Spring Cleaning and New Beginnings

Spring Cleaning and New Beginnings

Aw! How I love Spring! The crocus’ appearing. Buds opening on the trees. Cherry blossoms lining the streets. Daffodils smiling and dancing in the breeze. All these signs from nature to me signify an opportunity for reflection, renewal, and for new beginnings.

We typically do spring cleaning this time of year. There is something so therapeutic about going through closets and your office and purging those things you no longer need, including clothes you’ve outgrown or that are no longer your style. Gifting them to a thrift shop or charity are a great way to fill yourself up.

How about thinking about spring cleaning “from the inside out”? Here are a few questions to reflect on and journal about.

What truly brings me joy? (e.g. activities, time in nature)

Who truly brings me joy?

What project, position, volunteer work no longer serves me?

What relationship(s) am I clinging to that no longer serve(s) me? Which friends do I really enjoy spending time with? Are there people I have drifted away from who I would like to reconnect with? Are there others who are no longer as close friends as before, yet who I still want in my life?

What steps am I committed to take to let go of that relationship, project, position that no longer serves me/brings me joy?

What new areas of focus do I want in my life?   What new project do I crave to start? Do I want to take a painting class? Start writing that new book?

By going inside and listening to what your heart and gut tell you, you will know the answers to the questions above.

I encourage you to take some time to reflect on what really brings you joy. What things or people are you ready to let go of? And what new passions do you want to explore or focus on?

For me it is my third book which is an historical fiction novel with Afghanistan as the backdrop. My intention in writing the book is dispel some myths about Afghanistan, Afghans and Islam. I have a heartfelt connection to this country and its people having lived and worked there for a significant amount of time. I feel the pain of what is currently happening in the country, knowing that at one time Kabul was a cosmopolitan city which was like a giant garden and a place where women wore mini-skirts (Would you believe!).

I welcome your thoughts and comments below. There is so much we can learn from each another.

New Beginnings: A Personal Transition Journey

New Beginnings: A Personal Transition Journey

Are you in the “New Beginning” phase? Based on more than 30 thirty years working with people and organizations, William Bridges, an organizational theorist, identified that regardless of the transition you are going through there are three distinct phases: 1) an Ending; 2) a Neutral Zone; and 3) a New Beginning. He also discovered that there is work associated with each phase and if we don’t do the work, we often keep repeating the same patterns in our lives and remaining unhappy and unfilled.

Bridges differentiated between a life change and a transition; a change being something external and situational, something tangible such as a separation agreement or a pink slip. Whereas a transition is internal and psychological; the internal work we do to reorient, integrate and readjust to our new external reality.

I’ve gone through many transitions in my life and have been fortunate to have chosen many of them rather than having them imposed on me. That said, both types of transitions require time, introspection, and benefit from tools to support the process.

I will apply Bridge’s phases to the current transition I am in with the hope that they will be useful to you.

Phase 1: The Ending

In late September 2023, I handed over the leadership of Female Wave of Change Canada – https://fwoccanada.com, a national, member-based non-profit I incorporated in December 2020 with the aim to build the community and grow the Female Wave of Change – https://femalewaveofchange.com movement in Canada. It was truly a passion project. I felt so aligned with the mission, vision and values of this organization and of Ingun Bol the founder.

That said, within the third year I started to feel tired and that I wanted to open up space to do more creative work. I waited for the appropriate time (e.g. until the Board positions were filled with good people who worked well together). I was clear and announced to the Board in early May of 2023 that by the end of September at our next Annual General Meeting (AGM) I would be handing over the reins of leadership. Fortunately, two extremely capable, heart-centered women leaders came forward to Co-Lead the organization and officially became Co-Presidents at our AGM.

The work of the Ending phase is “letting go” and I added to Bridge’s model “identifying lessons learned”.

In this transition What did I let go of?

  • The status associated with being President of a vibrant and growing community
  • Regular connections with the Board
  • Regular connections with the Global Strategy Team
  • Co-creating monthly gatherings with featured guests
  • Certain Structure in my days and weeks.

What lessons did I learn?

  • When I listen to my body’s wisdom and follow it everything works
  • It takes time to move from the ending, through the neutral zone to the new beginning even when you have clarity on your next goal/vision
  • The biggest lesson I learned is that you need to integrate the New Beginning into your body; it can’t only be a goal/vision in your head. This takes time and some healing. It cannot be rushed.

I realized I was really tired but didn’t give myself time immediately after the handover to rest up. Instead, I planned and went on an amazing three-week adventure to Portugal with a dear friend. It was great to reward myself, and important to recognize that I needed to take time after to nourish myself, rather than starting my next project.

How many times have you ended something, had clarity on your next area of focus and yet were challenged to get started?

That was my experience. Even though I wanted to open space to do more creative work, in particular, to write my third book, I found it difficult to get started. The best thing I did was not to force myself to start writing that book until I felt ready. It’s taken a few months of truly listening to my body and sleeping nine, ten and eleven hours a night and a three-week vacation in Mexico with my Sweetie to finally feel like I am ready to begin.

