Annette ChesneyHave you ever been through a life season so difficult it wore you out mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and physically? No matter how much you tried to press on your inner drive and sense of purpose went AWOL.
I have.
I’ve always been a Type A, driven, goal-oriented person. Most of my adult life I managed to bounce back and keep bouncing back no matter what I faced. I was the go-to person because I was known for making things happen.
That was until the long-term impact of narcissistic abuse drained me dry. I lost sight of everything other than just making it through the day.
There’s 3 crucial factors we need to help us heal and reset our path. The goal is to emerge as the overcomer and victor, rather than the diminished victim after narcissistic abuse. This principle applies to any traumatizing life circumstance that changes you.
Even if you’re stubbornly determined to keep pressing forward, sooner or later you will hit the wall. Trust me on this – it won’t be pretty when you hit it.
In my previous post I shared with you about the first crucial factor you need to turn things around
The second crucial factor is PURPOSE.
The Big Stumbling Block
A burning sense of why and what we’re called to helps us utilize energy and resources for the greatest impact. It fuels us to rise above the challenges and gives meaning to our days.
I’m not telling you anything new on this point.
Here’s the stumbling block we trip over when it comes to living out our purpose – exhaustion and discouragement.
It’s really, really hard to feel that purposeful drive forward when you’ve been depleted over an extended period.
Instead of forcing yourself forward, attending yet another productivity webinar, or taking the latest self-discovery quiz,
trying to find your purpose and motivation,
how about simply cutting yourself a break for a season?
Like Elijah when he fled into the wilderness (1 Kings 19), sometimes a season of trauma-drama bleeds out your strength.
Elijah wasn’t rebuked for running and hiding when he previously stood strong and boldly executed his purpose.
God didn’t order Elijah to suck it up, stop being a wimp, and get his tail in gear.
In His tenderhearted care of Elijah, God told him to simply rest. Specifically what God meant by that was – sleep, eat, go sleep some more, and just breathe.
In His understanding of our weaknesses, God knew Elijah would rediscover the strength of his purpose when he was refreshed.
The Path Forward To Get Past the Stumbling Block
Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is allow yourself a period of guilt-free refreshment.
Maybe you need to shelve some projects, decline a couple of commitments, and prioritize top-notch self-care for a season.
How long? As long as it takes to start feeling like you again.
As your body and soul are refreshed I’ll bet your
“want-to drive” and sense of purpose will reawaken too.
When that happens don’t be surprised if God opens your eyes to an adjusted, richer, even more passionate purpose.
Have you experienced what I’m talking about? What adjustments did you make to give your body and soul room to rest and refresh?
Join us in the Beautiful Life Virtual Cafe and let’s swap stories.
