Tag: love

The Middle Is Where It Happens

Here’s what I’ve learned after writing 12 books, navigating countless pivots and watching life unfold in unanticipated ways:

The middle is where the transformation actually happens.

Not the beginning—that’s just the spark. Not the ending—that’s just the reveal.

The middle? That’s where you:

  • Question everything you thought you knew
  • Discover strengths you didn’t know you had
  • Learn to trust yourself even when you can’t see the path
  • Become someone you weren’t when you started

The middle is uncomfortable, uncertain and sometimes scary.

And let’s consider something radical: What if your messy middle season is what’s required to grow you into a person who can navigate the best chapters ahead with wisdom, poise and resilience? What if you need to go through “this” to be prepared to honor and elevate “that?”

What if the timing of your life is exactly right—even when it doesn’t match your plan?

I’ve learned in my toughest seasons to breathe through it, pray through it, lean on the tenets of my faith and rest in the hope that my resilience and hope will see me through.

Doing this has given me permission to stay in the present, to be in the middle of my story and to intentionally nurture myself. I’ve found the courage to not have it all figured out – to change my mind, alter my path and rewrite the plan.

I’ve surrendered to being in progress, without perfection; to trust that where I am is exactly where I need to be as my life actively unfolds.

And that’s not something to apologize for – that’s something to honor.

As the year winds down and a new one approaches, let’s ask ourselves:

“What wants to unfold in me next?”

Not: What do I need to force or fix or figure out?

What’s already trying to emerge if I just give it space?

Not: Where should I be by now?

Where am I being invited to go next??

I believe in you – in us!

So write your vision, speak life into it and embrace the positives in your present on the way to your next chapter.

“Sunrise — Oregon Mountain Pass” by Beyond the Trail (Gary Robertson) is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.

If you’re not already on my author email list (which is different from this blog post subscription), now’s a great time to join me in both places! In addition to my occasional blog posts here, on every Monday I send a brief message of encouragement straight to your email inbox—and you’ll be the first to know about my TV appearances, events and everything Still Unfolding. Subscribe here.

Your Story Is Still Unfolding (And So Is Mine)

Why this Life Untapped blog is becoming Still Unfolding—and what it means for you

Twenty years.

That’s how long I’ve been showing up as “Life Untapped.”

Twenty years of writing, speaking, sharing stories, and encouraging you to discover the relevance in your own narrative. Twenty years of believing that potential exists in all of us—waiting to be discovered, activated, lived.

And it’s been beautiful.

“Life Untapped” has been the perfect metaphor to highlight how within each of us lies something powerful—an abundant life just waiting to be accessed, unlocked, released.

And while that remains true, what’s also factual is that our efforts to thrive through life’s ups and downs, and our still-present hopes and dreams, are worth honoring at every age and stage.

As I’ve grown—through writing 12 books, navigating my own pivots, listening to your stories, and deepening my understanding of transformation—I’ve realized something:

Our quest isn’t just about discovering potential that we’ve left dormant or untapped (although this IS part of it); it can also be about summoning the courage to keep going and to keep saying “yes” to ourselves.

What speaks to your heart? What tugs at you? What will you regret not doing because of what society or those around you declared you “should” be doing instead?

Over the years, as I’ve connected with others who’ve navigated career changes, relationship shifts, grief journeys, health challenges and more (and gone through shifts myself) —I’ve recognized a recurring reality:

Our stories aren’t static potential waiting to be tapped.

Life is an ongoing process of becoming.

You (we) are unfolding—slowly, imperfectly, beautifully—into versions of ourselves that we may not even realize are possible.

Unfolding never stops.

Not at 30. Not at 50. Not at 70.

Still Unfolding is about giving ourselves permission to be in process—forever.

It means:

  • Growth is lifelong. There’s no finish line where you finally have it all figured out.
  • You’re not behind. The timeline you imagined for your life isn’t the only valid one. Your unfolding is happening exactly as it should.
  • Pivots aren’t failures. They’re part of the process. Every turn, every detour, every unexpected chapter is shaping you.
  • Your best experiences may still be ahead. Age doesn’t diminish possibility. Some of the most transformative chapters come later than we expected.
  • You’re allowed to evolve. The person you were five years ago — even a year ago — doesn’t have to be the person you are now. Change isn’t betrayal—it’s honoring the present with the gift of all you’ve become thus far.

What’s Changing

As of today, Life Untapped is becoming Still Unfolding.

