Sometimes the Hardest Step Is Being Honest With Yourself

I've been thinking a lot lately about how easy it is to avoid things that make us uncomfortable.

We stay busy. We keep producing. We take care of everybody else. We tell ourselves, "I'll deal with that when I have time." And sometimes we don't even realize we're avoiding anything because we're still functioning.

I've done this.

There have been seasons where I've kept moving because stopping long enough to acknowledge what I was actually feeling felt harder than staying busy.

But here's something I'm learning: Functioning isn't the same thing as healing.

You can be successful and still be struggling. You can be productive and still be emotionally exhausted. You can love God and still have areas of your life that need attention.

And you can look completely fine on the outside while something inside of you is asking to be addressed.

WHAT I'M LEARNING

Healing requires honesty.

Not the kind of honesty where we tell everybody our business. The kind where we're finally willing to tell ourselves the truth.

"I'm angry."

"I'm disappointed."

"I'm overwhelmed."

"I'm afraid."

"That relationship hurt me."

"I don't know what I'm doing right now."

"I need help."

Those statements aren't signs of weakness. They're information. Your emotions are often trying to tell you something about what's happening beneath the surface.

And when we constantly suppress, dismiss, or distract ourselves from those signals, the underlying issue doesn't necessarily disappear.

It often finds another way to show up. Maybe as irritability, resentment, burnout, isolation, constantly needing to be in control, and the inability to rest.

That's why emotional wellness isn't simply about feeling good.

It's about becoming aware enough to recognize what's happening within you and courageous enough to respond to it in a healthy way.

"Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."

- Psalm 139:23-24

I love this prayer because David isn't asking God to search everyone else. He's asking God to search him. That's personal accountability.

And sometimes the breakthrough we're asking God for begins with being willing to examine what's happening inside of us.

REFLECT + RESPOND

1. What am I currently avoiding because facing it would make me uncomfortable?

2. How might that avoidance be showing up in the way I communicate, lead, parent, work, or relate to others?

3. What would taking one honest step toward addressing it look like?

QUOTE TO CARRY

"What you refuse to face will eventually find a way to affect how you live."

EVERYONE NEEDS A COMMUNITY

Do you have one? If not, I'd love to have you join mine and stay tapped in with me as I give you an inside look into my process as a professional speaker and creative entrepreneur. I have some great projects coming up and this is your opportunity to get an inside look as well as an opportunity connect with me personally during live Zoom Q&A's.

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LET'S KEEP GROWING

This is the work I care deeply about helping people become more emotionally aware, resilient, and intentional in how they lead themselves and others.

Whether I'm speaking to an organization, facilitating a workshop, or coaching someone through their personal development, my goal is the same:

Help people move from simply functioning to becoming healthier from the inside out.

If your organization, school, ministry, or leadership team is looking for a speaker or facilitator around emotional wellness, resilience, emotional fluency, or healthy leadership, I'd love to have a conversation.