Burning Out? Here's How to Rekindle and Sustain Your Passion

Burnout... what an ugly thing. 

Joy sucker. Hope taker. Anxiety giver. Morale breaker. The list of names can go on...

But you don't have to live like this. Before you read any further, just pause. Breathe in... slowly... And now, breathe out...

Feel a bit better? OK. Now, let me show you God held me fast through a really tough season, and hopefully, it will help you navigate your own.

My Story

For most of my adult life, I've dealt with anxiety. Never clinically diagnosed, but still... the sinking pit in my stomach, hand tremors and clammy palms, paranoid of everyone's perception...

It's a rough way to live.

The worst was in graduate school and the few years that followed receiving my degree. Here's what happened:

• Denied teaching assistantships—twice.

• Hospitalized prior to my recital hearing. Subsequently, didn't pass the hearing. Also, had to do extra work for my comprehensive exams. (It's OK—I eventually passed.)

• Went through an ugly church split and left paid ministry.

• Made it through a national round of auditions for the U.S. Air Force Bands, just to be runner-up. 

• Got into a whirlwind romance that ended with full cut-off, no contact. 

At every turn, I fully went into each situation with every fiber of passion, determination, energy—and I still came up short, exhausted. My life was characterized as being sub-par, with nothing left to offer anyone or anything. 

But God was present, and He carried me through.

What I Learned

The real turning point was when I made the bold decision to move back to rural Missouri during the COVID-19 pandemic and find healing. I joined Celebrate Recovery at my home church, and now, after 3 years in recovery, I'm in a different place, more peaceful and far from where I was. I'm now married to love of my life and have a beautiful daughter, I've enjoyed a varied career in music, and now I'm back in ministry, full-time. Here's what God taught me during that time:

• I'm responsible for my actions, including my response to adversity and hurt.

• I'm not responsible for abuse. But I must accept consequences for my actions—and that can be painful. There's a difference between the two.

• I can choose to not let someone's past actions dictate my present or future.

• It's OK to walk away or say, "No."

• I must choose joy, even when gratification is delayed and I'm experiencing discomfort.

• Love goes beyond limerence. It's a choice—and it can be hard—but it's incredibly worth it.

• My identity is in Christ, not in my career or others' perception of me.

• My worth is not in my performance.

That's not to say the road hasn't been bumpy. A forced career change in 2023 created a fertile environment for anxiety to creep back in, but I now have the tools to deal with it. I'm in my second step study to go deeper into recovery, and I'm more intentional with fostering healthy relationships instead of retreating into isolation.

What I Do Now

Right now, my day-to-day is mostly having conversations with people, creating content to build others up in their calling, spending time with my family, and a couple nights a week of easy music-making. Occasionally, I'll take a gig every few weekends or so. It's been tough with sickness these past few months, but a daily visit to the gym is essential for my physical, mental, and emotional health. I dedicate every morning possible to personal/family worship. I take time to use my creativity in other outlets aside from writing and music, mostly in the form of cooking meals. (I'm working really hard on my knife skills in the kitchen.)

Above all this is looking to the Word for re-invigoration and focus, and the result? I'm doing what I want to do, at my pace and intentionally using a system to holistically manage my well-being. Thanks be to God for His Word, His Spirit, and His church to all be the means of pulling me through darkness and exhaustion into abundance of life.

If you want to know more about my story and how to get out of your own rut, just shoot me a message. I'd love to help you out.

Schedule a call now

Be blessed 👊✌️