Busyness vs. Purpose: Are You Running From Stillness?

Mariana explores the difference between walking in God's purpose versus keeping busy to avoid dealing with deeper issues, challenging listeners to examine their relationship with busyness and rest.

• Recording from the beach as a deliberate choice to step away from routine
• Reflecting on how busyness can be a way to avoid sitting with uncomfortable thoughts
• The struggle of measuring self-worth by productivity instead of identity in Christ
• Scripture reminder that even God rested (Psalm 46:10)
• Examining if our busyness is purpose-driven or avoidance behavior
• The freedom found in understanding we are enough because of who we belong to, not what we do
• Practical steps for incorporating rest without guilt

Join us for the She's Bold Women Conference on May 2nd, 2025 at 7pm CST in Dickinson, Texas – a night of worship, powerful speakers, and connection with other women stepping into their God-given purpose. Get tickets on Eventbrite through the link in our show notes.

Resources Mentioned:

SHEs BOLD Women's Conference: grab your ticket!

EmpowerHer Purpose Program

Interested on coaching but still not sure? Grab your free copy of:
EmpowerHer Purpose Guide

MAMI on a Mission LLC: info@mamionamission.com

Grab your Copy of my book MAMI on a Mission - A Guide Towards Healing, Self-Discovery and Walking in Confidence

Amiga, Ready to Read Your Bible? Join the Group Today!

FOLLOW
Follow me on Instagram: @mamionamissionpodcast

Follow me on Facebook: @mamionamission

Signup for a free monthly newsletter

Chapters

• 0:26 Introduction at the Beach
• 8:16 The Trap of Confusing Movement with Progress
• 15:49 Measuring Worth by Productivity vs. Identity
• 24:04 God's Rest vs. Our Control
• 34:45 Sponsor Break: Jasmine Journey
• 36:24 Call to Reflection and Conference Invitation
• 43:18 Closing Thoughts and Resources

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Hey, amiga, welcome back to another episode of Mommy on a Mission podcast. So today I am recording, but not in my usual spot. No, actually it's a Tuesday when I'm recording and I'm actually here sitting at the beach recording this episode Because, honestly, this episode is about to get real and maybe even step on some toes, including my own. But today we're talking about something that hit me like an extra shot of espresso. The question is are we truly walking in our God-given purpose or are we just keeping busy to avoid dealing with the deeper stuff? Ouch and I bring that up because lately I feel like within the last three weeks, life has just been taking me all over the place, and I'm going to be very, very transparent with you it's been about three weeks since my family and I have been to church. Yes, I read the Bible every day. Yes, you know I host a Bible study and yes, I do my best to incorporate God throughout the day. But I don't know, I mean it just feels like when I don't go on Sundays or if we don't go on a Sunday, we'll usually go on a Thursday, but like this semester of the school year for my kids, I mean it's like the busiest one we have. It's always busy around this time because this is when baseball season begins. My son is in baseball. He's in Little League as well, so he's playing baseball with two different teams, plus we have to travel with him. And then my husband also plays softball on top of work. My work, full-time business, my daughter being an FFA. Then now she's trying out for cheerleading and it's like, oh my gosh, and so was it. Two, three weeks ago we did go to Florida, but I don't even feel like it was a break. It really didn't feel that way at all. And then we came back and I ended up with the flu. Yeah, so listen, this one's not going to be for the faint of heart, but if you've ever felt like, no matter how much you accomplish, it still doesn't feel like enough, this episode is going to be for you. So, amiga, grab your cafecito, get comfy and let's dive in.

Speaker 1: 2:43

Welcome to the Mommy on a Mission podcast. I'm Mariana, your host and the number one bestselling author of Mommy on a Mission a guide towards healing, self-discovery and walking in confidence. As a dedicated life coach, wife, mom yaya and, most importantly, daughter of the king, I am passionate about empowering multifaceted women. Just like you. I am passionate about empowering multifaceted women just like you. In each episode, we dive deep into transformative topics that help you reignite your passion and purpose. My unique approach is designed to help you overcome the fear of external expectations and create the space and time you need for both increased job satisfaction and personal growth. Join me on this journey of self-discovery and empowerment, as we explore practical strategies, inspiring stories and actionable insights. Together, we'll navigate the complexities of life and emerge stronger, more confident and truly aligned with our deepest desires. Welcome to the Mom in a Mission podcast, your go-to resource for living a more purposeful and fulfilling life. So grab your Tazza Cafe y vamos a platicar.