Here’s what that means practically:

✨ Still Unfolding is how you’ll see me reference my work instead of Life Untapped on a regular basis. However, my focus will still be transformation, inspiration, life transitions and encouraging you to keep becoming.

✨ Life Untapped will still be used occasionally, because it still reflects part of our unfolding journey – so you’ll still occasionally see my hashtag, and one of the categories of this blog will be Life Untapped Living.

This Blog:

🌐 The URL is changing: LifeUntapped.com → StillUnfolding.com

📝 ALL content remains: Every blog post, every category, every resource you’ve relied on stays exactly where it is. Nothing is being deleted. The archive is intact.

Here’s what also stays the same:

✅ My commitment to you. This has always been about authentic connection, and that remains unchanged.

✅ My belief that your story and your journey matter.

✅ Content designed to inspire, inform and uplift you.

If you’ve been here for years, thank you for reading my blog posts and other social media content, and thank you for allowing me to be part of your journey.

If you’re new here, welcome! You’ve arrived at exactly the right time.

Together, let’s step into our unfolding and have a blast. Let’s remind each other: We’re all still unfolding.

P.S. If you’re not already on my author email list (which is different from this blog post subscription), now’s a great time to join me in both places! In addition to my occasional blog posts here, on every Monday I send a brief message of encouragement straight to your email inbox—and you’ll be the first to know about my TV appearances, events and everything Still Unfolding. Subscribe here.

Love Hard, Will You?

On this Valentine’s Day, join me on this worthy quest: Love yourself first so you can love others better.

Love all of your gifts and talents, but also all of your quirks and flaws. Love the ways and seasons within you that are both beautiful and less than stellar.

Love the innocent child you once were and the broken but blessed adult you’ve become. Love the “seasoned citizen” you’re growing into each day. 

When you love you like that, it’s so much easier to selflessly care for, lift up, stand with, fully embrace and give to others. 

So start anew, if necessary, to make sure you’re loving yourself, for yourself, just because. Doing so will allow the mutual love and respect that flows between you and others all the more special and all the more real. 

Enjoy your journey, and appreciate as “loving hard” becomes easier by the day.

Love Endures In Times of Loss

I’m what you call a rider. Not perfect by any means, but striving always to help those in my circle through thick and thin. 

When you win, I’m celebrating the victory with you. When you suffer a loss, I’m holding your hand through the grief, even if only virtually.

It’s just Wednesday, and the losses are heavy this week in my family of friends, and (not that it really matters) none so far are COVID-related.

A loss is a loss. A life cut short cuts deep for those left behind to live with the void. 

And in these times when we can’t drop by to sit and pray, to share a dish and kind word, or even attend a funeral or memorial service (except through livestream), many are feeling anchorless, and baffled about how to support others or find closure themselves. 

What I’ve been leaning into is the truth of the only thing that endures: love. It is a river and a language and a bond that flows and speaks and connects us in ways we often don’t understand or can’t articulate.

Love leaves an imprint on our lives and in our hearts that, after a loss, grows into a powerful legacy. 

When all else fails and nothing makes sense, we must hold onto the reality that love is the answer. 

We must use our words to tell the hurting we love them, for words can be a healing force. That declaration can be followed by whatever acts of kindness we can muster in quarantine, whether a consistent text or call or sending a card, flowers or gift card, or adding the grief-stricken to our prayer list, or sitting on the phone and letting them talk. 

As we go back to basics in so many ways during this pandemic, choose to make love your basic foundation, or increase its strength if it already is.

 When you love yourself more, you’ll have a full well from which to give.

When you love others more, you’re helping fill their depleted tanks and shoring them up until they can stand again.

This week, I’m covering my dear friends grappling with deep loss in love and more love. 

️And because love is neverending, I’ve got enough overflow to share with you, too.

Whatever you are facing today, know that I love you.

Lean on those closest to you and tell them if you need help. Focus on what is before you in this minute or this hour and just breathe. Trust God. And know that light eventually follows darkness. Always. 

Be the Superlative

~ By Stacy Hawkins Adams
TGIF! Today is the kickoff for Super Bowl Weekend (guess I’ll root for those Falcons since my Boys won’t be playing), and it’s also a great day to be a superlative in someone else’s life.
Share a smile. Give a hug. Forgive an old grudge. Make a new friend. Laugh. Be kind. Eat some chocolate.
Accept someone different instead of judging, remembering that we never know another person’s full story. creative-commons-cco-pixababy-thunderstorm
Treat encounters with hate as opportunities to inject some light and love into a dark space.
Read something meaningful or simply fun – just read!
Celebrate life and decide to enjoy every drop of this day.