Stop Performing, Start Connecting

Ever notice how some relationships energize you—while others leave you feeling completely depleted?

It’s not always about time spent or even how deep the conversations go. It’s something more subtle, more foundational: the dynamic of how we’re connecting.

We often confuse draining relationships with challenging ones. But there’s a difference.

Challenging relationships can still fill us when they’re rooted in truth, mutual respect, and growth. They stretch us—but they don’t strip us.

The relationships that drain us are the ones built on performance. On people-pleasing. On the unspoken pressure to prove our worth over and over again.

And this dynamic doesn’t just show up in friendships or family—it shows up in our relationship with God, too.

When we approach Him from a place of spiritual performance, even prayer and devotional time can feel exhausting. But when we come honestly—without striving, without pretense—we don’t leave empty. We leave filled.

What if we stopped accepting “soul-tired” as the normal cost of connection?

What if we slowed down long enough to ask:

• Is this relationship life-giving or life-draining?

• Am I showing up authentically, or am I performing?

• Am I connecting from my heart—or from my fears?

The answers might surprise you.
And they might just change everything.