Speaker 1: 3:56

So how many of us, including myself, like Amiga, do you ever feel guilty of doing all the things, starting new projects, saying yes to everything, pushing ourselves to the limit, only to realize that you're exhausted, overwhelmed and still feeling like you haven't done enough, right? I mean, like I said, I've got all this stuff going on and on, and on, and on and on. But God is so merciful and he is so graceful and he is so loving and giving that he actually allowed me to pause for just a little moment, and on Saturday of last week so it was, I guess it was what the here doing things and doing things, you know, running and just gunning it and everything. And we ask ourselves does anybody even notice that we're doing all of these things Like? And then we get so overwhelmed with it all. I know I do, I know I start feeling overwhelmed, I know I start feeling like tired and I don't want to do anything and then I get frustrated. So sometimes what we do is we confuse movement with progress. We think that if we're always moving, moving, moving, moving, we're making progress somewhere. Ok, but here's a real question Are we running towards something meaningful or are we just running away from sitting still with ourselves?

Speaker 1: 5:50

You know, if you would have asked me that question about 20 years ago, I would have told you that I was keeping so busy because I did not know how to be by myself. When I became a single mom 20 years ago, it was so hard for me to do anything for myself or on my own. Like it was the hardest thing going out to eat by myself, going to the movies by myself, whatever it was. It was so hard for me to do any of these things by myself. Why? Because I didn't want to be alone with my thoughts, because if I was alone with my thoughts for too long, then I would start remembering things that I didn't want to remember, and I was having to deal with things that I didn't want to have to deal with, like I didn't want to have to deal with the fact that I was a single mom, I didn't want to have to deal with the fact that I was getting divorced or that I was in a domestic violence situation or that. You know, I'm always having to do all these things, and so it was just so hard for me, and so I had to keep busy. I would stay busy because, if not, I felt like the more busier I got, the better it was for me.

Speaker 1: 7:00

But I want to ask a reflection question here. Have you ever felt like, no matter how much you achieve, you still feel restless, and why do you think that is? Now I will say this I felt like the more and more and more things that I was doing, I felt like I wasn't doing enough. I don't know, I think because growing up I would always hear. I don't know, I think because growing up I would always hear like my mom did not like to see us just laying on the couch watching TV, Like my mom always had to have us either.

Speaker 1: 7:44

Just want to chill, I just want to relax. I don't want to do anything. As a kid, that is right. You just want to be lazy. As kids, you don't want to do anything, you just want to be lazy. You just want to enjoy the day. You just want to do what you want to do and whatever. But your parents have a different agenda and, like I started to instill that in like my kids, and so I don't know if my husband is the same way too, but it's like we cannot be idle and I grew up with that concept, but I feel like it wasn't enough.

Speaker 1: 8:15

So here's the thing I know that sometimes my husband will call me throughout the day, especially if I'm at home, and he's like hey, what are you doing? And I'm having to give him like a to-do list. I'm like, oh well, I was washing clothes, I did the laundry, I swept the floors, I mopped, I fed the dogs, I did this and I did that. You know, I felt like I was productive. He goes I didn't ask what you were doing. I asked how are you doing? And I'm like, oh, and I'm like, well, I'm fine. And I'm like, well, I'm fine, I'm doing good.

Speaker 1: 8:58

But one scripture that stands out right now is Psalms 4610. That says be still and know that I am God. See, god never told us to hustle our way to peace. He told us to be still. Yeah, I mean, when's the last time you just sat with God without trying to check something off your list? I'm gonna tell you, I try and try and try to just sit there with God and just, and the next thing you know, I start telling God all of the things that I still have to do, and then I have to stop for a moment and be like, okay, wait, god, you already know what my to-do list. I don't need to tell you what my to-do list, because God wants us to come to him about us, about how we're feeling, about where we need help and about all of those things.

Speaker 1: 9:37

It's not about all the things that we feel like we have to do in order to seem or appear productive, and sometimes, if we're going to be honest, we measure our worth by what we do instead of who we are. It's almost like, oh well, you know, if I do all of these things, you know people are going to recognize me, they're going to see all these, the things that I've been able to accomplish, and sometimes what we do is we equate success with being valuable. And that's a slippery slope, right, so slope. It is because we get so wrapped up on trying to do all of these things to find some form of validation for our achievements and we want people to recognize us, and when we don't have that happen, it makes us feel a certain kind of way.

