Ever have those moments where you just run so far and long until you run out of steam? You might have even thought you were experiencing burnout. 

I have been there several times, and you know what? It isn’t a journey that we must travel if we understand life as a collection of moments. We won’t allow ourselves to entertain the vain imaginations of busyness and get consumed with that dreaded disease of burnout. 

What is burnout?

In my dictionary, burnout is when we over-exert ourselves, trying to do everything and be everywhere to every person. It leads to emptiness and regret. You feel at a standstill, purpose becomes sketchy, and life can even feel meaningless.

We live in a society where there’s the pressure of OWN. We’re to be our boss, discover our purpose, light our path, and pretty much be our god. However, it leads to confusion, the truth seems obscure, and the woke ones are dark. Sounds hopeless?

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The good news!

I know the above section painted a disturbing picture—but there is hope. We must stop, take a moment, and breathe.

Stop

Drive and ambition inundate us along with the lies from folks who say, “I’ll sleep when I die; today, I hustle.” That’s absurd. We may legitimately have many things vying for attention. Still, we must embrace that we need to stop sometimes. We are supposed to rest and chill because that encourages growth and a better vision for our dreams.

Take a moment

As I stated earlier, life is a collection of moments. We’re taught to plan for the future—and rightly so—but we shouldn’t neglect the present. What would it matter if you aspired to reach your dreams only to realize that the quality of your journey did nothing to impact the world around you? That’s like grassroots evangelism. Some may have a goal of how many souls they want to be saved. Therefore, they do whatever they can to draw people in but fail in giving them the complete truth—neglecting to live out the Christ-life. 

Breathe

Inhale. Exhale. Sigh. We miss so much because we don’t recline in the Father’s arms and breathe in His rest, peace, and strength. It’s impossible to figure it all out; breathe and stop trying so hard.

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You’re not perfect. I’m not perfect. Only One is. When we embrace that truth, we’ll live a life void of burnout, emptiness, and regret.

This life you have is a gift for you to live unashamedly. Dare to live on purpose and continue your race with joy! If that enemy tries to creep back on you, do what I do and stop, take a moment, and breathe!