As we step into 2025, the world feels more unpredictable than ever. Wars rage on in the Middle East, gender apartheid continues in Afghanistan, and the swearing-in of US President Donald Trump underscores a surge of right-wing leadership globally. These seismic shifts leave many of us grappling with fear, uncertainty, and a sense of being unmoored.
For mission-driven women at a crossroads, this uncertainty can feel like a call to retreat or an invitation to rise. If you’re an empath or someone deeply attuned to the world’s pain, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed, as though you’re carrying the weight of these changes on your shoulders. The emotional rollercoaster of navigating fear, doubt, and hope can drain your energy and clarity.
But take heart: you’re not alone, and you’re not powerless. Understanding how our brains react to uncertainty can help us break free from the paralysis of fear. Our amygdala—the part of the brain wired to detect threats—reacts to change by triggering stress hormones. These hormones push us into fight, flight, or freeze mode, impairing our ability to think clearly, make decisions, and take meaningful action. If prolonged, this stress can harm our health, leading to burnout, autoimmune disorders, or even more severe chronic illnesses.
How, then, can we as mission-driven women reclaim our focus, productivity, and creativity in such turbulent times? By intentionally adopting practices that nurture our minds, bodies, and spirits, we can turn this crossroads into a powerful pivot point for growth and leadership.
8 Life-Saving Practices to Navigate Change and Uncertainty
Pause and Breathe Deeply When anxiety strikes, take three slow, deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth, exhaling audibly. This simple act activates oxytocin, a hormone that calms your nervous system and brings immediate relief.
Prioritize Daily Self-Care Begin each morning by asking yourself, “How do I want to nurture myself today?” Whether it’s a heartfelt chat with a friend, a soothing bubble bath, or a leisurely walk, honor your needs and make time for self-care.
Connect with Nature Spend at least 30 minutes daily outdoors. Walking among trees lowers blood pressure, reduces stress, and strengthens your immune system. Nature’s grounding energy can help you regain clarity and balance.
Engage Your Creative Side Tap into activities that bring you joy and help you lose track of time, such as painting, writing, gardening, or trying a new recipe. Reconnect with childhood dreams by exploring hobbies you’ve always wanted to try, like singing or playing an instrument.
Incorporate Meditation Start a daily meditation practice using apps like Headspace, Calm, or guided experiences like Deepak Chopra’s 21-day meditations. Even five minutes of mindfulness can help you reset and cultivate resilience.
Get Adequate Sleep Prioritize rest by aiming for at least eight hours of sleep each night. If you’re feeling particularly drained, experiment with going to bed earlier, ideally before 10 p.m.
Clarify Your Priorities Reflect on what truly matters in your life and work. Create an action plan to align your daily efforts with these priorities, and release commitments or relationships that no longer serve you.
Practice Mindfulness Integrate mindfulness into your day by savoring small moments—whether it’s enjoying your morning coffee or fully focusing during a meeting. Being present helps you navigate challenges with grace and intention.
Embrace Change as a Catalyst for Growth
Uncertainty doesn’t have to paralyze you. By adopting these life-saving practices, you can reclaim your power, stay grounded, and turn life’s crossroads into opportunities for purposeful action.
What strategies have you found most helpful when navigating intense stress and uncertainty? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
For more insights and tools, download my free “Art of Change Framework”—a 5-step process to help you embrace, rather than resist, change—at pamela-thompson.com.
As the year winds down, December offers us a unique opportunity to pause and reflect—a chance to honor the journey we’ve traveled, celebrate our wins, and intentionally set the tone for the year ahead. For mission-driven women navigating crossroads, this process is especially meaningful. It’s a way to reconnect with your purpose, realign your vision, and step boldly into a new chapter.
Over the years, I’ve developed a simple yet powerful year-end process that has helped me and women I work with to transform transitions into opportunities for growth. Here’s how you can make the most of this reflective season.
