Overwhelmed, Misaligned and How to Get Back on Track
For the past few months I’ve been in a never-ending cycle of feeling constantly exhausted, continually behind, and that I wasn’t “doing enough”. I was tired, depleted, and out of sync with who I’ve known myself to be prior to this season of life.
Have you ever felt that way? When you’ve entered a time and space where you aren’t exactly sure how you got there, but you knew staying there would be detrimental? It’s a scary place to be.
I found myself in this place because I was trying to do all the things, all the time. Not just for me, but for everyone around me. If I’m honest, it stemmed from a place of insecurity (because that’s where all the “fun” things stem from). Insecurities I buried deep inside that were finally starting to creep out. Insecurities of feeling like I had to prove myself.
Feeling that I had to prove myself on the job resulted in me raising my hand for tons of projects, and neglecting to speak up when I needed help.
Feeling that I had to prove myself to friends in order to keep relationships “relevant,” resulted in me trading time that was meant for “rest,” for going out.
Feeling that I had to prove myself to myself, resulted in multiple tears and breakdowns, because letting go of things made me feel like I was a failure.
“I found myself in this place because I was trying to do all the things, all the time. Not just for me, but for everyone around me. ”
Insecurities are interesting. We all have them and deal with them differently. But at the end of the day, we all come to that breaking point where we finally say: NO MORE!
See, I allowed my insecurities to put me in a place where I was misaligned with how God intended for me to spend my energy and place my focus. I had taken matters into my own hands, and created a whirlwind that kept me overwhelmed and depleted.
In Woman Evolve, Sarah Jakes Roberts speaks about how blessings can become burdens. She notes that most of the time, it’s not the blessing that’s changed –but how we interact with it.
My job is a blessing. My friendships are blessings. My ability to manage multiple projects is a blessing. But when I let my insecurities cloud my vision, and move me into taking on things that God never intended, that’s when my blessings become burdens.
I’ve taken a real look at how I’ve allowed my insecurities to move me into a place of misalignment, and I’m thankful for clarity on how to move forward. For me, it’s cutting back… on a lot. And believe me, it’s hard. But I know that I am enough, just as I am. I no longer have the desire, or need, to do all the things – all the time. I only want to do the things that God has lined up for me, and that’s enough.
Maybe for you it’s not an insecurity that has catapulted you into a space of feeling overwhelmed and misaligned. But if your world seems a tad bit upside down in an area or two, and it’s hard to catch your breath, I encourage you to take some time and ask God, “Have I gotten off track somewhere? Did I take a wrong turn?” and wait for his answer.
Here’s how I got back on track
Acknowledge “it”:
The first step in moving through anything in life, is acknowledging what “it” is. I have a friend that always says, “name the thing for what it is”. You can’t deal with stress, anxiety, insecurities, etc. unless you call them out. It’s not a sign of weakness–it takes strength to speak it out loud. But when you identify it, you can deal with it.
Write it Out:
Once you acknowledge what has taken you off course, write it down and everything associated with it. Writing it down brings clarity. For example, I was stressed at work and feeling like I was falling behind. I wrote that down, as well as all the projects I was working on. I realized that out of all of them, only 2 were actually assigned to me–all the others I raised my hand for… adding an immense amount of work on my plate.
Take it to The One upstairs:
At this point, you should have somewhat of an idea of how you got to where you are. Even if you haven’t figured it all out, take what you do know and lay it at God’s feet. It’s not God’s desire for you to run around like you’ve lost your mind. It’s not his desire for you to be exhausted every day. It’s not his desire for you to feel anything less than the Queen that you are! So take it to Him, and ask him to illuminate the path to peace and alignment with Him.
Follow Through:
Once you bring it to God, he will respond. He will show you what to do next, and it won’t always be easy. For me, it required me to walk away from things that I was holding on to. Things I knew I needed to let go, but was gripping tightly out of fear—instead of releasing in faith.
Don’t let fear, insecurity or any other tactic from the enemy leave you in a place where you feel depleted. That’s not the life God has for you. But if this is where you’ve found yourself, I pray that you, like me, muster the strength to acknowledge where you are, get clear with what’s holding you back, take it to God, and then do the work to get back on track.
I promise the peace that follows is worth it. 🤎
Photo credit: Lance Carr
“Don’t let fear, insecurity or any other tactic from the enemy leave you in a place where you feel depleted. That’s not the life God has for you. ”
A moment of relaxation, taken in the most beautiful flat in Rome.
Photo credit: Lance Carr