Tag: Inspiration

What Lights Your Flame?

Sunmertime is all about laidback fun and relaxation, and I’m here for it! 

But purpose can’t be put on pause.

At all times we must ask ourselves where we’ll stand and what we’ll do when life calls us to rise to a challenge.

Will you be a flame that leads the way and gives others hope or stand among the silent who feel helpless and resigned?

Last year around this time, many of us were asking this question as protests for racial and social justice roiled our cities and filled our TV screens; as the cries of the weary, wounded and heartbroken refused to be silenced.

We’ve now settled into a year of pandemic-style living, and with vaccines readily available, the world has opened up and hope is flowing.

Yet this return to a “new normal” is not a pass to forget about what has been or what should be.

You must remember – and be excited to acknowledge – that you’re on this earth for a reason. Yes, you, whatever your age, life stage, current circumstances or rearview choices.

Value yourself enough to discover, rediscover or reclaim your purpose, then summon the courage, and the excitement, to walk in it.

Doing so can yield an irreplaceable joy and a profound energy to persist – which inevitably will make your downtime and playtime all the more meaningful. 

“Flame” by Joseph Thekkekara is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Winning at Life

Recent examples abound of how one can speak the truth with love, 

choose to be a priority rather than an option,

and operate in integrity even when the consequences are steep.

Google Tabitha Brown, Nikole Hannah-Jones and Shacarri Richardson.

They’ve handled public dissing, downplaying of value, and rules-based punishment with integrity, and I’m sure you can think of others who’ve done the same.

Regardless of your view their personal choices, what seems to matter most is how they value authenticity and love on themselves; 

and when we all learn to hold our heads high while giving others grace, acknowledge our humanity and our worth, and own our missteps with plans to course correct, 

we’ll know that we’re capable of rising, and we’ll realize that whatever the fallout, we’ve already won.

The Gift of Words & Writing

I’ve connected with quite a few writer friends this week and it has fueled my creativity in ways that I didn’t realize I missed so much during the pandemic.

Two of the catchups were one-on-one reunions over a meal, and both of those friends/mentors reminded me that writing is important work – to be leaned into, wrestled with, granted free reign, yet relented to with finesse, because words hold power and stories help us understand each other; and when we put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard, sometimes we even surprise ourselves at the important truths, wounds, dreams, hopes, fears, strength and more that lie just beneath the surface.

Whether we’re writing fiction or nonfiction, that power – and responsibility – are the same.

My other gathering with writers was filled with amazing talent and wisdom too, and left me with an inner glow.

I share all of this to note that as I’ve spent time at my keyboard after hours and in the wee hours of morning this week, editing others work and also nurturing my own work-in-progress, I’ve felt more grateful than ever for the gift of words and writing, and for the opportunity to speak to the world in a manner that can endure.

What part of your purpose or your journey are you most grateful for this week? Acknowledge it and celebrate it in some way.

Author & Essayist Stacy Hawkins Adams

6 Reasons to Keep Going

I’m sharing this “public service announcement” to persevere for whoever needs it (and just know, that sometimes it’s me). 

If it’s not you today, pass it on!

  1. Keep breathing – your deep-in-the-valley season is just a pitstop.
  2. Keep dancing – the swirling storm will find it harder to touch you.
  3. Keep believing – beauty can indeed be birthed from ashes.
  4. Keep trusting yourself – you’re a prize worth cherishing, at home, at work and everywhere in between. 
  5. Keep paying attention – to your heart, to your gut, to what people show you rather than what they say, and to what you know to be true. Trusting yourself will never lead you wrong. 
  6. Keep laughing – it’s medicine for your soul, and everything doesn’t have to be so serious. 

Most importantly? Just keep on keeping on. 

I promise you, your best days are ahead, no matter your age, stage or circumstances. 

Your job is to persist in excellence, love with an open heart, set appropriate boundaries, welcome peace and treasure your joys. 

I’m living proof (and there are so many tangible examples around) that it’s all doable. Join me on this Life Untapped journey in your own way and in your own time. Just promise me, and yourself, that you’ll keep going.  

Photo by Brett Jordan on Pexels.com

Try On the New

New seasons of life, new opportunities, new doors to walk through are often what we pray for; yet when they arrive, we sometimes quake in our boots. (See my raised hand.)

But as my late mother told me in our final conversation before her passing, “Sometimes you have to lose to gain.” 

Growth = movement, and progress requires letting go of what’s in your hand now to take hold of the blessings that await.

When you feel at peace that you’re moving in the right ways and at the appointed time, go ahead and trust yourself – summon your courage and leap. 

As one of my favorite quotes suggests, your next-level joy is on the other side of your fear of the unknown – and your purpose-driven path may be there, too:

“What if I fall? Oh, but my darling, what if you fly?”

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Decide To Thrive

Every day that we’re granted is a new opportunity

to listen, learn, grow and love –

More to and for ourselves,

so that we can better hear, see and understand others.

No people pleasing or forcing your way is necessary. 

Just be; accept, and even embrace what is, so you can thrive in the garden in which you’re planted.

Photo by Magda Ehlers on Pexels.com

Effort and Intention

This is an era where waiting, watching and listening are among the best things we can do, so why not do them well?


Don’t just wait at others’ whim; grow your own patience. Don’t just watch what’s on the TV or your device; also watch your words, your actions and their impact.


Don’t just listen to what others say, pay attention to your own inner compass, soul needs, and heart.

It’s not as easy as it sounds, for sure; but it’s for sure worth the effort and intention. Make the best of this time, because either way, the time will pass. Get to know yourself and love yourself. Your efforts will pay dividends that last.

Photo by Prateek Katyal on Pexels.com

Love Deeper

Love is a word that’s often misused or misunderstood. But it’s also a reflection of giving, serving, leading, and leaning into doing your best to be part of others’ peace, fulfillment, joy and growth.

Love is hard, especially when it’s being executed by imperfect beings. Yet, given that it’s the foundation of all humanity, it’s also worth it – even when it means persisting at it, or letting go, or being more vulnerable, or standing tough.

Work hard at loving yourself more deeply so that it becomes effortless to give the best TO yourself, and in the process, pour out a more authentic, loyal and lasting love to others. Hate won’t end until we push harder to help love win.

Spring Is Your Reward


One of the things I love most about spring is that its arrival serves as a tangible reminder that “not now” doesn’t mean “not ever.” 

The sunnier and warmer days of this season are rewards for pressing through the previous months of darkness and cold – a season that was perhaps ordained to be a period of hibernation, rest and regeneration – a time to prepare for our longed-for successes, new opportunities or next level ahead.

As you lean into whatever this season brings for you, remember that most “overnight” successes have toiled in the winter of their own making for years and years – keeping their vision before them, getting up, pressing forward and saying “thank you” in advance, so that when their blessing or victory arrived, they could declare “Welcome! I’ve been waiting for you, with open arms.”

If you aren’t quite there yet, keep going and preparing. The good you do along the way won’t be wasted. It is watering your path, building your legacy and inspiring all you touch.

Twin Opportunities

Our two greatest opportunities in this life are to love unconditionally and to discover our purpose. 

In discovering how we’re meant to move through the world with our gifts and talents, we also discover how we’re meant to serve; and embracing this revelation is also an act of love. 

So live, love and laugh. Look within and keep stretching past your comfort zone. Be a reflection of what you want to add to the world and what you want to receive in return.