Step 1: Reflect on the Year That’s Passed
Start by looking back on 2024. This isn’t just about what you achieved, but also about what you learned and how you’ve grown. Journaling about these prompts can help you uncover the deeper meaning in your experiences:
What accomplishments am I most proud of this year?
What am I most grateful for in 2024?
What lessons have I learned about myself, my relationships, my work, and my purpose?
Where did I face challenges, and how did I grow through them?
This step isn’t about perfection—it’s about recognizing your progress and the value of every experience, even the difficult ones.
Step 2: Release What No Longer Serves You
Before you can fully embrace the new year, it’s important to let go of what might be holding you back. Reflect on what you’re ready to release:
Outdated beliefs or habits.
Fear of stepping into your full power.
Lingering doubts or regrets.
Consider a symbolic act to mark this release—write down what you’re letting go of and burn the paper or release it mentally during a quiet moment of meditation.
Step 3: Set Bold Intentions for 2025
Now comes the exciting part: envisioning what you want your life to look and feel like in 2025. Intentions are more than goals—they’re statements of alignment that anchor you to your values and vision. Write them in the present tense, as though they’ve already come true.
Here are some examples to guide you:
Personal Life: “I live with clarity and confidence, fully embracing my gifts, strengths, and purpose. I trust myself to navigate life’s transitions with grace.”
Health & Well-Being: “I feel vibrant and strong, prioritizing daily practices like yoga, meditation, and time in nature. I radiate energy and vitality.”
Financial Abundance: “I earn $___ thousand monthly doing work I love. I feel financially secure and empowered to make a meaningful impact.”
Spiritual Growth: “I am deeply connected to my inner wisdom. My meditation practice helps me stay grounded and aligned with my highest purpose.”
Creativity & Intellectual Growth: “I approach life with curiosity and creativity, effortlessly bringing fresh ideas to my writing, workshops, and collaborations.”
Step 4: Review and Celebrate Throughout the Year
Your intentions are not something you set once and forget. Keep them visible—write them in your journal, pin them to a vision board, or save them as a note on your phone. Revisit them quarterly to check in on your progress and celebrate your milestones, no matter how small.
Celebration is vital. It energizes you and reinforces the belief that you are moving in the right direction. As you step into the new year, make time to acknowledge your growth and all you’ve achieved.
Why December Is the Perfect Time
December isn’t just the end of a calendar year; it’s a natural transition point—a bridge between where you’ve been and where you’re going. By taking time to reflect and set intentions, you’re honoring both the endings and beginnings that define your journey.
Ready to Step Into 2025 with Confidence?
I invite you to try this year-end process for yourself. Take a quiet evening to journal your reflections, release what no longer serves you, and set bold intentions for the year ahead.
Let’s make 2025 a year of purpose, growth, and fulfillment. Share your thoughts or intentions in the comments—I’d love to hear from you!
Amid a world overwhelmed by conflict, division, and uncertainty, do you ever feel powerless to make a difference — or even to find peace within yourself? You may think there is little or nothing you can do to help build peace in the world. I believe there is much that you can do, and it may be easier than you think.
YOU have within you the power to help build peace in the world. When you learn certain tools and practice them regularly, you will find inner peace. When you find inner peace you can then build it in your family, community, workplace … the world.
What is Inner Peace?
I love this poem that for me describes “inner peace”.
Peace.
It does not mean to be in a place
where there is no noise, trouble
or hard work.
It means to be in the midst of
these things and still be calm
in your heart. (Source unknown)
What does inner peace look and feel like for you? Take a few moments to get quiet and ask yourself the question, “What does inner peace look and feel like for me?” Notice what comes up. Write down your feelings. You may also wish to draw or paint a visual of what you experienced.
For me inner peace includes:
Feeling centered and grounded
Feeling and believing that I am enough
Feeling that I belong and am safe
Believing that I am part of something greater than myself and am here to make a difference in the world
Being grateful for all that I have
Believing the Universe is friendly and here to love and support me
Being okay with uncertainty
Feeling loved and nurtured when I take time for myself (not feeling guilty)
Standing in my power, confidently expressing what I believe, and asking for what I want (not worrying about what others think or say)
Having balance in my life
Being in touch with and regularly tapping into my creative side
Knowing what my passions, core values and life purpose are, and living a life aligned with them.
