# 30 Self vs. Others: Choosing Renewal that Multiplies Love

 In this powerful follow-up to Episode 29, we dive deep into the universal tension every faithful, service‑minded mom and leader feels: how to care for your people without abandoning your own soul. I open with that familiar “standing at the refrigerator” moment and name the inner critic who loves to weaponize guilt. Then I share a true post‑Easter Monday confession where I said yes to everything and ended up a holy mess with unholy eyebrows, and how that mismanagement—not holiness—taught me to run choices through the Identity, Impact, Integrity, Initiative filter. You’ll hear a short client testimony about beating the car line without betraying the team, and how one clear priorities note plus a present pickup actually helped both family and work move forward. We step into a Gospel morning where the crowds search for Jesus, only to learn He withdrew to pray before returning in power. That rhythm—withdrawal and return—isn’t selfishness; it’s stewardship that multiplies service. I share a formative parenting story about digging for “mama, daddy, children, and grandpa/grandma worms” with my girls (enthusiastic supervision, zero worm touching), and how my early commitment to presence made it harder—but necessary—to later prioritize dates with my husband and short solo getaways with my circle of women. Along the way, I anchor the lesson with Parker Palmer’s reminder that “self-care is never a selfish act—it is simply good stewardship of the only gift I have, the gift I was put on earth to offer to others.” We slow down the filter so you can apply it in real time, practice a quick kitchen‑table reset, and reframe boundaries as a public service announcement that humans are finite and love is sustainable when tended. If you’re feeling that tug today, this episode gives you permission, practice, and a clear next faithful 15‑minute step. So the next time you’re standing at the refrigerator contemplating one of life’s dilemmas, let your inner critic hold the clipboard if she must, but you hold the pen. Name the tension. Run the filter. Take one step that honors both your soul and your people. Breathe. Choose. Act. And may God bless you with Goals, and Grace.