Wisdom of the Heart provides inspiration and resources for living life with deeper meaning and purpose as you navigate life’s transitions. As a coach and spiritual director, Lisa helps accomplished, spiritually minded people in mid-late career who feel burned out, empty and stuck to reconnect with their purpose, gain clarity about what they most desire and transition to their next fulfilling career or into a thriving retirement with confidence and peace of mind.
When one chapter ends...
Who Am I Becoming Now?Hi Reader, Over the past few weeks, I’ve been struck by how unpredictable this season has felt. One day it’s 80 degrees and full of light… the next, snow, dark clouds, or heavy winds roll through. Even here in the mid-Atlantic area, the swings have been dramatic -- warmth, then cold, then storms, even tornados, that seem to come out of nowhere. In some ways, it feels like a reflection of the larger moment we’re living in. There is so much happening in the world right now that can feel unsettling, confusing, shocking, even disorienting at times. And yet… beneath all of that, something else is quietly happening. The days are getting longer. The light is returning. The earth is beginning to soften. As we approach the Spring Equinox -- a moment of balance between light and dark -- I find myself wondering how we might also experience a kind of steadiness within ourselves, even as everything around us feels like it’s shifting. Especially for those of you who are standing on the edge of a significant life transition (like retirement or career change) this time can feel like a mix of emotions: anticipation, uncertainty, or even a sense of loss alongside possibility. If that’s you, I want to gently say: you’re not alone in that experience. And perhaps this season is not asking you to have all the answers… but simply to stay present to what is beginning to change. 🌿 As One Chapter Comes to a CloseWhile this reflection is focused on the transition into retirement, its invitation extends to anyone sensing that one chapter is ending and something new is beginning. Last year a client who was struggling to finally set a retirement date said something that has continued to stay with me. They told me: Yikes! No wonder they weren't rushing to retire. What they were seeing wasn’t freedom or possibility… it was emptiness, a void. And in my experience, this is often what sits just beneath the surface for many people approaching retirement. On the outside, the questions sound practical: But underneath is something much deeper: Who will I be when this part of my life ends? Retirement itself is not a void. In fact, for many, it becomes a meaningful and life-giving season. One that holds space for new rhythms, deeper relationships, creativity, contribution, and even rest in a way that wasn’t possible before. But the transition into retirement… that’s where things can feel uncertain, and even a bit scary. It’s a subtle unraveling. Roles that once defined you begin to loosen. The structure you’ve relied on for years starts to shift. And before something new becomes clear, there can be a stretch of time that feels unformed, even disorienting. Most of us aren’t very comfortable there. We’re wired to move quickly toward answers. To make a plan. To figure it out. But what if this part isn’t meant to be rushed? This is where the early days of Spring offer a quiet kind of wisdom. Nothing (or almost nothing) is fully in bloom yet. The ground is still softening. And plenty is still happening beneath the surface that we can’t see. In much the same way, our transitions aren't only about deciding what comes next. They're also about letting things fall away. Letting go of roles that have shaped you. And yes, that can feel uncomfortable. But it’s also where something new begins to take root. So instead of asking, “What should I do next?”—
This is the work of discernment. Not forcing clarity. Not rushing the timeline. But listening for what is true, and responding, one step at a time. Retirement is not the end of something. It is the beginning of a new season -- one that will likely unfold in its own time, in its own way. But how you enter that season matters. If you move too quickly, you may carry old expectations into a life that is asking something different of you. But if you allow yourself to linger here -- just for a bit -- in this space of listening and becoming… ... you may find that what emerges feels more aligned, more spacious, and more truly your own. For now, perhaps it’s enough to notice: What is ending. 📚 RESOURCE ROUNDUPA Poem: You are in this time of the interim What is being transfigured here is your mind, A Book: 🌷 UPCOMING OFFERINGSSpring Seasonal Reset: Emerging with Clarity, Balance, and Intention As Spring approaches, nature invites us to embrace new beginnings and fresh energy. But how often do we pause to honor this shift in our own lives? You are invited to join me for a Spring Seasonal Reset to honor the emerging energy of Spring and the balancing power of the Equinox. Take time to reconnect with your heart and refocus on what’s most important as we prepare for the new season. THIS SUNDAY 3/22! DON'T MISS JOINING US.
💛 PRACTICE OF THE MONTHA Gentle Practice for the In-Between Find a quiet moment ... perhaps in the morning light or at the end of your day. Take a few slow, steady breaths. Then simply ask yourself:
What is softening in me? What is beginning, even if I can’t fully see it yet? Notice what comes. This is the practice of staying present to your own becoming. Wishing you a beautiful and renewing Spring season. Happy Spring Equinox! Blessings, Lisa Lisa Beacham Hey there! You’re getting this email because you’re a valued friend, client, or colleague. You may also have downloaded a free resource of mine or attended one of my workshops. I’d love to stay in touch and share things that are inspiring and support living life with deeper purpose. You may of course choose at any time to unsubscribe with the link below. Otherwise, I truly appreciate the opportunity to communicate with you. |
Wisdom of the Heart
Wisdom of the Heart provides inspiration and resources for living life with deeper meaning and purpose as you navigate life’s transitions. As a coach and spiritual director, Lisa helps accomplished, spiritually minded people in mid-late career who feel burned out, empty and stuck to reconnect with their purpose, gain clarity about what they most desire and transition to their next fulfilling career or into a thriving retirement with confidence and peace of mind.
Hi Reader, Spring is approaching fast. We are already being teased with some warm sunny days and there's a subtle shift in the air, the feeling that something new is beginning to stir. But here’s a question I often sit with at this time of year: Are you stepping into this season with intention, or simply drifting into it? Nature moves through its seasons with wisdom and rhythm. Yet in our own lives, we often move from one season to the next without pausing to notice what is changing within...
Hi Reader, Last week I offered a reflection for Well for the Journey's Well Being Wednesday that explored a question that feels especially relevant in our times: What if fragmentation is not the deepest truth about us? Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in Letter From A Birmingham Jail wrote: “We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” Even when life feels divided…even when relationships feel...
Something is Stirring Hi Reader, Have you felt it? Not full spring. Not yet. But something shifting. And this year, early February holds a quiet convergence. There are at least four events from various spiritual traditions that happen around this time of year, but since they are all tied to sun and moon cycles in different ways their dates on our Gregorian calendar shift each year. This year they all fell with within the first two weeks of February - three of the four happened this week!...