SPEAKER_01 0:00

The more pushback you have, the more you can be sure that you're doing exactly what you're supposed to be doing. So soft without strength is basically avoidance. And strength without softness, guess what? That will lead to burnout. So have you ever thought about this new trend of a soft life? Well, I actually wanted to bring some light to the difference of a soft life versus a strong life. The reason being is because I am married and have been for almost 27 years now. I can hardly believe that. And my amazing husband always likes to joke with me and say, like, ooh, you must really enjoy your soft life. And I'm like, what's so soft about it? But I understand his point because he may see it as, you know, I have things a little easier than uh most. Um, but when I think of a soft life, I think about the trend of a soft life that everything is easy, still yet luxurious. I like to think that I pretty much am embracing a soft life slash strong life because I have accepted that everything won't be easy all the time. It hasn't been easy all the time, and God knows it will not continue to always be easy, even if it may appear that way, because most people on the outside looking in may see things as if they are all glitz and glamour and glorious and easy and peaceful and fun, loving and just happy go lucky. But those of us who know the real deal, reality is actually embracing both. It's having both, friends. Yes, we should have some softness sometimes, but we should also embrace the strongness. One of my favorite scriptures, if not my favorite right now, has been for years that I've been embracing is Joshua 1 8.9. Being strong takes courage, it takes boldness. This book of instruction must not depart from your mouth. You are to meditate on it day and night so that you may carefully observe everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in whatever you do. Haven't I commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Having a soft life is intentional living. That means that you are being purposeful with everything that you're doing. The soft life which nourishes you and makes life beautiful. Rest is essential. You prioritize rest and recovery without guilt as you embrace the joy in life, you make space for the hobbies and pleasure and fun. And don't forget about self-care. You must care for your body, mind, and soul daily. Please pursue connections, healthy connections as you surround yourself with love and support, and be present, present to slow down, enjoy the moment, and live with ease. Now, this matters because softness definitely and a strong life takes discipline and resilience. You see, a strong life builds you, shapes your future through discipline, the daily habits and self-control, creating momentum, also through resilience as you build mental toughness and bounce back even stronger. You're growing and stepping outside of your comfort zone to level up. Yes, even creating boundaries to help protect your time, energy, and standards. As you pursue your purpose, you're chasing meaning and building a future that you can be proud of. This matters. It matters because strength creates options, confidence, and the life that you're definitely capable of building. A soft life, on the other hand, it nourishes you and it makes life beautiful. It involves rest because that will help you protect, rest, and recover without guilt. And I promise you, I have been learning all of the above so much more lately than ever. When you start to really embrace and walk in your purpose, there is nothing but a life of resilience that you are about to start to experience, honey, because more times than not, you will fall flat on your face and wonder why am I doing this again? Is this really what I'm called to do? Oh, yes. Hello, beautiful. Thank you so much for joining me for another episode of Becoming Serene. But if you have not subscribed yet, please hit that button right now and don't forget to hit the notification bell so that you are notified whenever new episodes drop. And if you are truly, truly enjoying this show, please share it with someone else who is also embracing peace and their pursuit of purpose, just like we are. So thank you so much again as we continue our journey together of becoming serene. So let me show you a few ways that I have basically incorporated both in my life. My softness, yes, I love to get away. I've shared with you all time and time again, I will take time to myself and get away by myself and enjoy, enjoy, enjoy just being still and quiet and letting God speak to me in those quiet times and those still moments. But the way I'm strong and show up strong is sometimes I have to do the hard work, do the dirty work of not just correcting and making corrections on myself and ways that I have seen that I veered off of God's plan for me, and I had to let him correct me and share with me the things that I have done that he was not pleased with. But as a mother and a wife, I have to have hard conversations with my loved ones, with my children and my husband to say, hey, I think we could have done these things a little bit better. And let's talk about it and let's pray about it, and then let's get better and move on. Having the harmony of strong and soft is pretty much the life that I want. It's the life that I've been given, and it's the life that I am absolutely so grateful for. So I want you to think about what kind of life is it that you are creating for yourself, for your home, for your family, for your children. What's the legacy that you are leaving, friend? Is it soft or is it strong? Or is it a little bit of both? Thank you so much for joining me once again for another episode of Becoming Serene. I cannot do this without you. So if you have not already, please subscribe, like, and share. Share it with a friend, share it with someone else who feels like her life is just too, too hard and she's been strong for everyone else, and there's no one being strong for her. Let her know that she too can start to embrace a soft life by taking time for herself and just enjoying being still and letting God speak to her heart. So thank you once again. And until next time, as always, stay serene.