July 23, 2025 | Issue Archive
Videos | Speaking | Blog | Course | Book
Yesterday I had the honor of speaking to a group of extraordinary leaders at Dismas Charities—an organization in the “business” of “healing the human spirit.”
They do work that most of us couldn’t imagine doing.
Work that demands heart. Strength. Sacrifice.
As beautiful as that work is, it’s also work that takes a toll.
And as I stood before them and mentioned compassion fatigue… Heads nodded. Hard.
It was a powerful moment.
Because we don’t always say it out loud.
But we feel it. The weight of holding it all together.
I’m reminded of a passage from Mary Oliver’s poem, “The Journey,” which I referenced in my book, Mastering the Moments, because of how it spoke into my life several years ago... and I’ve been reflecting on it again lately.
as you strode deeper and deeper
into the world,
determined to do
the only thing you could do—
determined to save
the only life you could save
The bold emphasis is mine.
As leaders, caregivers, helpers—it’s easy to believe your job is to hold it all together for everyone else.
To be the savior. The strong one. The steady one.
But here’s what needs to end:
🛑 The belief that saving others is your job.
🛑 The belief that holding it all together is the measure of your worth.
🛑 The belief that self-care is selfish.
It’s not.
Sometimes the most loving, most powerful, most sustainable thing you can do is this:
Choose your own life.
Not instead of others—but for the sake of others.
Because burned-out leaders can’t lead.
Exhausted caregivers can’t give.
And empty wells… offer no water.
If you need help remembering that truth, pick up a copy of my book and let it speak to you. Or if it has already spoken to you, might you share it with someone today? Or leave a review so others can find it when they need it most?
You never know whose life you might help save—starting with your own.
THIS ENDS NOW
Identify one habit, belief, or behavior that’s no longer serving you—and let it go.
Let’s stop pretending we can do it all without cost.
Let’s end the story that says burnout is just part of the job.
Let’s flip the script:
I care deeply.
And that’s exactly why I choose to care for myself, too.
THIS MOMENT MATTERS
One simple, actionable step to take to create a ripple effect of change in your life
Pause.
Place your hand on your heart.
And ask:
What do I need today?
Not someday. Today.
Now take one step toward it. No guilt. Just truth.
You’re not here to save everyone. You’re here to live.
And when you live from a full heart—you save more than you know.
Up we go—
P.S. If your team is feeling overwhelmed by the constant uncertainty and change in the/their world, I’d love to support you. This is the work I do—in keynotes, workshops, and real conversations that help people reconnect to peace and power in the moments that matter. Just click here and book a time to chat.