Midlife Revolution Unleashed

If Life Had Turn-By-Turns, We’d Still Miss The Exit

• Stacy M. Lewis & Wayne Dawson • Season 3 • Episode 68

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What if midlife isn’t a map with turn-by-turn directions, but a path you create as you walk it? We open up about trading rigid timelines for a living, seasonal approach that honors detours, divine appointments, and the wisdom you’ve earned. Instead of waiting for perfect clarity, we show how to move with a lamp that lights only the next step—then build momentum through small wins, mindset shifts, and practical structure.

We dig into why the linear blueprint breaks and how to release inherited “shoulds” that no longer fit. From entrepreneurship pivots to nonlinear career moves, you’ll hear real examples of adapting plans without abandoning purpose. We unpack the power of seasons—sowing, waiting, harvesting—and how patience plus strategy prevents burnout. Setbacks become feedback. Delays become data. Hope becomes action.

You’ll also get reflective prompts to reveal what’s life-giving now, what desires keep resurfacing, and what you’re being invited to release. We talk identity, the cocoon-to-butterfly transformation, and the role of coaching and community in seeing your gifts clearly when your inner critic is loud. Expect practical tools: accountability partners, weekly reviews, and a simple way to celebrate small wins so progress compounds. Faith and action belong together; prayer guides the path, practice moves your feet.

If you’re feeling stuck, behind, or unsure of the route, this conversation offers a calming reset and a workable plan. Subscribe for more midlife strategy and encouragement, share this with a friend who needs a nudge, and leave a review to tell us what season you’re in and the next step you’re taking.

Subscribe @CoachStacyMLewis and @CoachWayneVIP

💃🏽Stacy M. Lewis
🌍 thestacymlewis.com
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🎩Wayne Dawson
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Coach Stacy:

What if your midlife isn't a map with your turn by turn direction? But a path you create as you walk it step by step with light enough, just enough to see the next step ahead. Let's talk about it.

Coach Wayne:

You found the midlife revolution unleashed, the space to embrace your wisdom, reignite your passions, and move boldly into what's next. I am Coach Wayne, the VIP coach.

Coach Stacy:

And I'm Coach Stacy M. Lewis. We're here with insights, stories, and strategies to fuel your midlife journey. So take a breath, lean in. Your revolution starts now. Hey, hey, hey! Hey, Miss Stacy, how are you? Good day, Sir Wayne. I am well. How are you today?

Coach Wayne:

I'm chilling, chilling, getting ready for the season, as you can see. Though this is not my team, I just chose I like yellow. Yeah.

Coach Stacy:

Okay, all right. Uh I like a good yellow. You know, some say color of health and all of that. Uh so you're looking good no matter what, sir.

Coach Wayne:

Thank you, Miss Stace. Thank you. It's always a pleasure working aside alongside you, Stacey, Midlife Revolution Unleashed. And uh today, you know, we're gonna bust it up. Today we're gonna talk about most of us have had a plan in terms of a path that takes us through life's journey, and it's usually kind of linear, you know. We do the high school thing before preschool and all that, and then we get into college or vocational school, that sort of thing, and then we start our family and start a career, and then we go through all of those challenges, and then we hit midlife, and at midlife we're supposed to be here and we're supposed to be there, right? And then we get into retirement and old age, and we're supposed to be, but listen, life is not linear, and along the path, there are roadmaps and deviations and some appointed divine appointments. And today, Stacy, we want to we want to talk all about those.

Coach Stacy:

Absolutely. Uh, you know, the thing about midlife in particular is it has a way of dismantling or breaking down those linear pathways, right? Um, so our goal today is really to embrace and unpack that a little bit and really talk about uh how in this season or these seasons we can really navigate, uh, embrace and navigate the seasons, the detours, and those divine appointments that you referred to. So let's jump on in. Oh, one second, Sir Wayne. Did you introduce yourself to our listener?

Coach Wayne:

Listen, Stace. If they watch the movies, they see me. I'm the guy. So I am Coach Wayne, the VIP coach, and really my purpose is to help brothers navigate midlife so that their second half can be their best half. And Stacy, how and what do you do?

Coach Stacy:

I am Stacy M. Lewis. It is always my joy to be here with my co-host, Coach Wayne. I'm a midlife women's coach, a nonprofit executive, and a lover of God and his people on most days. And um certainly excited to talk to have this conversation uh and welcome you again to the Midlife Revolution Unleashed. Let's jump in, Sir Wayne, and talk about um why the blueprint breaks at this at this point of the game.