I share this experience and these lessons with you as when you are a driven person often you check things off the list, set your new goal and begin the next project without taking a break or celebrating. However, we all need time to let go, identify and integrate the lessons learned, celebrate, and re-energize and nourish ourselves.

I hope you found this post useful and welcome your comments and questions below.

Are You Feeling Adrift?

Are You Feeling Adrift?

Are you feeling adrift? I so relate!

The American Heritage dictionary defines adrift as:

“1. Drifting or floating freely; not anchored

2. Without (clear) direction or purpose.”

Here’s how I’m feeling adrift. I’m sleeping more than 9 hours a night. I feel low energy, particularly in mid-afternoon. I’m feeling overwhelmed by the number of emails in my inbox even though I’ve unsubscribed to many and now have two less email addresses to deal with. I opened up space for more creative projects, and in spite of knowing what my next book in general will be about, I haven’t yet started writing it. Even though my phrase for this year is “Playful Creativity”, I’m being challenged to be playful or creative. My passion and zest for life seems to have gotten up and run away.

I’ve been coaching people going through a variety of life transitions individually and in groups since 2009. My inner critic is saying: “You teach people how to navigate life transitions and have a 5-step Art of Change Framework”, don’t you know how to navigate this transition with ease, grace and playfulness?”

You’ve likely heard the phrase, “we teach what we most need to learn”. As someone whose gone through many personal and professional transitions, I am STILL learning.

I recently handed over the leadership of a national non-profit I founded. It is now led by two amazing women leaders, and I feel like I did a good job handing it over. For example, I facilitated the strategic plan for the next three years with the Board, and the one-year operational plan for this year. I’ve worked collaboratively with my Board since launching the organization and left a very strong Board who work well together.  I thought I was clear on the next steps in my personal and professional life, yet I am still feeling adrift.

Is anyone out there feeling similarly or have you in the past? If you are or have in the past, I welcome your thoughts and comments below.

About 7 years ago when we moved and did a massive downsize, I wrote about that journey and shared it in my blog- https://pamela-thompson.com/culling-again-yet-another-learning-experience/.

Would you be interested in me sharing this current transition journey and the lessons learned along the way?

Embracing the “In-Between”: Insights from the Middle of a Transition

Embracing the “In-Between”: Insights from the Middle of a Transition

This morning as part of my morning practice, I pulled an oracle card with the message “Embrace the in-between”[1]. That card is so relevant as I am in the midst of yet another transition. As of September 26, I am handing over the reins of a national member-based non-profit I founded on December 7, 2020. It has truly been a labor of love.

Within the last six months I received a strong message that I was done. I shared with my Board in early May at our monthly meeting that as of the end of September I was finished leading the organization. We brainstormed some names of capable women to take over and also decided that a Co-Chair model was a good way to move forward. It also embodies the quality of collaboration which is one of the feminine leadership qualities we speak and teach about at Female Wave of Change’s Women Leading in Change Program and in our programming and monthly gatherings of Female Wave of Change Canada.

I’m happy to report that two extremely capable and gifted women came forward and agreed to take over the leadership. I was over-joyed as I poured a lot of my heart and energy into growing the organization and didn’t want to have to close it down.

Having been through many personal and professional transitions in my life and having coached, written about, and facilitated workshops and retreats on navigating life transitions, I am still learning. The biggest lesson for me right now is learning to embrace the “in-between”; the phase between where I’ve been and what I’ve been doing and the future business, career, life of my dreams.

There is a tendency to rush through this phase as it is filled with uncertainty and often feels uncomfortable. Yet this is the phase where you have the opportunity to create your new reality.  How can we embrace the “in-between” in a way that will support us in moving toward that new life, career or business?

Here are a few insights from my own journey:

  • Embracing change is an inside job.
  • Identify what you need to let go of in your life, career, business, or relationship you are transitioning from. If it was a well-paying position, I invite you to let go of the status, the financial security, and the identity associated with that position. Here are some strategies to support you in “letting go” – https://pamela-thompson.com/letting-go-its-easier-said-than-done/
  • The next step is to identify the lessons learned. A helpful exercise is to write down what you do not want; for example, in a future position such as: working 50 plus hours a week on a regular basis, working without a team to support you … then flip these and write down what you do want.
  • Focus on how you want to feel in that new position, relationship, life … . Try using the stem I choose the end result (from William Whitecloud’s work) of a life of freedom and adventure; one where I awaken each day with a smile on my face and a song in my heart so happy and grateful to be living a life of joy, connection, fulfillment, prosperity, and abundance.
  • Journaling as part of your morning practice is helpful, without any expectation. Set an alarm for 15 minutes and put pen to paper and notice what you notice. I’ve found by doing this it opens up my creativity. An excellent resource is Cynthia Gregory’s Journaling as Sacred Practice: An Act of Extreme Bravery.
  • Spend time in nature on a regular basis. Having daily walks by the ocean or to a nearby park is so therapeutic. Notice the beauty that surrounds you. Take a few moments to sit on a park bench and look up at the amazing trees. Nature is calming and grounds us. It helps us to slow down and to not think so much.
  • Get clear on your passions is helpful in this “in-between” phase. A useful exercise is:

My unique Strengths and Talents

  • Draw a chart with two columns. In the first column, write down all the things that you are good at, or things that come easily and naturally to you. They could be things such as athletics, mathematics, writing, whatever you feel fits.
  • In the second column, write down the things you enjoy doing. They could include being in nature, teaching others, using your body, playing piano….

