Kathi Lipp - Overwhelmed: How to Quiet the Chaos and Restore Your Sanity

Kathi says thank you

In order to write a book called Overwhelmed , a person has to live a lot of life. Thank you to the people who choose to show up and do that life with me:

Roger . Shut the door.

Kimber, Justen, Jer, Amanda, and Shaun. I love that now youre grown, I get to be better than a momI get to be a friend.

Mom, for loving well.

Renee, Crystal, and Michele. Ive learned so much from you and from watching your own versions of Overwhelm. I am wiser for being your friend.

Mary, for sharing your passion for Compassion with me and supporting my new calling on this planet.

My team, Ang, Sherri, Brooke, Jen, and Mikkee. Every. Single. Day. I am so grateful.

Oh, Cheri . God has given us each superpowers that when combined, truly astound me. I am grateful every day that you call me friend. Thank you not just for what you do, but for being authentically you and bringing out the best in every person you meet.

Cheri would like to thank

Daniel for not just putting up with easily overwhelmed HSP me, but for asking, So, what did you write today? and acting genuinely interested in my rambling answers. Every. Single. Day.

Annemarie for getting me hooked on Downton Abbey and Gilmore Girls and for being the one person who truly gets me as an HSP.

Jonathon for listening as I process my many ideas aloud and for sustaining me with heavenly homemade delicacies.

Elisa Gray for the beautiful prayers you so generously shared throughout this book. I love the way you talk to God.

Ginny Yttrup for your desperately needed help as a writing coach and your personal support as a fellow writer and trusted friend.

Amy Carroll for saying Yes! to becoming my podcasting partner. Our Grit n Grace convos are the highlights of my week!

Kathi for constantly coaxing me out of my comfort zone and for modeling what it looks like to act on faith in the face of fear. Im proud of you. Always.

The Cure for the Perfect Life

Do you know a woman who works her heart out but never gets anything just right? Who feels like she falls short of being the Christian wife, mother, daughter, and friend she longs to be?

Sound like anyone you know? Perhaps even the girl in the mirror? If so, Cheri Gregory and Kathi Lipp have good news for you.

Youre not a bad person. Youve simply been obeying some really bad rules for far too long, rules that promised paradise but misled you into perfectionism, people-pleasing, and procrastination prison. But you dont have to stay stuck in discouragement and resentment. Escape is possible. Rescue is waiting.

This sassy self-help guide offers been-there-felt-that, girlfriend-to-girlfriend empathy and experience that will help you

tell the difference between reasonable rules and bad rules

identify the bad rules you need to break

discover biblical wisdom to overcome the bad rules in your life

As you stop trying to measure up so that others will be impressed, youll experience what it means to let the peace of Christ rule in your heart.

I loved sharing some of my Compassion story with you in Overwhelmed . If you would like to find out more about how to become involved in the life of a child who is living in poverty, please check out my Compassion page at http://www.kathilipp.com/compassion-international/. Id love to partner with you in seeing kids lifted into a life of hope.

Vizzini: He didnt fall? Inconceivable!

Inigo: You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

T HE P RINCESS B RIDE

Kathi

T he quote from above is what I think to myself when I ask someone how shes doing and she responds, Overwhelmed! and then goes on to explain that she has to make an unexpected trip to the pharmacy.

If Im going through a huge family crisis or an aspect of my business is teetering on disaster, and you are overwhelmed by an extra errand, my brain immediately goes to You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

But reflecting on my own life, Ive come to realize that no matter how we get therewhether its a life-and-death situation or the feeling that were falling further and further behindoverwhelmed is overwhelmed.

And it feels terrible.

When it comes to feeling overwhelmed, one definition does not fit all.

However, we can look for signs and patterns. Here are five common ways we become overwhelmed by the daily decisions we each face. By identifying these overwhelming circumstances, we empower ourselves to prepare for these situations, and when possible, avoid them altogether.

Which of these scenarios sounds familiar?

I become overwhelmed when I cant seem to make new decisions.

I have to is the most overwhelming sentence in the English language.

I have to stay in this job. I could never find another job that pays this well.

I have to resign myself to a bad marriage. He will never change.

Ive blown it with my kids. Its too late to parent differently.

Stuck.

No end in sight.

Its all up to me.

This is how I felt about my writing career several years ago. I felt as though I wasnt making a difference in anyones life.

But I couldnt quit. I had too many people relying on me.

Every day, I fantasized about quitting. What would it be like to have a job where I punched in and out? One where I didnt worry about work when I got home at night? Just thinking about it felt glorious.

I started to talk it over with my husband, Roger. This job is killing me. I dont get to spend enough time with you. I feel behind on everything in our lives. And I dont feel as though Im making a difference with the books Im writing or the audiences Im speaking to. I feel completely stuck.

Thats when he said something revolutionary.

You can quit.

He knew I had deadlines and obligations. But he pointed out that they werent forever. We could put a plan into action to start phasing out everything. We could survive for a while on just his salary while I decided what to do with my life.

And when Roger pointed out that I had options, I felt instantly more peaceful.

I had been telling myself that he would be so disappointed in me if I gave up everything wed worked for. He would be upset that wed poured so much into this ministry and didnt see a return.

But I forgot that my husband and I are on each others teams. Im never in anything alone. So when he said, You have options, even without circumstances changing, I instantly felt less overwhelmed.

Feeling as though you have no options is overwhelming.

I become overwhelmed when I have trouble making the right decision.

We recently celebrated my stepdaughters wedding. It was an amazing weekend and Amanda had the dream wedding shed hoped for. But as we all know, a dream wedding can sometimes be a nightmare for those who are pulling it off.

I thought I was showing up early in my T-shirt and grubby jeans to help fold napkins and fluff table decorations. But things didnt go according to plan.

Our amazing wedding coordinator, Nancy, had a family emergency the morning of the wedding. Let me state for the record that the fact that Nancy showed up at all speaks to her character. She is a gift. (Who else on the planet says, Let me plan your stepdaughters wedding for you, get the crew together, and make it magical?). But this family emergency set into motion a chain reaction of events that couldnt be avoided:

The truck with all the wedding decorations arrived an hour late.