Have you ever hesitated to take action because you were waiting for someone else’s approval?
Maybe you’ve had a great idea, a clear calling, or a strong conviction in your heart, but instead of moving forward, you paused waiting for confirmation from people. You wanted validation before giving yourself permission to obey God.
Have you ever rehearsed a conversation in your head over and over, only to decide it’s not worth the risk of saying it out loud? Or maybe you’ve convinced yourself that keeping the peace is safer than speaking your truth because past experiences have taught you that honesty leads to criticism, dismissal, or even emotional distance. If that sounds familiar, it makes sense that you’d feel emotionally unsafe, hesitant to open up, unsure of how you’ll be received, and exhausted from carrying it all inside.
Love is a beautiful gift from God, meant to be deep, fulfilling, and life-giving. But when you love hard, it can come with a cost. Many people wear “loving hard” like a badge of honor, pouring everything into a relationship, giving their whole heart, and holding nothing back.
If you’ve ever dismissed your emotions, questioned your own reality, or told yourself you were “overreacting” before anyone else could, you may be engaging in self-gaslighting. And today, that’s what I’m focusing on, not how others dismiss you, but how you dismiss yourself.
Have You Ever Felt Like Your Feelings Didn’t Matter? You share your heart, only to be met with “You’re overreacting,” or “Just pray about it and move on.” It stings, doesn’t it? That’s emotional invalidation—when your feelings, thoughts, or experiences…
I was in line at the store, growing frustrated as the cashier moved at a painfully slow pace. My mind filled in the blanks—maybe she didn’t care about her job, maybe she was just being careless. But then I overheard her whisper to a coworker, “I just lost my mom last night.”