Coach Wayne:

Well, you know, the truth of the matter is at any point the blueprint can break because a lot of the dogmas that we attach to how we should live are not even set by us. These guardrails and these uh dogmas are created in terms of somebody else's plan for us. And we don't talk about somebody in the way of a divine plan, we're talking about institutional plans. Uh, you know, you gotta do A before B. For example, Stacy, in my world, there are lots of people that I'm seeing that are creating opportunities for themselves and others through entrepreneurship. And guess what they didn't do? They didn't go ahead and do the four-year standard college degree piece, which is part of the blueprint. So it's truly cyclical, and uh a lot of it is organic in terms of how life will unfold.

Coach Stacy:

I I agree, and that the the changes that we experience, right, as we've gone through different phases of that blueprint, right? Some of us have followed the blueprint uh letter by letter, and others, you know, have have had missteps or or changes or evolutions in the blueprint. And the reality is that as our life evolves and as we sage, as you would say, uh some of those old maps, those old blueprints become irrelevant. They're they no longer fit or create uh the next step that we should be taking. They they just are no longer in alignment with who we are now and where we desire to go. Um, sometimes those blueprints were old and they were based on someone else's dreams or aspirations for us. And now we're in a season that we can really determine what our aspirations are and start to outline a path on how we're gonna take the steps to get there.

Coach Wayne:

Yeah, and as you're listening to us, you probably are saying, Hey, Wayne, Stacy, you're talking to me because some of you, or you in particular, listening right here, you know that you had a plan for what you're gonna do after five years, say, of the job that you're with. And then life dealt you some stuff, you know, hill illnesses, a birth, a grandchild, whatever it is. And the plan has to adapt, it has to change, and you have to be agile, flexible, and be willing to change with it. So that linear thinking, that ABC blueprint has to go right out the door.

Coach Stacy:

Absolutely, right out the door. And you know, I can't help but think of the um scripture that talks about how God's word is a lamp unto our feet, right? So it's shining light on our feet, and it is a light to our path, not to our destination, but to our path, so that we can take the next step. And so uh a great question to ask yourself is where are you still holding on to outdated to that outdated map of your life? And what would it look like to let go of that?

Coach Wayne:

Yeah, stay out speak for me. I know a few years ago, maybe right after COVID, when I decided to fire corporate America, and I went back to the beach, burnt all the ships on the shore, and said, this is entrepreneurism, one way forward, no exits. And that was a beautiful plan. And as I'm as it's unfolding and the economy is unfolding today, I've had to adjust that plan. I'm in the process right now of creating additions to the Wayne brand, the VIP brand, so I can adjust accordingly as the times demand.

Coach Stacy:

Yeah, yeah, we have to evolve. And that is the beauty of not having that GPS or that clearly defined map, that we can really take those next steps in a way that helps us walk the path as it's being revealed to us, um, and helps us be nimble as opposed to so fixed on the path that we believe we were supposed to take or that map, that GPS. And you as you talked about, it our life is really about these seasons, right? To everything, there is a season, a time under the sun. And so these cycles that we um are going through and the ways that we want to move forward require a path, not a fixed map. A path is required.

Coach Wayne:

Stace seasons are so important, right? I uh oftentimes we are premature in trying to reap in the sowing season, trying to do things in the wrong season and not understanding why we are not yielding the results. In other words, you're not gonna harvest during sowing season, it just doesn't happen. So you have to nurture, till the soil, uh fertilize, and wait, and wait, and wait, yes, and wait, and a lot of us are not able to do that, so that requires a sense of insight, discipline, and Stacy, faith to know.

Coach Stacy:

Absolutely. I'm listening, I was listening to you, you know, say, and wait, and wait. And again, you know, the Bible for for both of us, I believe, is that basic instruction before leaving earth. And what you just talked about was where it says seed time and harvest, right? You have you plant the seeds, you must give it time. And in that time, there are things that happen, right? Sometimes there are financial setbacks, sometimes there are health setbacks that you mentioned. Um, it doesn't mean that the harvest is not on the other end, it just means that the path to that harvest is different than we originally envisioned or planned. So some good.

