not take time to refocus, refresh and remind yourself that while you are enough as-is, your goals and dreams are worth still nurturing.
If you’ve forgotten or abandoned the resolutions you made 90 days ago, why not take this week to get back on track? Because you are worth it, and the effort you’ll exert is certain to cost less than the regret that may otherwise envelop you.
You can start over with a clean slate, for that’s the beauty of each new day. It comes with a fresh opportunity to hope anew and climb a bit higher.
In the process of trusting your process, your lessons, blessings and other experiences will teach you what you need to know when you arrive. Your job? To pay attention and press forward along the route to destiny.
As you lean in and embrace discipline, decide to appreciate the unfolding of your life’s story, as much as your circumstances will allow. Create space for moments and miracles that can transform you, and allow them to do just that.
One of my intentions this year is to bring my whole self to every role I embody, because all of Stacy shows up as the fiction writer, the nonfiction inspirational writer, the strategic communications professional, the mom, sister, auntie, friend and community volunteer.
With that in mind, while I will primarily continue to post in this space about my inspirational musings, my novel-in-progress and other author-related news, I’ll also be sharing occasionally about another endeavor that’s close to my heart: an opportunity to advocate for children and foster communications for a greater good.
I’m excited to share that I have joined the global nonprofit organization Children International (aka CI) as the Global Director of External Communications.
(To those who’ve inquired, yes – I’ll still be based in and involved in the Richmond, Virginia community, and I will continue my creative writing and occasional writer coaching.)
Here’s to those of us who are multi-passionate! Writing remains my foundation, and I’m grateful for this and other opportunities to evolve, grow and experience where it leads.
Traveling to Colombia with Colleagues
My most recent adventure led me to Colombia. It is one of 10 countries (including the U.S.), where Children International is serving youths and young adults who exist in dire poverty and need hope to believe their lives can get better, along with tangible help to make it so. Eight colleagues and I traveled there from the U.S. in mid-February, to meet with some of those we serve and with our Colombian counterparts who are leading operations.
Since words won’t suffice, I hope the few images I’ve shared here (plus more you can find on my Facebook page), convey in some small way, the mutual joy felt by all of us to connect as members of the CI family.
These young people repeatedly offered thanks for consistent educational support, access to health care, life skills exposure, and positive role models who pour into them, when the lure of gangs, giving up on life, and other ills threaten to pull them off track.
They expressed how much it has meant to exchange letters with people who have sponsored them with monthly contributions since ages 3, 4 or 5.
They described how the opportunity to receive Children International scholarships that fund job training has allowed them to dream.
Before we departed, one of the teenagers thanked us for our work by declaring: “You are a grain of sand that helps us have better lives.”
I left their presence knowing they are more than their circumstances. They are eager to learn, grow and be the first generation to help their families thrive.
On one of our final nights dining together as a team, a Colombian CI colleague took us to La Cueva, a restaurant famous for serving as home base for the city of Barranquilla’s renowned journalists, authors and artists. Unbeknownst to her, one of the waiters for the night — a 20-something aspiring writer — had once been a sponsored child through Children International. When he saw the organization’s name on our group reservation, he proudly introduced himself as an alum.
Seeing him working in an esteemed establishment while continuing school and nurturing his creative goals made our collective day. It was a welcome reminder that our choices to go the distance with others can give them breathing space to find their way.
I left Colombia all the more convinced that it takes just one person to impact a life. By changing the narrative for one, we are rewriting the story for many.
To learn more about Children International, visit children.org.
Inspired by this Life Untapped blog post? Please subscribe to receive more of Stacy’s occasional musings – and share the link to this post with others in your circle.
I’m sharing this familiar oldie but goodie cartoon/graphic to remind us all that what you long for is within you. You could be one belief, one choice, one step or one word away from walking into the destiny you dream of someday experiencing.
This week, may we all keeping searching within and find the courage to stand in the fullness of the purpose, passion, impact and joy that feed our souls and serve as our personal North Star.
Still Unfolding with Stacy Hawkins Adams 