Speaker 1: 10:33

So let me ask this question if God took away all of your titles, all of your accomplishments, all the things you're known for, would you still believe you're enough? That is a question I've asked so many of my clients because, I'll tell you this, I for one am not one that is driven by titles. I'm not. I think, you know, in jobs that I've had, you know, I think sometimes, when they would offer a promotion, they would say, oh, but you'll, you know, this is, this will be your new title, this is. I'm going to tell you something in the nonprofit world, you don't own just one title. It's like mom. That title of mom is not just mom, it's mom, it's nurse, it's cook, it's wife, it's, you know, laundry, whatever it's, all of these other things. Right, mom is just the name that we're given, but it holds so many to-dos on that name and that's just like in the nonprofit world. Yeah, you could be a case manager, but you're a case manager, you're doing outreach, you're. You know, one day you're volunteering out in the pantry. One day you're just. I mean so.

Speaker 1: 11:50

To me, that was not something that drove me was titles, but I have met so many people where titles was how they thrive, like if they didn't have their title, how they thrive Like if they didn't have their title. And I'm going to say this sometimes with men, I've noticed that it's even harder, because when you ask them about who you are, the very first thing they tell you is their occupation, like what they do at work, whereas women you ask somebody oh well, what do you do? And I was like oh well, I'm a mom and I'm like we give our title, like we, as far as what we do, we never talk about you know who we are in God, and that, amiga, is something that we need to learn how to identify. Right, we need to learn how to identify who we are in God and to know that we are enough in God and to know that we are enough. Because, honestly speaking, what God's asking us to do is he's asking us to talk to others about Him, about His goodness. Not about our accomplishments, not about the things that we've been able to do, not about all. It's about how God was able to be in our lives and pour into us so that we can pour into other people. And, yes, at times there's going to be some recognition, because there's going to be things that God is going to call us to do that other people will notice and will be like, wow, but at the end of the day, the true message is I want to be known as a good and faithful servant towards God. Right, Because Ephesians 2.10 says for we are God's masterpiece.

Speaker 1: 13:29

He has created us anew in Christ Jesus so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. So God already had an agenda. He already had a list for us way before we were even born. He already knew what we were gonna do. Right. Right now, we're just living in the moment. Right, you are already a masterpiece, not because of what you do, but because of who you belong to. We are uniquely made in God's image. We are wonderfully made in God's image. God created us for him.

Speaker 1: 14:07

So if we don't rest, if we don't rest because we think everything depends on us, listen, if God, who created the entire universe, took a day to rest, what makes us think that we can run on empty? That's right, because even Jesus, he worked for six full days and then on one day he rested. And he's calling us to rest. And do you truly trust God with your life, or are you acting like you're the one who has to hold everything together? Oh, I know that's going to touch somebody. I know that's going to get somebody Right, because I have that.

Speaker 1: 14:49

I have this thing that I am working still to this day, that I work through that I have to have control over everything, because I feel like if I don't have control over anything, that I'm not doing my part or that I have to be monitoring, so almost like micromanaging the world, and I can't do that. Who the heck am I? I can't do that Like who the heck am I? I can't do that. So I got to worry about what I can do within my own means, because if not, I'm going to run myself ragged, and many of us do right Because we run ourselves so much on empty that, once the gas is out, we just stop, like God puts a stop.

Speaker 1: 15:26

That's why, like when I got the flu, that was like god telling me girl, you need to stop and slow down. Like you're going to get this flu, not because I want you to have the flu, but if this is what it's going to take in order for you to slow down, then that's what it's going to have to take, because you're just going, going, going, going. And where am I in this mixed? Where have you come to me? Right, because without god, we can't do it all. We need him, just like we need people that he's going to put in our path in order to help us to accomplish the goal that he wants us to accomplish. All you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest Jesus literally is saying to us bring him your burnout.