It Starts with You
Here are some proven strategies and powerful practices to help you to find inner peace.
Quiet your busy mind through yoga, meditation, listening to relaxing music
Engage in a passion such as dancing, gardening, painting, where you lose track of time and focus on the activity rather than your “to do” list
Participate in mindfulness practices[1] (such as walking meditation) that enable you to be in the present moment
Forgive yourself and others
Listen to and trust in your body’s wisdom, and use it to guide your decisions and actions (Notice how you feel around people, and also how they react to you)
Be grateful for what you have
Surround yourself with people who nourish you rather than sap your energy
Spend time regularly in nature
I encourage you to choose two or three of the above strategies and begin incorporating them into your life on a regular basis, and notice what you notice.
Building Peace in Your Family, Community, Workplace …
I’ve studied and been trained in conflict resolution, mediation and facilitation. I’ve had the opportunity to live and work in conflict zones including Afghanistan, Colombia, Pakistan and Nigeria. From my experiences working with people from a variety of ethno-cultural and religious backgrounds, I’ve learned the following.
Treat people with respect and greet them with a smile.
The simple act of smiling (genuinely) connects us with others at work, in our families, and communities. I’ve been in situations where I didn’t speak the language of the person in front of me, and yet we were able to communicate. A smile opens up that “conversation”.
Realize that people’s negative behaviors are usually not about you, but rather about them, and their past experiences.
There is a reason for all behavior. Rather that reacting negatively when someone does something that offends or upsets you, pause, take a deep breath and say to yourself Isn’t that curious, I wonder why they did that? OR What is happening for them today? Do I remind them of someone in their past who they fear or dislike? So rather than reacting, try to understand where they’re “coming from”.
I recall a time when I was managing a large international project and a Canadian administrative support person was assigned to work with me. From the time we began to work together, I sensed a tension between us. She said and did certain things that were really upsetting, and I wasn’t sure why. I reflected on how I had treated her from the outset and couldn’t uncover why she was treating me so negatively. Then it came to me, I reminded her of someone from her past; someone who she had negative feelings toward. Sure enough, after she was reassigned to another project and I shared in a conference call with the technical team all the good things about her and her work (as she was competent), things began to change. This woman shared that her sister was always popular in high school, and had a similar body structure to mine. I sensed that this was a time in this woman’s life when she didn’t feel confident about herself and was jealous of her sister. She also shared that she was often in pain. After that conference call, there was no longer tension between us and she often sought me out to share coffee together. Perhaps you’ve experienced something similar?
Be Yourself (regardless of who you’re interacting with)
Experience has taught me that if I am real and authentic with whomever I interact with, it is easier for me to truly connect with them. Their bodies’ sense when I am acting or saying things out of alignment with who I really am. When I am “speaking my truth”, they know.
Being yourself enables you to truly connect with others whether they be in your family, community or workplace. When you let go of preconceived ideas about others, and how you should act in certain situations, it is much easier to “find inner peace” and model it for others. I’ve been asked if I act differently when working with Muslim men and I say “no”. I respect their culture (for example by wearing a head scarf and loose clothes in Afghanistan), and I “speak my truth” when I’m with them. I believe they respect me for that. The same holds true with family members. Now that my children are grown, I make a concerted effort to respect them for their decisions and only to contribute my ideas when asked. This is indeed challenging at times, however, I am learning.
My Vision
I see a world free of war and violence.
One where all cultures and religions are accepted.
Where all people are respected and treated with respect;
Where people live together in communities that model the values
of contribution, collaboration, caring and connection.
Where people are truly connected with who they are and the gifts they have to share.
Where creativity is valued, and everyone knows how to tap into and express their creative side.
Where people have the courage to reach out for support when they need it.
