Shauna Niequist - Present Over Perfect Guided Journal: Journey to a Simpler, More Soulful Life

I wrote Present Over Perfect as an account of my winding, messy journey from exhaustion to peace, from isolation to connection, from hustling and multitasking to sacred presence.

I hit a point in my mid-thirties when I realized that there were all these words I wanted my life to be: connected, warm, spontaneous, meaningful, graceful, rest-filledbut my actual life was rushed and frantic and isolated and exhausted. I was an extremely busy, productive person, but I wasnt the friend, the wife, or the parent I wanted to be, and I realized that the trade-off wasnt worth it. It just didnt matter to me anymore that people thought I was very responsible and very capable; I wanted to reclaim a life of connection and play and rest.

Ive failed miserably and begun again, asked for help, asked for grace, asked for prayer. And beyond those things Ive done, the more life-altering parts of the work are those things Ive not done: the moments that Ive allowedor forcedmyself to stop, to say enough, to rest, to breathe, to connect. Thats where life is, Im finding. Thats where grace is. Thats where delight is.

In this journal, Im sharing bits and pieces of the how of my journey: the questions I asked myself, the habits I shook off and replaced with gentler rhythms, and the path I walked back to dwelling deeply in Gods love. If Present Over Perfect was a hand reaching out across the pages, inviting you into that same journey, then this journal is the friend that walks the dusty road alongside you so that you dont have to go it alone. This is the beat of my heart: to experience grace and nourishment and to offer them, one in each hand, to every person I meet. Grace and nourishment. Rest and space. Connection and love.

I want you to know that its better here, in this place of love. This journey has brought about a meaningful transformation in every single part of my life. My prayer life, my marriage, my family life, my friendships. I enjoy my work more. I feel a deep well of gratitude, a clean and grateful desire to live a life of meaning. I have the energy to dedicate myself to the things that matter to me and that God has called me to. I have the security to truly rest, to truly enjoy this extraordinary world and all its offeringsbooks and art and meals and people and conversations and cities and beaches and night skies.

In the space that used to be filled with a whirring ball of anxiety, now there is a new patience, a new settledness. The deep well of contentedness that I feel these days is nothing short of a miracle, and its one I am thankful for every single day. My prayer is that this journal can be a meaningful guide along your own path toward growth and grounding.

What are you longing for?

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I was missing the very things I so badly longed for: connection, meaning, peace. But something kept driving me forwarda set of beliefs, routines, and instincts that kept me pushing, pushing, pushing even as I was longing to rest.

What beliefs, routines, or instincts are holding you back?

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