From Burnout to Balance: The Power of Gritty Stillness

Be still....

What does that even mean? And more importantly, is it even possible?

These were the questions I found myself asking not long ago. I had heard the scripture so many times, “Be still and know that I am God.” It sounded beautiful, but to someone like me, it felt impossible.

You see, being busy was not just a habit. It was my identity. From a young age, I was taught that hard work, constant motion, and perseverance were the keys to success. After a car accident at sixteen left me with a disability, I promised myself that I would never be defined by limitations. I set out to prove I could not only survive but thrive.

That determination became my fire. My grit.

For thirty years I pushed forward. I rose quickly through the ranks, becoming a leader early in my career. At twenty-seven, I was overseeing more than one hundred employees. By thirty, I was a hospital CEO. My success continued as I pursued my passion for education and nonprofit work. I managed a multimillion-dollar endowment and eventually became Vice President of Student Affairs at my local community college. By forty-two, I was not only a leader in my profession but a respected figure in my community.

On paper, I had everything I had dreamed of. The small-town girl who was not expected to survive had succeeded beyond anyone’s expectations.

But the truth?

I was exhausted.

Despite all the achievements, I felt burnt out. I was missing moments that mattered. Even on family vacations, I was there in body but rarely in mind. Any free time I had was swallowed by sleep or consumed by a racing mind that refused to quiet down.

Stillness? That felt like a luxury I could not afford. Or worse, a weakness I could not accept.

But somewhere deep inside, my body and soul were calling out for something different. I knew I needed balance. I knew something had to change.

In a moment of desperation, I bought a journal. I did not know what I was doing, but I knew I needed to try something. Anything! The only quiet time I had was my daily commute, so I decided to get up ten minutes earlier, pull over to the side of the road, and just sit. Wyoming gifted me with plenty of peaceful places, so the challenge was not finding the space. It was making the time.

I set a timer for ten minutes. Silenced my phone and sat in my car.

And it was hard! So much harder than I imagined.

My thoughts raced. I thought about the emails I needed to send, the meetings I had that day, the people who might need me. The guilt was real. But I reminded myself that they could wait. That I could be still.

I did not have a plan. I did not write anything at first. I just breathed.

It felt hard and uncomfortable. But the grit inside of me said don’t quit.

Over time, I started to look forward to those ten minutes. The journal pages began to fill. Not always with full sentences. Sometimes just words, prayers, priorities, boundaries, reminders of who I really was. I wrote “I am” statements to speak truth over myself.

Stillness no longer felt like weakness. It began to feel like strength.

I started calling this practice gritty stillness. Because it is not about giving up or slowing down for the sake of it. It is about grounding yourself. It is about pausing, breathing, and listening. It is about being brave enough to stop even when the world says go.

A year later, I can honestly say that ten minutes a day changed my life. I made decisions both big and small that brought balance back into my world. I let go of things that no longer brought true value to my life. I reconnected with my family, with myself and with God.

Now I want to share this practice with others.

Not because I have figured it all out. But because I know what it feels like to be burned out, to feel like you are running on empty, to wonder if there is more to life than the grind.

If that is you, I challenge you to try the 3 following steps:

1. Turn off your phone. Yes, you can!

2. Sit in a quiet space for 10 minutes. Breathe!

3. If you have a journal or a scrap of paper nearby, write down what comes to mind. Or do not.

   
   

4. Just enjoy the still moment!

“He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul” – Psalms 23:2-3 / NKJV

Want to Go Deeper?

If this message spoke to you, you will find value in my signature talk: God, Grit, and Leadership.

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