I see a world where people trust their bodies, value their own wisdom, and know when and how to say no;
One that believes in the power of groups and synergy, that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts;
A world, where women and men stand together as partners.
What’s your vision? What will YOU do to help build peace in the world?
[1] A tool from Eastern psychology that I have found extremely useful for getting “out of my head” and into my body is Mindfulness Walking Meditation. Mindfulness practices focus on the senses and feeling sensations and emotions in our bodies. When we do mindfulness walking meditation, we feel the ground beneath our feet, the breeze against our face, the cool air going from our nostrils down into our lungs. We smell the scent of salt or the aroma of lavender in the air and observe the scenery in front of us. We try to stay out of our minds, and experience our senses. Rather than spend a walk in nature constantly thinking and processing all the things we have to do, instead we stay present and experience nature and all of its beautiful sights, smells, sounds and sensations.
2. A previous version of this article was published in the January 2017 issue of “Eydis Authentic Living magazine”.
I’m in the recovery phase of shingles. [1] For those of you who’ve had it, you know it’s not fun and quite painful. For those who haven’t, I hope you never get it.
You may be wondering what shingles has to do with overusing your masculine side. Shingles presents with a red rash that follows your nerve endings. It typically starts on your trunk and goes down one side of your body. For me, it started at my lower back and went down the right side of my body, the masculine side.
What’s the difference between our masculine and feminine sides and masculine and feminine energy? The table below illustrates the differences.
Feminine Energy (Yin) BEING & GIVING
Masculine Energy (Yang) DOING & RECEIVING
Creative
Linear & Logical
Intuitive
Analytical
Receptive
Assertive
Collaborative
Competitive
Emotional
Rational
Passionate
Determined
Empathetic
Objective
Allows for “flow”
Goal-directed
Associated with left side of our body
Associated with right side of our body
As leaders and change-makers, (and you may be a leader in your family, community, workplace, business), it’s important that we use both sides of our body and both types of energy. When we don’t, our body, mind, relationships, and” success” at home and work are negatively impacted. For example, if we are constantly in our masculine energy, over time it leads to illness, lack of fulfillment, restlessness and unhappiness. Conversely, if we are dominated by feminine energy, we can become needy, resentful, ill and insecure.
It is important to note that a balance between yin and yang does not necessarily mean 50% yin and 50% yang. It means learning to create your own unique mix so that your happiness is amplified and your success (how you define it) is enhanced.
How does this apply to my recent bout of shingles? I realize I have been “breaking” one of my “rules” related to working. I have a “rule” that I typically turn off my computer before having dinner. That way I have a few hours before retiring to share time with my partner, relax and ideally not think about work. I realize lately I’ve been on the computer after dinner sometimes till 9:30 pm or later. I also typically leave spaces in my agenda to take daily walks in nature. I have been “falling down” a bit on that one as well.
So how can you balance your masculine and feminine sides?
Spend time in nature five or more days a week. Often a 20-to-30-minute walk enables you to return to work re-energized with increased focus and creativity. If this is new to you, start slowly and do three days a week for 20 minutes and gradually increase the time.
Unplug from technology for at least one entire day each week (Saturdays work best for me). I’ve found this strategy truly re-energizes me and others I’ve shared it with.
Get at least 7 hours sleep a night and go to sleep at the same time each night (if possible). Sleep is necessary to rejuvenate and repair our bodies and having a regular schedule supports deep and healing sleep.
Instead of leaping out of bed each day and “hitting the ground running” make a conscious effort before you get up toquiet your mind and scan your body from the top of your head to the tips of your toes. Notice any tension or discomfort; breathe into these areas and consciously release and let go of the tension.
Meditate regularly (ideally daily) for 10 to 20 minutes. There are a number of digital products available to help you do this. I have found Deepak and Oprah’s 21-day meditation experiences helpful as they focus on a key theme, and each day break down the theme. In addition, beautiful nature sounds, and music play in the background to assist you in relaxing and staying focused.
