Beneath the Surface

Hi Reader,

Winter looks like stillness on the surface, but beneath the ground, something essential is happening.

In January, we’re often met with loud messages about fresh starts, bold goals, and decisive action. And yet, the natural world tells a different story. Winter is not a pause button so much as a shift in the kind of work being done. Roots deepen. Old matter breaks down. Nutrients gather quietly in the dark.

Many of us sense this same tension within ourselves. We may feel tired, uncertain, or restless -- aware that something is changing, but not yet clear what comes next. If that sounds familiar, you’re not behind. You may simply be in a season where clarity is forming underground.

If you’re new here, welcome. I’m glad you found your way. I’m a coach and spiritual director, and I work with accomplished, spiritually-minded people who find themselves at a crossroads in their work or life. My role is to help create space for listening, discernment, and wise next steps -- especially when the path forward isn’t obvious yet.

Winter invites us to honor this quieter kind of preparation. Not to force answers, but to pay attention.

❄️ Winter Work: Composting What’s Complete

I recently heard an intriguing metaphor on a podcast -- that winter is a time for composting what’s complete.

To be honest, I’m not entirely sure I understand all that the metaphor is meant to hold, or how well it stands up if we press it too hard. But it caught my breath. It made me pause. And it left me wondering.

Here’s what I’m sitting with so far.

Composting isn’t about getting rid of what no longer serves. It’s about allowing what’s finished, exhausted, or no longer life-giving to break down and become something useful again. Kind of like old leaves. They don’t disappear; they transform.

Beneath the surface in winter, roots are strengthening. Nutrients are breaking down. Life is quietly reorganizing itself. Nothing looks particularly productive above ground -- and yet essential work is underway.

Winter, in this sense, is a season of integration. A time when what has been lived, learned, and completed is given space to settle and transform.

And yet, the start of a new year often brings a very different energy. Pressure to begin. To decide. To launch. To figure it all out. That urgency can quietly pull us out of alignment with the season we’re actually in.

What if, instead, this moment is asking for something quieter?

Rest.
Renewal.
Composting what has ended, or what you’ve already let go.

Letting experiences, disappointments, insights, and even successes settle and integrate before rushing to birth the next thing.

This, too, is movement. This, too, is preparation.

For those in career transition, approaching retirement, or sensing a deeper reorientation of work or life, this winter work is not a delay—it’s an essential part of discernment. Clarity often grows underground first. Wisdom ripens in the dark.

Discernment doesn’t begin with answers. It begins with attention. With listening. With allowing what is complete to become fertile ground for what’s next. And winter gives us permission to do just that.

If you find yourself longing for language, practices, or companionship in this kind of listening, you’re not alone—and there are ways to explore discernment together.

UPCOMING OFFERINGS

🌌 Dialogues in Discernment: Exploring Practices and Pathways for Navigating a Noisy World (Online Program)​
Wednesdays at 6:30 pm ET | Jan 28, Feb 4, Feb 11

Do you have a desire to deepen your understanding of how discernment works, especially in complex or uncertain times. This series is an invitation to learn practices and perspectives for discernment drawn from different spiritual traditions and offering language, wisdom, and tools to support you in listening more deeply and moving forward with greater trust.

All three of these sessions form a powerful and insightful series, but we recognize that schedules can sometimes be challenging. Please feel free to join one, two, or all three sessions.

☕ One-on-One Support​
In addition to group offerings, I work individually with people through coaching and spiritual direction. If you’re curious about what kind of support might be most helpful right now -- or simply want to ask a few questions -- you’re welcome to schedule a Coffee Chat. It’s a relaxed, no-pressure way to explore next steps together.

📚 RESOURCE ROUNDUP

🧭 Your Crossroads Compass (Free Guide)

If you’re sensing change but aren’t ready to make a decision yet, this short guide is designed to help you orient yourself without rushing. It offers a grounded way to listen more deeply to what’s emerging and what may be ready to release.

🧘‍♀️ A Simple Practice: Heart Compass Meditation: Turning Toward the North

Settle into a comfortable position.
Feel the support beneath you,
the chair, the floor, the steady earth.

Take one slow breath in…
and a full breath out.

In the language of the Heart Compass, the North is a place of stillness, introspection, and wisdom.
A place where we pause long enough to listen.
Where guidance is not forced, but received.

Imagine yourself standing in the quiet of winter.
The landscape is sparse.
The air is clear.
Nothing is asking for your effort right now.

Let your attention turn inward.
Toward what feels steady.
Toward what has endured.

You might silently ask:
​What wisdom is available to me here?​
​What guidance is already present, even if I can’t name it yet?

You don’t need an answer.
Simply remain open.

Take one more breath, grounding yourself in this moment.
And when you’re ready, return ...
carrying with you the quiet assurance that wisdom unfolds in its own time.

💜 A Gentle Invitation

If this reflection or something in this newsletter resonates, consider forwarding this newsletter to someone who may be standing at a crossroads of their own. Sometimes the greatest gift we can offer is simply reminding one another: you are not behind and you don’t have to rush clarity.

As always, thank you for being here.

Blessings,

Lisa

Lisa Beacham
Coach | Spiritual Director | Workshop Leader

​www.lisabeacham.com​

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