Coach Wayne:

Yeah, in business, I would say one of the things that uh is applicable to brothers as well as sisters. When you are, when you have a plan, when you have a vision, there's a trajectory. And oftentimes we're stuck on the idea that we have to elevate by taking this position in this company and then this position. But I have found out that that's not always the best uh source to get to where you want. Sometimes you may have to leave the company you're now in and go to another company, it could be the competition, or sometimes you have to, as they say, if there isn't a setting at the table for you, you have to bring your own chair and set your own table. Sometimes you may have to go out and and do something for yourself to get the opportunity to create the vision from the aspiration that you have held for yourself.

Coach Stacy:

Yeah, you know, I I just keep thinking about the reality. You talked about entrepreneurship and and and how change uh you know is sometime needed. And I think about entrepreneurship and the reality that some of it doesn't look like I envisioned, right? I certainly believe God is much smarter than I, right? Much more uh defined in the plan and creative in the plan. And so the plan that I have doesn't always manifest or look the way I thought it would. And that is being on the path, right? That's not having the map. I would, you know, create a map, which I'm sure would would maybe not have me in the place I really think it would end up. And so um I really think that this is an important time to embrace this idea of or this reminder that our life is on a path, there's not a very clear map. And in this autumn season, you talked about um the harvest, um, but I also think that this this season can be one of reflection. And you and I talked about a bit of a uh a coaching prompt that looks seasonal, right? That talks about what best describes your current stage of life, we'll say. And winter might be more like rest or stripping down. Spring is often referred to as new beginnings, summer is talking about fruitfulness, and then in autumn we have harvest and reflection. So, what a great time to really think about where we desire to go next, right? It's not the end destination, uh, it is the next destination. And what steps do we believe we need to take or to be in alignment, right, with our call, with our purpose, with our divine appointment, as you said? Um, what are those steps that we need to take that will help us move down the path?

Coach Wayne:

Yeah, and Stacey if we start seeing midlife as a season for transitioning, right? The season of transitions, then we are in a position, an advantageous position, having had some lived experience and some saging through the aging up till then, right? To look back, to gather what we have learned and earned from that experience in those previous seasons, to then start seeing the richness of where we are in midlife so that we can leverage that to propel to the next level in terms of that transition, right? Because again, as you just said, midlife doesn't mean the end. It's about reflection, it's about restoration, it's not resignation, it's really to restore and to revive and to move forward to the next half, as we say.

Coach Stacy:

He's on a roll today. Uh, you know, every season carries purpose, and we want to remind ourselves to embrace and treasure this season that we're in.

Coach Wayne:

Yeah.

Coach Stacy:

What? Um, let's talk a little bit about staying on the path to to our dreams, to that next uh vision, that next aspiration.

Coach Wayne:

All right. So, you know, dreams, Stacy, in my mind, are there to give you something to aspire to, to stretch, stretch us, to challenge us, to keep us uh moving, to energize us without dreams, without a plan, without a future, without foresight, we're kind of in a stuck place, right? You have nothing to live, live for, as it were, and I I don't want people to take that literally. But when you're not aspiring for something that stretches you in the way of a dream and a vision, then what else is there?

Coach Stacy:

Yeah, that's that's where the hope is, um, right? That that those desires of our heart, again, you know, the scripture talks about uh God granting the desires of our heart, of course, when they are in alignment with who he's called us to be and the destination, the destiny that he has for us, um that hope is what keeps us going, right? To your point, that's what keeps us motivated. And while we're in the trenches, sometime when those financial setbacks or those life setbacks, those health setbacks, when they uh interrupt, they can tamp down our dreams. And so we want to be mindful that even though there is that delay, or maybe that setback, or maybe dreams are or aspirations are resting, that there's still opportunity to recommit to those dreams and still take small steps on the path to move in that direction, even if it doesn't look like or feel like what we thought.

Coach Wayne:

Yeah. Stacey, those setbacks are truly, when we reframe it, feedback, right? That's not failure, right? That's just one feedback to say this door is closed, let me try another. And to your point, you know, taking small steps. We talked in a previous episode this season about building momentum and comes from small steps. I like to celebrate wins, Stacey, and no matter how small it is, it ought to be celebrated, and you can have a big celebration for a relatively small win because what you want to do is to prime the self. Yes, yes, you know, chair yourself on, as you say, Stace, so that you can really feel that momentum. Because midlife is a place where a lot of people get stuck, let's face it.

