In this episode of Courage Is Built Here, Justine welcomes LaDonna Ellis to Pathway Five, Do the Work, for a conversation about preparing for life’s next season with courage, gratitude, and hope. Together, they explore what it means to intentionally release old roles, embrace new opportunities, and trust that purpose continues to unfold through every stage of life.
LaDonna shares her experience of preparing for the empty nest season before her son left home, making intentional career decisions, creating new traditions, and discovering that her identity extends far beyond motherhood. Throughout the conversation, she reflects on how her values of joy, faith, and hope have guided her through uncertainty, change, and seasons that required her to let go while continuing to move forward.
Together, Justine and LaDonna discuss gratitude as a daily practice, the difference between hope and toxic positivity, navigating difficult emotions without being ruled by them, and preparing today for the life you hope to live tomorrow. They also explore parenting adult children, finding purpose in changing seasons, and why courage often looks like continuing to press forward with joy even when life feels uncertain.
Key Takeaways
- Pathway Five, Do the Work, invites us to intentionally prepare for the life we’re stepping into instead of clinging to the one we’re leaving.
- Major life transitions become healthier when we prepare emotionally before they arrive.
- Joy, faith, and hope can remain steady values even during seasons of uncertainty and loss.
- Gratitude helps build resilience without pretending difficult emotions don’t exist.
- Empty nest seasons create opportunities to rediscover identity beyond parenting.
- Letting go of old roles creates space for new purpose and meaningful growth.
- Teaching gratitude and resilience begins by modeling those values consistently.
- Hope is different from toxic positivity because it acknowledges hardship while choosing to keep moving forward.
- Preparing for future seasons often requires releasing expectations and embracing flexibility.
- Courage is choosing to press on with hope, even when the future feels uncertain.
About the Guest
LaDonna Ellis has spent nearly 30 years serving children and families through education and family engagement. A St. Louis native, she holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Human Development and Family Studies from the University of Missouri and currently serves as the Family Engagement Coordinator for Special School District of St. Louis County. Guided by her core values of joy, faith, and hope, LaDonna is passionate about encouraging others through every season of life. She considers her greatest joy to be raising her son, JJ, and is grateful for the opportunity to share stories of gratitude, resilience, and courage that inspire others to keep pressing forward.
Connect with LaDonna:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ladonna-ellis-2a528570/
