How Do You Reset?

Welcome to another edition of Faith and Focus and the last Thursday in February 2025!!

The months are rolling by swiftly, and with them come the demands of work, personal ambitions, and life’s ever-spinning wheels. No matter your age or stage - whether you're a young professional navigating the hustle or a seasoned leader balancing weighty responsibilities - one thing is certain: pressure is part of the journey.

But the real question is, how do you handle it?

For some, it’s music that soothes the mind, exercise that strengthens the body, or deep conversations that refresh the soul. Others turn to a favorite book, a quiet walk, or simply unplugging from the world for a while. These are healthy, productive ways to reset.

Yet, not all coping mechanisms are created equal. When stress piles up, it's easy to slip into habits that promise relief but offer little restoration - excessive drinking that clouds judgment, binge-eating that leaves you sluggish, or mindless scrolling that drowns out the still, small voice of wisdom, amongst other things. These moments feel harmless, even justified, but they often pull us further away from clarity, not closer to it.

The truth is, pressure is external, but peace? That’s internal. No matter how life tries to unsettle you, you have authority over it. You can silence fear, dismiss distractions, and stand firm in control.

We were not created to be slaves to stress, anxiety, or fleeting comforts. We have the power to take charge of our emotions, to silence the noise, and to respond to pressure in ways that sharpen, not weaken, us and this power shines through intentional moments with God.

So, before you let stress push you into habits that don’t serve you, ask yourself:

• Does this truly restore me, or just distract me?
• Does it honor God?
• Do I feel better afterward - or worse?
• Does it reflect the leader I am called to be?

The choices we make - whether in public or private - shape who we become.

Scripture reminds us that there is no hiding from God, not in the heights of success or the depths of struggle (Psalm 139:7-8). And while it’s easy to think, "This one time doesn’t count," the truth is, every moment counts.

So, check your patterns. Be intentional about your resets. Choose restoration over escape. Because no matter how fast life moves, one thing remains: wisdom is priceless.

How do you reset?

Love,

Esther