Hey beloved!
Welcome back to this week’s 🌿 Rooted & Rising! If you’ve ever been so afraid of moving ahead of God that you didn’t move at all, worked hard in a season that made zero sense, or caught yourself looking at someone else’s work and suddenly doubting your own voice - this one’s for you!
We’re talking about the difference between waiting on God and hiding behind spiritual language when you’re really just scared. We’re exploring what it looks like to show up with excellence in a season that made zero sense. And we’re getting honest about how comparison doesn’t just steal your joy but can rob you of the very voice that makes you, YOU.
This week’s themes:
Decision paralysis disguised as “waiting on God”
Excellence makes way for opportunities
The comparison trap: How measuring yourself against others can cost you your unique creative voice
Want to work directly with me? I help overwhelmed creators and founders show up consistently online by building systems that actually work for their life. If you’re ready to stop the planning spiral and start showing up consistently, book time here and let’s chat!
But first…
🥭 A Spiritual Snack🥭
“What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone?”
Where I Got Checked Last Week ✅
Last week, I caught myself sitting on an idea that God gave me to execute immediately because I wasn’t sure if it was the “right time”. Mind you, the idea was given to me by The One who sits outside of space and time. Pretty sure He knows when the right time is…
After finally executing on the idea, (a 4-week LinkedIn Sprint for people who are ready to stop missing out on opportunities because of sporadic posting), the outcome was better than I expected! It made me think about how many other ideas I’ve been sitting on because of “waiting on God’s timing.”
Holy Spirit checked me by reminding me that sometimes “waiting on God” is actually just doubt dressed up in holy language. Sometimes we’re so terrified of getting it wrong that we don’t do anything at all, and then we blame God for our inaction.
At the same time, I’ve been thinking about what it means to show up with excellence even when you don’t understand the season you’re in. I’m reminded of Joseph and Daniel, two people who had EVERY reason to phone it in. Joseph was sold into slavery by his own brothers, falsely accused, and thrown in prison. Daniel was taken from his home as a teenager and forced to serve in a foreign king’s court. Neither of them understood what God was doing in their situation.
But both of them showed up with EXCELLENCE regardless.
Joseph managed Potiphar’s household so well that Potiphar put him in charge of everything (Gen. 39:3-4). Even in PRISON, Joseph was so excellent that the warden put him in charge of all the other prisoners (39:22-23). Daniel was so committed to excellence that even the king’s officials who hated him couldn’t find any corruption or negligence in him (Daniel 6:4) and had to try other means to take him out. (Enter the Lion’s Den…).
And then there’s the comparison piece. As I’ve been exploring what it means to be a creative director vs. a creative consultant, I’ve found myself looking at other people’s work and comparing it to my own. Not only does comparison rob you of your joy and satisfaction in your work, it can literally lead you to losing YOUR unique voice and perspective.
Here’s what I’m learning about moving with faith instead of fear, working with excellence even in uncertainty, and staying true to my creative voice…
Let’s Break It Down: Practical Strategies 🤏🏾
1. Decision Paralysis Disguised as “Waiting on God”
God gave me an idea and a clear prompt to execute immediately, but I sat on it because I was scared it wasn’t the “right time.” Again…this is me vs. The One who knows the end from the beginning…the audacity of disobedience is truly astounding.
It dawned on me that sometimes “waiting on God” is really just:
Fear of failure disguised as faith
Perfectionism masquerading as patience
Wanting a guarantee before you move (which literally isn’t faith)
The question isn’t always “Is this God’s will?” Sometimes the question is “Did God already tell me what to do, and I’m just too scared to act on it?” OR are we trying to be “good stewards” by doing heaps of research to make a “responsible and informed” decision when He told us to move yesterday. It’s easy to forget that the most responsible thing we can do is be obedient.
When God gives you an idea and you execute it in obedience, He backs it up. He is not setting you up to fail.
Think about it: If you’ve prayed about it, if it aligns with God’s Word, if you have peace about it, if He’s already spoken - what are you actually waiting for? A skywriter? An audible voice? Or are you just hoping that if you wait long enough, you won’t have to be brave? 👀
Remember: Faith often looks like taking the next step with the information you already have, not waiting until you can see the entire staircase. Obedience is better than sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22).
Try this: Write down ONE idea that keeps coming back to you, then make a checklist (or steal this one):
Has God already spoken about this?
Does it align with Scripture?
Do I have peace when I think about doing it?
Have I gotten confirmation about it?
If God already gave you the green light, your next step is to MOVE. Set a deadline for taking action by the end of this week. Then trust that if God wants to redirect you, He will. But you have to move first. This week, let’s stop calling fear “discernment.”
2. Excellence as Worship: When Your Work Speaks for You
Joseph didn’t know he was being positioned for the palace when he was managing Potiphar’s house. He didn’t know his prison season was actually his preparation season. But he showed up with excellence anyway.
Daniel didn’t understand why God allowed him to be taken from his home. But he committed to excellence in a foreign land, serving a pagan king, in a role he never asked for.
Here’s what both of them understood: Your work is your worship. How you show up, even in seasons that don’t make sense, is your testimony.
When you’re excellent in the confusing season, you’re saying: “I don’t need to understand what God is doing to trust that He’s working. My job is to be faithful with what’s in front of me.”
And here’s the bonus: Your work WILL speak for you. Joseph’s management skills got him promoted even in prison. Daniel’s integrity made him indispensable even to kings who didn’t worship his God. Even when officials hated Daniel and wanted him gone, they couldn’t find ANYTHING wrong with his work. They literally had to make up a whole new law targeting his faith because not only was his excellence undeniable, but he did NOT play about his relationship with God. (Daniel 6:4-5).
