Still Unfolding with Stacy Hawkins Adams
Inspiring You to Embrace Your Life's Purpose & Possibilities
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:
Authentically you, fabulosity and all.
Just show up as you.
Authentically you, flaws and all.
Just you — loving, loved and worthy of more.
Just show up as you…
and you’re already winning.
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.
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.
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I’ve been on a staycation this week and just a few days in, I feel like a new woman.
I’ve cleaned my fridge, and filled bags of clothes and other stuff to take to Goodwill and to a local church’s clothes closet.
I’ve hooked up a new computer (on my own), although my son chatted with me during the process, in case I needed tech support. Lol
I’ve fielded calls from my daughter, the bride-to-be, who is on the countdown to April.
I’ve chatted with a few friends daily and lunched with two.
I’ve turned down a brief road trip and a complimentary flight. Why?? To simply rest.
Which leads me to what has been the most meaningful part of this week so far: allowing myself to sleep until my heart’s content and move at a “whenever I get to it” pace. (Today is my busy day for the week. I’ve scheduled a few appointments and virtual meetings, and if I owe you an email, it’s coming!)
My fellow author Saundra Dalton Smith, who penned the bestselling book Sacred Rest, would be proud.
Because rest is indeed sacred, and it opens up our well and our energy for creativity, deeper engagement with others, better appreciation for our blessed surroundings, and greater willingness to see and serve ourselves. (When our wells are full; we can healthily pour into others.)
I haven’t paused this week because I’m ill(I feel great!); I’ve intentionally paused to ensure that my pace for 2024 remains measured and meaningful.
I’ve paused to ensure that I center myself in being fully present and focused on enjoying the days, weeks and months to come.
This “rule of rest” for the week felt uncomfortable at first (those waiting-but-not-urgent emails and chapters to write taunted me), but as I’ve leaned into the leisure, I’m certain it’s preparing me to dive more joyfully and energetically into my storytelling projects and other professional endeavors, my volunteer activities, family milestone moments, looming travel, and much more.
I’ve shared this, in part, as an invitation to join me. If your January was busier than expected, consider making time in February for your own sacred pause.
You may not be able to devote a week, but gift yourself a day (or a few) to lean into sleep – as much as your body craves – and enjoy some good food, laughter, and pampering yourself in simple ways that matter to you.
You are worth it. And so are the dreams, goals, work, relationships and legacy you are nurturing. Trust the timing of your life, and in the process, your preparation and strategic rest, will align.
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By Guest Blogger Lynn Lewis
As we settle into a new year, it’s a great time to reflect on the good of the year that has passed and assess how we have grown or blossomed. With this in mind, I invite you to spend a few moments with me, reflecting on some of the adventures, laughter, and unexpected twists that made my 2023 an extraordinary year of firsts. My journey unfolded with intention, leading to experiences that filled my heart with joy and my soul with a sense of discovery. As you read about my special firsts, consider what brought you hope last year and which of those pluses you may want to incorporate into your future.
I Signed Up for Laughter Yoga.
The journey began with laughter—pure, unbridled, snorting laughter in the form of Laughter Yoga at The Innerwork Center in Richmond, Virginia. Imagine this: a group of four, a cozy yoga studio, and the fusion of laughter and focused movement. We warmed up with simple exercises, gradually easing into a session of laughter charades that left us in stitches. It was silly, it was rewarding, and it set the tone for many more adventures to be had. The power of laughter, combined with the serenity of yoga, created an experience that reached beyond what I could have ever imagined.
I surrendered to an impromptu adventure.
Life has a way of lobbing surprises, as was evident on a planned day trip from Richmond to New York City, to experience Tea Around Town on a converted double-decker bus turned elegant tea room. The flight that my friends and I were scheduled to take was canceled minutes before boarding time. Now what? Pivot. After an impromptu photo shoot in the airport, we shifted our plans westward — to Charlottesville, Virginia.
This detour led us to Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyard, a picturesque winery nestled in the heart of Virginia. The day unfolded with a decadent lunch, a perfect blend of nature, good company, and the delightful exploration of local treasures in downtown Charlottesville. It was a subtle and welcoming reminder that sometimes, the unplanned detours lead to the most memorable adventures.
I enjoyed a Girls’ Weekend that Turned Out to Be a Lesson in Perfect Timing.
How often do we find ourselves waiting for the “right time” to do something we’ve always wanted to do? For me, it was hosting a few of my closest friends for Girls’ Weekend 2023. Some of them knew of each other, but they had never met in person. I had wanted to make that happen for longer than I can remember. The realization struck—what was I waiting for? The right time was now. No lavish resort, just my humble abode, transformed into a haven of laughter, stories and indelible shared moments. Five of the seven invitees showed up, and what unfolded was a perfect blend of friendship, games and heartfelt conversations. Sometimes the most meaningful experiences happen in the comfort of our own spaces.
Now It’s Your Turn — Here’s Your Invitation to Intentional Living!
