love yourself enough to slow down

I’ve been hustling y’all, as if my life depended on achievement.

I’ve been putting my goals off for so many years, that when I finally decided to spend some time on me, I felt like I had to catch up on lost time. This meant working on my book, my blog, and my personal growth, at ALL times.

I was going to hustle, hustle, and then hustle some more, to reach my dreams! I’m ready, let’s go!!! I was going to work so hard there was nothing that could stop me – until there was.

Sick kids, a new puppy, changes in our kid’s school, some childhood emotional triggers – and then boom! I got run down, and then I got sick, and then I couldn’t work.

All these events hit simultaneously and threw me into a tailspin. With all the balls in the air, I had no choice but to take a break.

However, when I was forced to get quiet and listen, I was able to see the lesson that God was trying to teach me. A good talk with a friend helped too. When I told her I hadn’t had time to work because my life was so crazy and it was really bothering me, she said, “It’s okay Tiffani, your value isn’t in your work.”

It wasn’t my strive for achievement that was wrong – but instead it was the motivation behind the hustle that was backwards.

I believed that my value, and my worth, would come from the end result – the success and the achievement.

If I was successful in my work – then I had value. If I made it to the top – then I had worth. If I was so big that no one could ignore my achievements – then I had love.

But by slowing down, and realizing what I was doing, I was able to sort out my priorities with my work. By acknowledging that my value is already within myself, by loving myself as I am now, my goals of achievement became more aligned with my true self.

I was able to slow down and smell the roses. Spend time with my family without thinking of it as a waste of time not working. Take time for friends and recharging without resenting the time away from my laptop.

I was able to go back to the real purpose behind my work – to help and encourage others by sharing my story with a compassionate heart.

The success and achievement I long for will come, when and IF, it’s a part of God’s plan. But the real success and achievement of living my calling is already here. If you find yourself working too hard, be sure to stop and ask yourself what your work means to you. Love yourself as is, now in this very moment, realign your work priorities, and then get back to work with a full heart!