If you feel challenged by this, think back to what you enjoyed doing as a child.

Insights and Observations on My unique Strengths and Talents

  • Now look at both lists and circle the items that are similar or identical. Then review the circled items. Go inside and get in touch with the feeling each one evokes inside you. Does it excite you? Does it have little or no effect on you?
  • Rate each item on a scale from 1 to 10 according to the level of passion you have around it (1 being “no interest at all” and 10 being “red hot”)[2].

I encourage you to finish this exercise. Sharing your findings with others has additional impact as you may gain insights and support from them.

Keep in mind that even though you are good at something it doesn’t mean that you are passionate about it.

  • I urge you to not rush in this phase or listen to others and what they say you should be doing. Practice going inside and asking yourself, what do I really desire?

There is so much to be learned from the “in-between” phase of a transition.

I welcome your shares below based on what you have found helpful to embrace the “in-between” when you are in a personal or professional transition. It is valuable to learn from one another and to realize we are not alone.


[1] Card from Colleen Baron-Reid’s Spirit Animal oracle deck

[2] excerpted from pages 108 & 109 of “Learning to Dance with Life: A Guide for High Achieving Women”

Interested in Learning more about Life Transitions? Book Club Questions for “The Exploits of Minerva”

Interested in Learning more about Life Transitions? Book Club Questions for “The Exploits of Minerva”

“I invite you to join me on the journey back in time where I share key life transitions and lessons learned along the way. It is my hope that you will glean some new insights, better understand yourself and others, and realize you are not alone.”(The Exploits of Minerva: Reflections of a Sixty-Something Woman, p. 4 – https://pamela-thompson.com/books)

Minerva is a playful and sensitive woman in her mid-sixties. She believes that life is an adventure to be lived to the fullest and lives her life according to that mantra. Minerva has experienced numerous life transitions including divorce, finding the love of her life, burnout, living and working on five continents … . She learns valuable lessons and gains support from her women’s circle that she meets with every two weeks. The five women in the Circle have been supporting each other through a variety of life transitions for over two decades. They share their raw and real stories in this part-memoir, part self-help guide.

To help you reflect on your own journey and those of other women in your life, I’ve created a series of questions. They are intended for discussion in a book club. That said you may also use them to learn more about yourself and other women in your life who are similar to the characters in this story.

Potential Book Club Questions:

  1. What characteristics draw you to Minerva, if any?
  2. Which experience or experiences of Minerva do you most relate to and why?
  3. What is Minerva’s main struggle? What does she have to learn to overcome and deal with internally?
  4. Of the other women in the Women’s Circle, which ones are you drawn to and why?
  5. Do you feel you have a better understanding of certain life transitions after reading this book? If so, which ones and why?
  6. Reading “The Exploits of Minerva” has … ?
  7. Would you recommend this book to others? If yes, who and why?

I welcome your comments and responses to these questions below.

The Magic of Spring: A Time of Transition

The Magic of Spring: A Time of Transition

In the northern hemisphere where I live, spring is a time of reawakening and rebirth. After a long cold winter where the flowers are deep in the ground and the bears are hibernating, spring encourages us to pause, reflect and reawaken to new possibilities. It is a time when buds start to appear on trees, and beautiful daffodils and tulips burst forth to remind us to notice the beauty in our lives and to celebrate new beginnings.

What new beginnings are you celebrating? What new project do you feel brewing within and how are you wanting to share it with the world? Is it a new book, a new offering, a new partnership? How does it make you feel? Get in touch with those feelings and express them in your own way. That could be putting on your best tunes and dancing in your living room, going out for a walk by the ocean or in a nearby park. It could be painting, drawing, or journalling about what’s in your heart. It could be meeting a friend for lunch or a beverage and sharing the new project or partnership you’re excited about.

When you reawaken to new possibilities, how do you feel? You may be noticing you are low energy, and you need to take some time to refill your tank after a long, cold winter. You may be feeling something like a small shoot starting to grow within your heart that you’re not yet ready to share as it is still growing and taking shape.

I encourage you to take some time for you. Go for a walk in nature and notice the beauty that surrounds you. Listen to the birds and notice various signs of spring. Identify five things you are grateful for and really feel that gratefulness in your body. Another activity that is therapeutic and helpful to do at this time of year is to cull – go through your closet and identify clothes that no longer fit or suit your style. Donate these clothes to a charity you care about. If you’re a paper person like me, go through your filing cabinet and shred or burn documents you no longer need.

Perhaps imagine yourself as one of the spring flowers you most appreciate. For me that is the daffodils who remind me of fun, playfulness, and dancing with life.

How are you choosing to dance with life and reawaken to the new possibilities and magic of spring? I welcome your thoughts and comments below.