Tag: starting over

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.

Keep Beginning Again

“Working keeps my mind sharp and my body agile”

By Guest Blogger Wanda S. Lloyd

“My mom doesn’t know how to retire.”

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.

Her Story: The Sliver Linings in Curveballs

By Guest Blogger Dawn McCoy

At the time, it seemed so wrong. It was something that happened to other people. Then it happened to me.

I found myself so blindsided by my company’s sweeping corporate layoff that almost 10 years later, I still cannot recall what was said during the announcement. This was a position I was sure was secure – so much so that I relocated from California to Virginia to oversee a regional office for the organization.

After the layoff, I chose not to move elsewhere or return to California. Instead, I assumed that my college education, leadership positions and 20 years of work experience meant I could readily transition into another top organizational position.

Networking skills and political acumen helped me navigate in the unfamiliar region. However, dead-end interviews and lukewarm job leads ended with closed doors. It was the first time I felt defeated despite my accomplishments. Occasionally I glanced at my diplomas and awards shaking my head in disbelief.

As with other life-changing experiences I’ve gone through, I faced the harsh reality and decided I had to think fast. In this case, that meant reinventing myself and shifting my thinking beyond the expected “climb up the career ladder.”

I began to approach my next steps by thinking beyond checkboxes on a job application. I leveraged my expertise to speak, teach and write, and translated those areas of expertise into a hybrid of part-time work and contract opportunities.

Thankfully, my background in drafting technical user manuals, regulatory policies and corporate compliance requirements paid off. I was able to translate those skills into valuable lectures, life-learning guides and proposals. Networking and strategic thinking also morphed into valuable grant-writing and fundraising opportunities. Who knew!

The same year as the layoff I launched a leadership development and communications firm to empower others with training modules and tools. Looking back, it was the beginning of a new chapter to serve others and at the same time chart a different career path.

Interesting enough, within three years of the layoff, my young son’s special needs and chronic health issues required a more non-traditional work schedule to accommodate his therapies and medical appointments. Not to mention that he had repetitive, unpredictable health problems. Thankfully I was already in a work capacity that nurtured my role as mother of a special needs child.

Had the unfortunate corporate downsizing really manifested into an unforeseen blessing?

The silver lining in my 10-year journey means remembering the layoff as a life-changing event that no longer makes me frown, but cherish even unsavory situations. Turning the corner does not mean that I have lost time or given up a future cushy-corner office. On the contrary, I continuously remind myself to embrace a new paradigm that nurtures my creativity and makes my spirit soar.

Dawn McCoy is a leadership strategist, speaker and the author of Leadership profile-headshotBuilding Blocks. She is also founder of Flourish Leadership Group, LLC, and a senior service facilitator with Moms in Motion, a consumer-directed Medicaid Waiver service facilitation case management provider. Dawn and her son reside in Central Virginia and enjoy the arts. Learn more about Dawn at Flourish Leadership Group (www.flourishleadership.com). You can also connect with her on Facebook at Dawn McCoy Books  and Twitter @dawnmccoy02