Coach Stacy:

Yeah, yeah. Well, that's that's indeed um why I'm sure I know that's indeed why I was called um into the coaching life. And it is because you know, I've been through my own stuckness in midlife, really. And uh a lot of that is now that's fuel, right? Now that is energy. Now that is life experience that we get to help others through. Um, and so moving forward is the way and building that momentum and not looking at it to your point as it has to be the big leap. It really is the small steps and that celebration. I'm sure that you as a coach, that's something that you talk about with your clients often. That is certainly something that I talk about with my clients and my colleagues because it's so easy to look at the accomplishment and not really acknowledge it as an accomplishment or a step and to just think about what's next. But that celebration, you're right, is fuel. It does prime the pump.

Coach Wayne:

Stacey, one thing I know, excuse me, for a fact, that we as coaches help our clients to get through is that stinking thinking, those limiting beliefs around what keeps you stuck and away from the path and away from the wins that are already within you and you may have already achieved. There's sometimes this thought or these thoughts about midlife. You know, we talked about it, not good enough, not old enough, not educated enough, not experienced enough. Hey, we got so much to celebrate, Stacey. We just have to reframe the way we think so that we can give ourselves to fuel up.

Coach Stacy:

Yes, yes, yes. And not defining ourselves by that old story, right? That old narrative of that stinking thinking. It really is time to move beyond that that old blueprint and into a new path.

Coach Wayne:

Yeah. So, Stace, I uh, you know, we are talking a little bit about how we see ourselves, the self-concept and self-image. And I would say that it's sometimes not clear for folks in midlife to see themselves as ready to launch again, as you know, the the caterpillar to the cocoon to the butterfly. Sometimes, if you're feeling stuck, just like the butterfly in the cocoon stage, you're enmeshed with all that stuff, and you may feel like you're stuck, but you have to be able the self-concept and image is to know that freedom exists once you get past that thinking, because there's a butterfly waiting for you to take wings.

Coach Stacy:

That's the gift of having a coach. I'm sure you have one, I have two. Um, you know, that is the gift of having a coach. It is someone to help you um think beyond your current cocoon, right? To think beyond the limitations and really ask you those questions. So let's just run through a few questions that our listener can ask themselves um in in this season, really to think about where they are. What feels life-giving to you right now? What's a desire that keeps resurfacing even if you try to push it away? You want to add to that, Wayne?

Coach Wayne:

I would say, what am I being invited to release this season? And who or what is lighting my next step?

Coach Stacy:

Step. Mm-hmm. Yeah, that that's good. That's good. Who's lighting my next step? Woo! That's good, that's good. I mean, we indeed invite uh our listener to stay connected to Wayne or myself or and myself, um, because we are really here to be of service and to help our listener, to help our clients move beyond and continue on their path to their own greatness. We are all here with gifts and a purpose and a divine calling. And so we want to help you live that out.

Coach Wayne:

Hey, Tiger Woods had a coach, Serena had a coach, right? You name it, all the greats, all the greats have never done it on their own, they have invested in coaching. So why wouldn't you?

Coach Stacy:

Right, right. It is that belief of investing um in yourself, and you know, we wouldn't be talking or saying these things if it is not a practice we didn't believe in. Um, because we are always still becoming, and so it's okay to want a little support in that area. Doesn't mean you're not good where you are, it just means you're looking to be great where you're going.

Coach Wayne:

Yeah. Stace, you wanna so we know we kind of went through some takeaways. Excuse me. I wonder if it's time for us to share with with you listening in some what we call call to action, some assignments, as it were. And you can hold yourself accountable, but we always prefer if you find yourself a reliable and relatable uh uh accountability partner, someone that can keep you in check, right? And if you can do the same for them on some other front, that's great. They say iron sharpens iron.

Coach Stacy:

Yeah, right. We're just all in the word today. Um, that is true, Wayne. You know, really, this is the time um to think less about the pre-drawn map and more about courageously walking a path that you may not see the road ahead, the path ahead, but in your trusting, in your faith, in your knowledge, you are taking those steps toward your dreams, your aspirations, what's next for you in this season of midlife. I love just from a key takeaway standpoint, where we talked about the seasons and this harvest season can also be a time of reflection. So, you know, I think the the call to action is really one um of reflection, of looking at the harvest that you've currently amassed and reflecting on how you've gotten here and where you desire to go. And I would say um, Wayne, we want to make sure that we share in the show notes the um self-assessment that you have because we want to provide tools, practical tools, actionable tools for you to be able to move forward um and be empowered in this midlife season. This is the time, y'all. Wayne and I we celebrate midlife and we believe that this is a season of richness. And so our hope is that the self-assessment really gives you just one opportunity to pay attention to yourself, to do that little self-check around am I expecting there to be a GPS or a very clean map about how I'm gonna get from where I am to where I want to go? Or have I begun to embrace the concept or or am I actually am I walking on the path in a way that I'm comfortable knowing that I may not have all the answers, I may not see the road a mile ahead, but I'm going to take the step in a powerful way to move toward my destiny.