Practice yoga at least three times a week. A style of yoga I’ve found particularly helpful in balancing the right and left sides of my body is yin yoga. It is a meditative form of yoga done in a warm room and focuses on holding poses for up to five minutes. This “untangles” our connective tissue which grows “fuzz” during the night. If we don’t stretch and untangle our connective tissue, it results in reduced movement and flexibility and ultimately in contractures. Check out Dr. Fuzz on YouTube.
Eat a healthy diet rich in fresh, colorful, unprocessed foods at each meal.
I welcome your suggestions on what you’ve found helpful to “balance” your masculine/yang and feminine/yin sides and energies.
[1] For anyone who has had chickenpox, you have the possibility of getting shingles sometime in your life. It’s caused by the herpes zoster virus which stays in your body and presents itself as shingles when your immune system is compromised.
I am particularly drawn to Barbara Gray’s definition: “a process through which parties who see different aspects of a problem constructively explore their differences and search for solutions that go beyond their own limited vision of what is possible”[1](Gray, 1989, p. 5). Gray likens collaboration to a kaleidoscope in which the multiple stakeholders are the colored pieces of glass within a kaleidoscope that when turned may be likened to the outcome of a successful collaboration in which the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.
How can you as a leader nurture and support intra-organizational collaboration (i.e. collaboration within one organization?) [2]
Believe in the power of collaboration and that two, three, or more heads are better than one. I recall when I co-chaired a national strategy in the late 1980s/early 1990s for a federal government department, how much I looked forward to and enjoyed our face-to-face meetings. I experienced the synergy that was created when representatives from diverse organizations and cultures got together, created a common vision, strategy and a plan for moving forward. That was when I realized the power of collaboration and “how a number of heads are better than one.”
Commit to collaboration organizationally (e.g. make it one of your core values). Here’s a value from an organization I facilitated the strategic plan with. Partnership and Collaboration – We believe in the meaningful engagement of a wide range of stakeholders. We see our role as facilitators of multilevel, interdisciplinary and intersectoral cooperation and collaboration.
Follow a tried-and-true process to develop and implement collaboration; (hiring a skilled, neutral outside consultant to facilitate the process is helpful, particularly if a project is complex and strategic). This includes creating a shared vision for the project, clarifying the purpose, goals, roles, accountabilities, timelines and some indicators for measuring success along the way. It is also important to trust the process.
Identify the skill sets needed for a particular project and then recruit representatives from various areas/departments/divisions from across the organization to be part of this cross-functional and multi-disciplinary project team. Diversity of expertise, experience, and perspective is a key ingredient for successful collaboration.[3]
Clarify for all participants how this project fits into the strategic plan for the organization. While working in Afghanistan and assisting the Ministry of Public Health to develop their first strategic plan, I also assisted them to revise their operational planning process and templates so that each department/division identified how their projects and various activities fit into the larger strategic plan (by strategic direction), as part of their quarterly and annual work-planning. This proved helpful for people at all levels within the organization and made them feel that they were part of something greater than themselves.
Encourage learning and documenting lessons along the way. I’ve found it useful to have regular points within a project (e.g. bi-annually or annually) when the team identifies and documents through a facilitated process what is working well/ what is not/their concerns? And what suggestions can be offered to address the concerns? Make it clear to folks that it is okay to share concerns and to make mistakes and learn from them.
Encourage and support creativity and “out of the box” thinking. Making it clear that it is okay to make mistakes and learn from them facilitates creativity and innovation.
Create a high-level team for the collaborative project to report to (e.g. annually), and reward team members for a job well done.
Encourage the lessons learned from each collaborative project to be shared with others within the organization so each project builds on the other, rather than “reinventing the wheel.”
I welcome your thoughts and questions on this article.
[1] Gray, Barbara. Collaborating: Finding Common Ground for Multiparty Problems. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1989.
[2] Note that these strategies also work for inter-organizational collaboration (i.e. between different organizations)
[3] Savage, David. Breakthrough to Yes – Unlocking the Possible within a Culture of Collaboration. Boise: Elevate Publishing, 2016.