That’s the power of showing up with excellence even when you don’t understand the assignment. Their stories are a perfect reminder that excellence has the power to create opportunities.
Try this: This week, identify one area where you’ve been half-hearted because “it doesn’t make sense” or “this isn’t where I want to be” or “I don’t understand why I’m here.” Commit to showing up with FULL excellence in that area this week. Do the work like you’re working for the Lord, not for people (Colossians 3:23). Let your work speak. Watch watch shifts.
3. The Comparison Trap: Protecting Your Unique Creative Voice
As I’ve been exploring the difference between being a creative director vs. a creative consultant, I’ve caught myself doing something dangerous: looking at other people’s work and letting it influence how I see my own.
Not inspiration. Not learning. Comparison.
And here’s what I’m realizing: Comparison doesn’t just steal your joy, it can literally rob you of YOUR unique voice and perspective as a creative and founder. Especially as faith-based creatives and founders, we have to remember that our inspiration comes from the Most High and the more intimate our relationship with Lord, the more potent the inspiration becomes.
When you’re constantly measuring your work against someone else’s, you start second-guessing the very thing that makes YOU unique.
The truth is that God gave you a specific voice, perspective, and creative lens that NO ONE ELSE has. When you try to sound like someone else, create like someone else, or build at someone else’s pace, you’re not just robbing yourself - you’re robbing the people who need YOUR specific, undiluted voice and story.
The people who resonate with your work don’t need you to become someone else. They need you to be MORE of who you already are.
This doesn’t mean that you can’t take inspiration from others, but take that inspiration and make it your own! It can be so freeing when we remember there is no “wrong” way to be a creative when you’re making original work.
Remember: Confidence in who God called you to be protects your creative voice. Start leaning INTO what makes you different and take time to take note of what sparks creativity for you.
Try this: This week, when you catch yourself comparing your work to someone else’s:
Stop and name it: “I’m comparing myself right now and it’s making me doubt my voice.”
Identify what made you stop: What is it about the work you saw that made you feel a moment of pause. Identify how you can re-create that in your own way (IF it makes sense).
Create from YOUR voice: Let that moment inspire you to make one piece of content or do one piece of work that leans FULLY into what makes you different.
Celebrate other creatives and founders without making their work make you question yours. Learn from them without losing yourself by staying inspired and confident in the story God gave you.
Monday Move 💃🏾
Pop on this playlist, take a moment to stretch, and leave with a reminder for the week ahead
Your playlist:
Your at- desk stretch routine:
* Remember to keep breathing deeply throughout!
Shoulder Shrugs (1 minute)
Lift your shoulders up toward your ears, hold for 2 seconds, then release them down with a sigh. Repeat 10 times. This releases tension from decision-making and screen time.
Wrist Rolls (30 secs each direction)
Extend your arms forward. Make fists and slowly roll your wrists in circles. This helps if you've been typing or creating all day.
Standing Side Stretch (30 secs per side)
Stand up, reach both arms overhead, grab your right wrist with your left hand, and gently lean left. Feel the stretch along your right side. Switch sides. This opens up your torso and creates space for fresh perspective.
Hip Circles (1 minute)
Stand with hands on your hips and slowly rotate your hips in circles - like you're hula hooping. Switch directions halfway through. Gets the blood flowing and reminds you that movement creates momentum.
Deep Breathing Reset (1 minute)
Stand or sit tall. Inhale deeply through your nose for 4 counts, hold for 4 counts, exhale through your mouth for 6 counts. Repeat 5 times. Let go of comparison. Let go of fear. Come back to YOUR voice.
Your Reminder: “Waiting on God” isn’t an excuse for inaction when He’s already given you the green light. Excellence in the confusing season positions you for breakthrough you can’t see yet. And comparison will rob you of the unique creative voice that only YOU can bring- protect it by staying true to who God made you to be.
“You know what just dawned on me?” 💭
True Royalty starts at God’s feet.
As Cee and I are making finishing touches for Royal Authority’s launch event this Thursday, we’re having to ask ourselves pivotal questions around what it actually means to have royal authority through Jesus.
The last thing we want is for Royal Authority to be a stage for pride, arrogance or any of the other things people typically associate with royalty. Then it hit - in one of our conversations last week, we were talking about the dreams and visions God had placed on heart for R.A. and this thought dropped in my heart like an anvil in a Tom & Jerry episode- True Kingdom Royalty starts at God’s feet.
In Revelation 4:10, the 24 elders in heaven cast their crowns at God’s feet, symbolizing true worship. Even though those elders are royalty in their own right, they understand viscerally that their royalty means nothing in comparison to God’s supreme reign.
Even Jesus Christ Himself was humble and obedient to God’s will when He had every right to flex on every last one of His haters. The Bible says, in Philippians 2: 5-8 (NLT):
“You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.
Though he was God,
he did not think of equality with God
as something to cling to.
Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
he took the humble position of a slave
and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
he humbled himself in obedience to God
and died a criminal’s death on a cross.
We always like to quote 1 Peter 2:9 about us being a royal priesthood and chosen nation, but we often forget the immense amount of humility it takes to walk honorably in those callings.
Reply to this email - I read every response and love hearing from you!
Forward this to someone who needs permission to stop comparing their voice to everyone else’s and start protecting what makes them unique ✨
Want to work directly with me? I work 1:1 with founders and creatives who want to build an authentic online presence without it feeling like a second job. If you’re interested in support with creating content strategies that works for YOU or nailing down your personal branding or showing up online consistently- reply directly to this email. I’d love to help!
Stay rooted in who you are. Keep rising in your calling!
Here for the journey with you ✨,