Coach Wayne:

Amen. Amen, Stacy. Absolutely, folks. Now listen, in addition to what Stacy has just added, when it comes to action, and I know many folks are prayerful and they'll be saying, Oh, I'm praying about the season and all that, but there's something that you have to add to make that prayer really just activate it, so to speak. And one thing that you can do is to look at where you are in the season, to Stacy's point, where are you now? And uh what sort of resourcefulness you can draw on. What is based on your a dream, one dream, one goal, what is your next best step in moving towards that direction? Now, it may not be the typical pathway. You may have to, if you can't go in, you may have to go around or through. But what is that step that you need to take to get closer to that dream, that path along the way in midlife? And you can't do it alone. So who might you call on that can help and support you in that movement?

Coach Stacy:

Yeah, I would echo that and say, you know, yes, we call on God, we call on our Creator, and we remember that our faith without the work is what the scripture calls dead, right? So we must couple our faith with our action, our imperfect action. Our um intentional action that may not look or end up the way we intended, but we must move. We must move on the path, otherwise, we're just standing still. Wayne, you as a coach, I know that you are available. Is there anything you'd like to share with the people before we end this episode?

Coach Wayne:

Yeah. See, I'm wearing my Lake Kaz gear today, Stacey, because my plan is this season to do some trades to make sure that that team can look better. But uh, but as a coach, uh, an experienced life coach, I want to just say to folks, take midlife seriously, but also, but also with a grain of salt. In other words, you can humour yourself. You don't have to take it so seriously that you are fretting and in despair and stressed out. Seriously, in that you just don't resign, you reflect, you get ready to restore, rebound. And I would say just find some way this weekend of as you plan for that goal we talked about and deciding on what season you are, also make a little time on your schedule for some self-care.

Coach Stacy:

I like self-care, and I would add, make a little time on your schedule for some fun. In a future episode, we will talk about reconnecting with your childlike wonder. We think so often we're so fixated on the path or the map, and we forget that we are here to live, we are here to live this life, and part of that, yes, is taking care of yourself, mind, body, and soul, and the other part is having some fun. So I would say if you find yourself in a position where you're not sure what the next step is, you're considering what your aspirations are, or you've even lost touch with what your dreams are or what's next for you, and you're feeling a little like, yeah, I get this concept of the path and the map and the destination, but I'm just not sure where I want to go. I encourage you to get yourself a good coach. You can connect with Coach Wayne, you have all his deeds. He is indeed very active on social. You know how to reach him as well as it's always in the show notes. Same for me. I'm looking to make myself available. You always know how to reach me, it's always in the show notes. Coach Wayne's assessment will be in the show notes. What would you like to say in parting, sir?

Coach Wayne:

Stacy, one of the things that I do selfishly when I have these meetings with you is I get some free coaching from you. So I I come up in here with my stuff and you uh give it to me. And I love it, Stacey, because it's free. So I'm telling the folks.

Coach Stacy:

That's partnership. That's partnership. And my connecting, my connecting coaching call is complimentary as well. So Wayne is not the only one that gets the benefit of free coaching that is available to our listener as well.

Coach Wayne:

Yeah. States, we're out of time, but uh, not energy. So we'll talk about that in another episode, won't we?

Coach Stacy:

Sounds great, Wayne. It is always a joy to share this space with you. We thank our listener for joining us and for leaving maybe a note in the comments. Always feel free to share your thoughts. Uh, and we'll see you the next time. Thank you for joining us on the Midlife Revolution Unleashed. Go next. Thanks for tuning in to Midlife Revolution Unleashed. We're grateful you're part of this journey.

Coach Wayne:

If you love this episode, share it, subscribe, and hit that notification bell so you don't miss another episode.

Coach Stacy:

I'm Coach Stacy, and I'm cheering you on.

Coach Wayne:

And I'm Coach Wayne, and I'll see you at the top.

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