Speaker 1: 16:15

Why are we still carrying it? Like it's a designer purse, like we have to hold on to this busyness, like we have to hold on to all of these things. Like you know, it's a medal I mean, it's a medal, it's a trophy of some sort. Like we have to display oh, this is how busy I am, you know, one time I went to church and I heard this sermon and it said tell me you're busy without telling me you're busy. And it's like how many of you have on the back of your car that you have, you know, some like a band sticker or cheerleader sticker or something that your child is involved in, not to mention you've got a Jesus cross on there so people can know that you're a Christian or that you believe in Jesus. But you've got all of these stickers that represents something that's going on in your life today. It's like we're carrying a billboard of all of the things that we're doing so people can see that we're always active. But why? Why do we do that to ourselves?

Speaker 1: 17:17

So I'm going to pause here for a moment and I want to give a sponsor shout out to Jasmine Journey and Healing Center. This episode is brought to you by our amazing sponsor, jasmine Journey and Healing Center. If you've been carrying past hurts, feeling stuck or just need a space to heal, check them out at jasminejourneycom. Their program helps women to relax, to rest and to be whole again with massage therapy and all of the other things that they have, because, sis, you deserve to thrive, not just survive. So thank you, jasmine Journey, for supporting Mommy on a Mission's she's Bold Women Conference.

Speaker 1: 18:02

So, amiga, I want to close out with this. I want to know from you, I want to know from you if you're in that season right now that you are running and running and running and gunning and everything and you just feel very overwhelmed, burned out and stressed. And if that's you, maybe something that you heard today in this episode is going to give you some moments or some pieces to just kind of sit back and reflect back on. Am I being busy because this is the season that I'm in to be busy, or am I being busy or keeping myself busy and adding on more things because I'm running away from something? Ask yourself that question. Ask yourself if you're really doing this because you have to, or is it because you're doing it because you're avoiding something, something that you don't want to face, something that you don't want to think about, something that you don't want to deal with because it hurts, it's painful or it's just, you know, one of those things that perhaps will spur up anxiety. But let me tell you this that if you don't stop and pause, you're going to run yourself ragged into that point where you're going to feel depressed and anxious, and I mean, that is not the way that you want to go, because I've been there and I know what it's like, and there's times in my life that I need to stop, pause and take a break, which is why today, I made the choice to record this episode at the beach. I'm sitting in my car right now looking at families, because the beginning of spring break has started. I'm watching them in the sand, in the water, just enjoying life, taking a breather and enjoying life, and that's why I decided to do this episode here today Because I just want to remind myself that I need to break away and give myself this moment to reflect, and I hope you find a way to do the same thing for yourself, amiga.

Speaker 1: 20:16

So I do want to remind you that she's Bold Women conference is going to happen on May 2nd 2025 at 7 pm Central Standard Time here in Dickinson, texas. This is going to be a powerful night of worship, speakers and connection with other bold women stepping into their God-given purpose. So save the date. You do not want to miss this. You can find how to purchase the tickets in Eventbrite in the show notes. It'll be there. And also, I just want to remind you that we dive deep into God's Word every Wednesday with Amiga Ready to Read your Bible Bible Study Group every Wednesday at 7.30 pm Eastern Standard Time, and I promise it's a judgment-free zone where we can grow together. So if you need to find a time to just break away and do something for yourself, then join us for Amiga Ready to Read your Bible.

Speaker 1: 21:13

So, amigas, I just want to wrap up this episode today. I'd love to hear your thoughts. What part of today's message hit home for you, and let's keep this conversation going. So subscribe, leave a review and share this episode with your Amigas. And remember, review and share this episode with your amigas, and remember you are enough as you are, not because of what you do. So now go, rest, trust God and stop running from the stillness, because that's where the real transformation happens.

Speaker 1: 21:42

See you next time on Mommy on a Mission podcast. Thank you for tuning in to the mommy on a mission podcast. If you found today's episode inspiring, don't forget to subscribe, leave a review and share it with your amigos. And, before you go, if you're looking to dive deeper into healing, self-discovery and walking in confidence, be sure to grab a copy of my book mommy on a mission a guide towards healing, self-discovery and walking in confidence. Be sure to grab a copy of my book Mommy on a Mission a guide towards healing, self-discovery and walking in confidence, available now on Amazon. Stay connected with me on social media. Follow us on Instagram at Mommy on a Mission Podcast and on Facebook at Mommy on a Mission. If you're considering working with a coach but aren't sure if you're ready, send me a DM and I will send you a free gift to help you get started on your journey. Until next saturday. Keep shining and remember the tower is within you. Adios amigas.