can't complain about what's on my plate when the goal was to eat.

Have you ever found yourself stressed over the very things you once prayed for?

As I am currently in bed, battling a bad case of the flu and a tad bit of insomnia, I find myself getting extremely overwhelmed by all that is on my plate. I have 2 shoots that I am assisting on this weekend, I have a big campaign launching next week, one creative deck and 2 mood boards due by the end of the week, a few meetings to get through this and all while feeling like I’ve been run over about 5 times.

In moments like this, filled with overwhelm and stress - I am attempting to reframe my mindset. Grounding myself in gratitude for the abundance of opportunities I am receiving. Remembering that these were the very things I used to dream of.

It’s such a wild contradiction—being blessed with the very things you once prayed for and still feeling like you’re drowning. But the truth is, growth doesn’t always feel graceful. Success doesn’t always feel like ease. And even abundance comes with weight.

Lately, I’ve been holding onto a simple but humbling reminder:

"Don’t complain about having a lot on your plate when your goal was to eat."

Oof. A word.

As Meek said “I used to pray for times like this”. I wanted to be booked, busy, and building something that mattered. And now that it’s happening, I won’t lie—sometimes I catch myself wanting to tap out. The opportunities are incredible, but so is the pressure.

Sometimes, I think back to my 17-year-old self—the girl who dreamed of working in creative spaces but had no idea how to get there. The girl who would hear about exciting opportunities but never saw a clear path to them.

I remember sitting in my high school guidance counselor’s office, always being told I should play it safe—to choose a school and a career path that was “practical”. To avoid the risk of uncertainty. To make the "smart" choice and avoid the bold one.

I chose the uncertain path because I knew deep down that I was meant to build something bigger than what was simply available to me.

And now? I’m doing work that would’ve made 17-year-old me lose her mind. I am shifting my perspective to having a lot on my plate as a very well deserved reward

We don’t always talk about what happens after we get what we asked for. The new opportunities, the new challenges, the new responsibilities, the new version of ourselves we have to grow into.

So here’s how I am shifting my mindset:

• Instead of saying “I have to do this,” I say “I get to do this.”
• Instead of feeling buried by work, I remind myself: This isn’t stress. These are blessings.
• Instead of seeing my full plate as a burden, I see it as proof that I am stepping into everything I am deserving of.

This doesn’t mean ignoring exhaustion or pretending everything is perfect. It just means that every time I feel like the weight is too much, I remind myself—I asked for this. And I am more than capable of carrying it.

Let’s be real: gratitude alone won’t clear your to-do list. So how do you stay present in your blessings without letting them consume you?

? Prioritize with intention. Not everything on your plate needs to be eaten at once. Identify what’s urgent vs. what can wait.

? Set boundaries before you crash out. Just because you can do it all doesn’t mean you should. Protect your time and energy.

? Rest is part of the process. You can’t enjoy the meal if you never pause to breathe. Taking breaks doesn’t mean you’re falling behind—it means you’re pouring back into yourself.

? Let your community pour into you. You don’t have to carry everything alone. Lean on the people who remind you why you started.

So TO US — the ones who worked for this, prayed for this, sacrificed for this. The ones who know that feeling overwhelmed is just proof that we’re stepping into our purpose. The ones who are learning how to hold a full plate with grace, balance, and gratitude.

Because we didn’t come this far just to let the weight of our dreams break us.

We came to EAT.

Until next time,

Kaitlyn