Blowing the Flame Out

Letting Go Is Actually Leaning In

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about what it means to pivot.

We don’t talk about it enough, how it takes strength to say, “This isn’t working anymore.” There’s this idea that once we commit to something, we have to carry it all the way to the finish line no matter how heavy it gets. But what if letting go isn’t quitting? What if it’s actually obedience? Wisdom? Trust?

A few months ago, I decided to turn my love for candles into something more. I imagined a beautiful little business where I could create cozy, thoughtful scents and share them with the world. At first, it was exciting. I poured my heart into it testing, tweaking, and trying to perfect every detail. But it didn’t take long for the joy to turn into pressure. I found myself stressing out over off centered wicks, worrying about weak scent throws, and chasing perfection in a way that left me exhausted.

And the truth? I didn’t like who I was becoming. If I spent all day trying to make the perfect candle, only to have nothing left in me when my husband came home from work… was I really living the life God was calling me to live?

The answer was clearly was no.

I started asking myself some hard questions: Does this serve my family? Does this bring peace or pressure? Do I feel God’s pleasure in this, or just the pressure of my own expectations?

And maybe the hardest one: Am I willing to pivot, even if it means disappointing the image I had in my head of what this should be?

So, I’m stepping away. Not because I failed, but because I’m choosing peace over stress. I’m choosing presence over perfection. I’m choosing to believe that my worth doesn’t come from producing or performing, but from being faithful to what matters most in this season of my life.

And honestly? It feels like freedom.

Pivoting Is Not Weakness

There’s this lie we sometimes believe that changing direction means we weren’t strong enough to follow through. But that’s not true. Pivoting takes courage. It takes humility. It means you’re brave enough to admit something isn’t right and wise enough to listen when God nudges you in a different direction.

And He has been nudging me.

Last week, I started reading the Bible front to back. Not a verse here and there, not a devotional summary…every word. I realized how strange it felt to call myself a Christian and yet not know so many of the actual stories, people, and truths in the book that defines my faith. I don’t want to skim over the hard parts. I don’t want to get by on secondhand understanding. I want to know the full story, the big picture, and let God shape me through it.

It’s taking time. A lottt of time. But I’m learning so much already. And maybe the biggest thing I’ve realized is that we are not called to hustle harder…we’re called to walk in step with Him. Sometimes that means stepping forward. Other times, it means stepping away.

Right now, my heart is leaning into simplicity. Into Scripture. Into the beauty of small, sacred things. I don’t need to juggle it all. I don’t need to do what the world says is impressive. I just need to be grateful with what God’s placed in front of me and that is more than enough.

So here’s to the pivots.

Here’s to releasing what no longer fits and holding tight to what truly matters.

Here’s to trusting that letting go isn’t losing, it’s just making space for something better.

Here’s to blowing the flame out that no longer serves you.