HUSTLE: LETTING YOUR FAITH GUIDE YOUR VISION IN THE MIDST OF THE HURRY

“Lazy people want much but get little. But those who work hard will prosper” – Proverbs 13:4 

Is your life everything you dreamed of? Have you allowed your faith to guide your vision? Do you feel like you are working hard and prospering?! 

6 years ago, my life was a mess. I was divorced with a young child; I was unfulfilled in my career and had no idea where I was supposed to be. I didn’t know what signs to follow, what feelings to believe, or what work was worthy. I didn’t have vision for life and I certainly didn’t have priorities or believe in the hard work necessary to achieve the big things. 

Fast forward to today - I am remarried to an incredibly handsome man and we have three amazing kiddos with a fourth on the way, we love big vision, working hard, and achieving the impossible.  Our life is BEAUTIFUL. For me - I am a wife, mother, and daughter to the King. I am also a health and wellness coach in direct sales. I enjoy volunteering with the children’s program at church, meal planning and prepping, Disney, budgeting (for real!), and doing the impossible.  My husband and I both work part time from home. 

But the process of getting to TODAY was dark, it was messy, and often it was without faith. So… how did we get from there to here? A lot of hard work and some pivotal learning moments. I will share one big thing I learned about BALANCE that I pray may allow you some peace.  

When I first started leaning into my faith and following a bigger vision for life, I felt so HURRIED. I had finally gotten over my fear of hard work, but I only felt like I was falling flat on my face.  I constantly felt pulled in different directions and never quite felt like I was achieving the things I wanted. The hustle didn’t feel like anymore more than running in place. I was all or nothing in every area of my life and by trying to do it all – and I felt like I was failing at everything. If I was successful in my business, I was sacrificing all my family time, if I was successful in my marriage I didn’t have time for my personal growth, if I took enough time in my faith I didn’t have time to focus on my personal health. 

Enter – a phrase that changed everything. At a leadership conference I heard a successful businesswoman giving a struggling mama advice by telling her this: “Balance is myth. There is no such thing. There are only priorities.”

That moment changed my life. Because I realized that although I had priorities in my life - every single one of them was a top priority! In following this bigger vision for my life, I was also trying to orchestrate every single step and balance EVERYTHING. I didn’t follow the Lord’s plan at all and made it truly impossible to get everything done. 

I have learned that we cannot be all the things all of the time. We can only be ONE THING at a time. 
If you struggle with the hustle, if you struggle with trying to be everything to everyone, if you find yourself trying to BALANCE, if you are trying to follow your faith but map out every single step -  I encourage you to stop. Slow down, sit down, reflect, and figure out your priorities.

Here are some simple steps I take to ensure my days and my time are aligned with a bigger vision in our life: 

1. Make a list of your LIFE goals. What is the BIG picture you are working towards? What vision has God given to you? What legacy do you wish to leave? Dream big here. This isn’t the time to allow your currently reality to set a cap on your life.  
2. Make a list of short-term goals you should accomplish as a piece of that big picture – think about your business, health, faith, family, friends – include it all. 
3. Then you will prioritize those goals. What are your TOP 3 goals RIGHT NOW that you want to work towards?
4. Next, what are some small actions that can be completed for each of those top goals? Get as detailed as you need or want to be. Take time to ensure these smaller actions align with you’re the  vision. 
5. Then prioritize your actions every day. 

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Every day you have the power to decide your priorities. You can work hard and create the biggest vision for your life. Your priorities will be different every day – and it will be ever changing because this is real life – and real life can be chaotic. I pray that you can lay down the burden of trying to balance life and enjoy the work without that struggle.  

And please know this … the big vision the Lord has laid on your heart – YOU CAN DO IT. You can accomplish anything. Don’t be afraid of the hustle. Don’t fear the vision. Embrace it all with it your conscious priorities. Believe that your hard work will be rewarded and that you can achieve everything you desire. 

SONG: You're Gonna Be Okay by Brian and Jenn Johnson

Cricket Mansour, Wife, Mother, and Health & Wellness Coach

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