I am one of four kids. My oldest sister has severe special needs and needed a lot from my parents. My brother came next and gave them a serious run for their money. By the time they got to me, they were tired.

And so I learned, very early in life, to earn my place.

I got straight A's. I ironed my father's shirts. I became the star student of the month so that my parents would take time off work to come to the assembly and see me. I learned that love was something you perform your way into. And I carried that belief with me for decades, into relationships, into my business, and yes, even into my faith.

I was trying to earn heaven. I was doing all the right things, going to Mass, serving others, being generous, being good, because I desperately wanted to see my daughter Fofi again one day. And I was doing it all from a place of earning.

Until a priest looked at me and said two words that cracked me open.

 Love is free.

 That is what this episode is about.

WHAT I AM SHARING IN THIS EPISODE:

• The story of how I grew up learning to earn love and how that pattern followed me into every area of my life, including my business, where I eventually found myself doing more and more while receiving less and less.

• The difference between self-confidence and self-worth, and why this distinction from Jamie Kern Lima's book "Worthy" was one of the most important things I have ever read. Self-confidence is built by doing. Self-worth requires nothing from you. It simply requires you to be.

• Why I realized I was doing everything right in my business but skipping the being entirely, and how that was the exact reason the results were not coming as fast as I needed them to. 

• The Oprah quote that stopped me in my tracks: we do not get what we want. We do not get what we work for. We get what we believe we deserve.

• Why God does not give you a cross bigger than you can carry, and what that same truth means for his blessings. If your heart and your mind are the size of a drawer, the graces God has for you, the car-sized graces of love, forgiveness, and abundance, simply do not fit. Your job is to expand.

• Why you cannot skip the being. Doing is not the foundation. Being is. And when you do without first doing the work of being, you will find yourself exhausted, resentful, and wondering why nothing is working, even when you are working as hard as you possibly can.

If this episode moved you, please share it with someone who is working themselves to exhaustion and still wondering why it is not enough. You could be the reason they finally understand that they are already enough. I love you like crazy. See you next week.

 Resources & Links:

• Ready to step into your purpose and answer God’s calling to do more? Learn about my programs at FaithAndGrowth.com

• If you’re ready to take action, book a call at TalkToBetsy.com

• Grab my book, Hurt 2 Hope: Heal the Pain of Grief, Loss, and Adversity: https://a.co/d/awwbAgc

• Download the Better with Betsy App and gain 24/7 access to Betsy through her Betsy Bot!

• Free Purpose Workshop! Go to https://faithbasedcoachingacademy.com/FW to secure your spot