What happens when life falls apart—or when you choose to dismantle it yourself?
What do you carry with you when you leave everything behind?
In this tender and expansive episode of Slow Secrets, I sit down with Heather Morgan—writer, speaker, and host of Wandering the Wild Mess, a podcast exploring change, self-discovery, and the messy beauty of reinvention. After more than a decade in Corporate America, Heather left it all behind to rebuild her life in Nashville. Through her writing and conversations, she helps others embrace the chaos of change and turn it into growth.
In our conversation, we explore how slowness can transform even the messiest life transitions into something luminous.
1. The Art of Slow Restarts
Starting over often feels urgent, even frantic. Heather invites us to slow down, seeing restarts as an unfolding process rather than a sprint. Slowness cultivates clarity, creativity, and self-trust—qualities that never emerge when we rush.
2. The Mess as a Map
Instead of trying to clean up life’s chaos, Heather reframes it as a guide. Every broken piece, every unexpected turn, can point the way to the next chapter—if we’re willing to look closely.
3. The Invisible Luggage
Leaving corporate life didn’t mean starting with a blank slate. Heather calls the values, habits, and patterns we carry “invisible luggage.” Awareness of these influences is the first step toward unpacking, choosing what to keep, and what to release.
4. Island Time Meets Inner Time
Heather’s travels to slower-paced places like Gili Air and Yoichi taught her to move differently. Island time becomes inner time: a rhythm of presence, patience, and deep listening. Slowness isn’t just a lifestyle choice—it’s a teacher.
5. Productivity vs. Presence
We live in a world obsessed with output, where worth often feels tied to productivity. Heather reminds us that slowing down opens a different kind of abundance: the pleasure of presence, savoring life instead of constantly chasing what’s next.
6. Love, Grief, and the Space Between
Every reinvention comes with both loss and liberation. Heather explores the tender space in between—where grief for what was and love for what’s coming meet. Slowing down allows us to honor it all.
7. Tiny Rituals for a Wild Life
Small rituals create steadiness in uncertain times. Heather shares micro-practices—morning journaling, mindful pauses, and grounding habits—that weave safety and rhythm into the unknown.
8. Slow Secrets for Brave Souls
Reinvention isn’t glamorous. It’s confusing, lonely, liberating, and intimate. Heather’s slow secret: the courage to belong to yourself is the foundation of every fresh start.
🌿 Connect with Heather Morgan
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🎙️ Wandering the Wild Mess podcast
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📝 Essays & writing
Final Thoughts
This conversation with Heather Morgan is an invitation for anyone standing at the edge of change. Slowness doesn’t erase life’s mess—but it allows us to see its beauty, follow its clues, honor its lessons, and trust ourselves in the wildness of becoming.
🎧 Listen now: Slow Secrets: Slow in the Wild Mess with Heather Morgan
Watch on YouTube
