“It’s not what He wants from you, it’s what He wants for you.” – Jess Connelly 

I had the pleasure of going down to Charleston last week to attend a retreat gathering I was invited to called Soul Camp. 

Before I tell you about it, I have to set the stage a bit more so you understand why this matters. 

In 2020, my businesses doubled. Then again in 2021. Then again in 2022, but by the end of the year… I was exhausted. I didn’t struggle to show up day to day – I loved that. But I didn’t feel like myself. The fire in my belly went out. It felt like the inspiration had been sucked out of me. Then 2023 hit, and I knew it was time for some maintenance work. So I went deep into looking into my business, building team, systems, hiring the best people, and creating something that was deeply excellent. And I want to be real, it was hard. It was also hopeful, beautiful, and so sweet. 

I realized when I’m in that *magic zone* of inspiration and the blessings are flowing, it’s so easy to be on fire. It’s easy to see God and all He is doing. 

But when that momentum inevitably shifts, and I have to face the hard, uncomfortable parts of myself / my life… It feels so dang confusing. 

“I did all the right things.”

“I followed God and what I *thought* He told me!!”

“This isn’t what I thought it was going to be…”

“How did I get here??”

“I did all of that, and now what?”

Have you ever felt that? If so, I’m with you. I felt it all. 

What’s funny is nothing came crashing down or burning. It just felt off. 

So I kept going. Women like us? We aren’t quitters. So I kept pushing through this weird valley. 

And listen… I did it, and by grace alone, I started to like it. Doing hard things became more comfortable. It wasn’t all about hitting goals – it was about growth. But then something happened… 

THIS IS THE IMPORTANT PART: 

I kind of fell into an obsession with that. Doing allll the hard things so I could be better, stronger, faster, etc. 

I became so focused on being an overcomer, my focus on our Overcomer blurred. 

I realized I had lost my identity over the last three years. 

I started to find my worth in what I could do instead of what God was doing.

I stopped cherishing being and started only cherishing doing. 

I knew there was a balance to strike, but I didn’t have the space to find it in my hustle cycle. I wanted to live in a way that felt true to God and me. Asking the hard questions, doing the hard things, yes! We love self-control – it’s a fruit of The Spirit.

But also just being me, and loving life as it is. I realized I didn’t need to prove myself or weave an incredible story to tell. That wasn’t my job. We must make sure we focus on The One who creates the fruit instead of the process of producing it. 

By the end of 2023, I realized I needed space to learn how to live life with Jesus instead of sprinting for Him. I needed to shift from Martha to Mary. 

So when I got this email from a woman who I have always looked up to asking if I wanted to come down to Charleston fall of last year to hang out and talk about her new book…

I was in. All in. 

But I had no idea how perfect the timing would be. 

Fast forward to this month:

It ended up being the second week of my sabbatical. At a time when I had finally put down the safety blanket I had been clinging to – what I did for a living – to rest, I entered a room of incredible women I have looked up to for a long time. Authors, speakers, leaders, and even some of my past clients! People who are where I want to someday be. 

And the coolest thing happened to me, this well-intentioned, recovering workaholic who just wants to make Jesus proud: 

I saw each woman as who she was instead of what she did because I could finally see myself that way again too. 

It was a relief, a literal gift from Heaven. 

I could feel the striving I had wrestled with was breaking off. 

Then Jess spoke. She spoke about being tired as an ambitious woman. She shared she was tired of being tired and asked us if we were too. Spoiler alert: we all were. 

She went first, and we all followed in sharing our stories. We processed. We asked questions. We grieved things. We grew. 

One of the most powerful things we started with was a quiz in Jess’ book. It told us what kind of tired we were. I was shocked when mine said I was spiritually tired. 

Physically tired? Yeah, I probably need more rest, food, and exercise after the last sprint season. 

Mentally tired? Big yes to this last year! This is what I expected. 

Emotionally tired? I thought it might be this one.

But… Spiritually tired???? When God has been faithful at every single turn for me as I wrestled with my inner critic, lack of boundaries, and stage-five-clinger perfectionistic tendencies to just create GOOD THINGS in His name???? 

Groundbreaking. 

I felt like Regina George when she got hit by a school bus. I was FLOORED. 

But it was an answer. And more than anything, I have found that freedom in this season comes down to making decisions and accepting answers. It’s easier to know what you’re up against when it is finally in the light. 

So, at Soul Camp, God showed me the light in a few areas of my life that I need to process. It was done gently, and it was life-changing. 

I get a lot of PR boxes. People send me their books, and I will share about them with joy, but I rarely read them. 

After two days of being loved on and coached by Jess Connelly, you may think I skipped her book while still screaming about it from the rooftops. But I devoured it. 

Cover to cover. 

Tired of Being Tired was a comfort to my tired soul. It shared truth tempered in grace. It gave me answers I didn’t know I needed. It healed parts of me I didn’t even know my hustle had broken. 

“Life isn’t about what God wants from you, it’s about what He wants for you.” When Jess shared this, it shifted my soul. 

If you have ever felt tired and you want to finish the race God has put in front of you, this book is for you. 

Jess Connelly is everything (and so much more) you could dream up. She is real, raw, and stays true to God above all. 

There is an undeniable grace over this book. It is coming at a time when so many of us are surrendering our tired souls… And it really is a blessing to do it together. 

If your soul needs rest, find the guide you need to it here. 

Click here to grab her book, Tired of Being Tired. 

This Charleston trip changed my life. I am better because of it. Find your people and cherish them. It’s worth the work, time, investment, and vulnerability. 

And along the way, make sure to find your rest. You don’t have to hustle for your worth – it is God-given. 

You are worth the work, time, investment, and vulnerability. Remember that.