What have you been putting off? What dreams and adventures have you deferred for the elusive “right time?” What is it that you’ve been yearning to do? As I reflect on my year of firsts, I encourage you to embrace the unknown and step into the uncharted territories of your desires. Seek out new experiences, savor the joy of the unexpected, and create a tapestry of memories that can help define your journey.
The joy I found in my new experiences has led me to a decision—to make a lifestyle of enjoying firsts. Share your stories, your dreams and your moments of joy. Let’s inspire each other to embrace a life filled with firsts and make 2024 a year of intentional living, where every day brings new opportunities for joy, growth and connection. Here’s to the adventures that await and the stories yet to be written.
Lynn Lewis is a Virginia-based grief coach, survivor of suicide loss, speaker and author. Learn more about her services at DestinedToThriveGriefCoaching.com and follow her on Instagram at @griefcoachlynn.
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There are so many good and exciting things happening in this season for so many of us, while destruction continues to befall many around the world.
This is the yin and yang of life, and also the reason to keep watch over our hearts, our thoughts, our words and our choices.
We may feel helpless, but what we CAN control or contribute to, we must.
Our truths matter, and so do our hope and faith, and our ability to see others and seek to understand them.
Let’s not give up on goodness or each other.
Pray for peace in the Middle East, and for peace in many of the cities, towns and homes across our nation.
Instead of bending toward the culture and a “by any means necessary” existence, what if we tried living with a “because everyone matters” perspective?
Your one shift, and someone else’s one shift, and my one shift could perhaps, together, shake the world.
I wasn’t planning to share this on social, because it was such a special moment between my son and me.
However, in the past few weeks I’ve had conversations with several other moms who are in the trenches of parenting, and chatting with them reminded me that sometimes when you’re in the middle of a thing, you can’t envision the difference your commitment is making.
These conversations also reminded me that when I was raising young children and then adolescents, there were moms ahead of me on the journey who encouraged me to keep pouring and loving and correcting and guiding, and to trust that the seeds being planted and the care being rendered were a worthy investment.
It is with this in mind (and with his permission) that I share this sweet note that my 22-year-old son surprised me with back in August, upon finding an old English paper amid his belongings before he returned to college for senior year.
It reads “You are my super hero!” and the note explains that he had described me as such in a paper written during his sophomore year.
In the paper, he explored how super heroes often steal away to transform into their “super selves” and change the world for the better. In my case, he indicated that my super power was writing.
He detailed how, as a young child, he often watched me focus on completing my manuscripts on some weekends and some evenings, and rather feeling resentful, witnessing me fulfill a dream that would give hope and enjoyment to others made him proud.
What a gift that note and the recently found essay were to my mama soul!
And what a powerful reminder that our babies are watching us, and in doing so, learning how to write their own super hero stories.
So, to my friends who are in the hands-on stages of parenting: Don’t let weariness cause you to give up or despair. Trust that just as your efforts to nurture your children and guide their dreams is a gift to them, so is your persistence in leaning into your own heart songs and life’s calling.
You are their super hero, and someday I’m confident that in their own ways, they’ll tell you.
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I’ve been exercising my creative juices for the past month on a small, but special project that I’m excited to share with you soon.
What I’ve loved as much as the process of refining the words and getting the aesthetics just right (with a gifted artistic partner) are the friends and fam who have offered feedback and edits, burned the midnight oil with me to ensure that I create in excellence, and reminded me that as “Ms. #LifeUntapped” not only CAN I think and move outside the creative box of titles and genres, I betta!
This is what rising together takes.
Iron sharpens iron.
Vision multiplies vision.
Shoulders lower so you can climb aboard.
What matters most is the art itself.
There’s a tired-but-happy place feeling that centers you as you’re producing it, and eventually the joy that comes with hearing readers express renewed hope or joy or value after experiencing your words. 
More to come on this project in early October. In the meantime, thank you to my tribe! When it’s your turn, the rising, sharpening, encouragement and lowered-shoulder moments will come full circle.
Around this time a year ago, I was slowly beginning to reclaim my time, after experiencing daily headaches for most of 2022.
Can I tell you how grateful I am at this juncture to read, write, travel, have fun and chillax at my own pace, through God’s grace?
So as I prep for some exciting opportunities this fall – and yes – some of them include writing projects – I don’t take for granted that each day and each experience is a gift.
People say I stay busy, but trust me – I “stay resting” and meditating, too, and it has helped me continue to grow and glow.
Wherever you find yourself on your life’s journey in this season, listen to your heart, your spirit and your body.
Press your way when called for,
Rest your way when called for,
and understand that both are necessary and helpful.
And when those seasons of doing and dancing and planning return, never forget what you’ve been through, because it makes where you’re going all the more special.
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Can you believe there’s just over 4 months left in 2023? Make the most of this day, this week and the seasons ahead.
You matter and so does what you choose to embrace.
Lean into what feeds your soul and forgive yesterday’s troubles.
Choose joy and focus forward.
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Still Unfolding with Stacy Hawkins Adams 