When You’re Running on Empty: Burnout, Faith & Resetting Your Life

Felicia and Brittney get real about something so many healthcare workers—and honestly, everyone—are feeling right now: burnout.

In this episode, they open up about emotional exhaustion, losing sight of purpose, and what it actually looks like to slow down in a world that glorifies staying busy. From ER life to everyday stress, this conversation dives into the pressure to keep going… even when you're running on empty.

They also talk about how faith, rest, and intentional self-care have helped them reset, rebuild, and reconnect with what truly matters.

If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, disconnected, or just plain exhausted—this episode is for you.

Because burnout isn’t weakness… it’s a signal.

🔑 What We Cover:

•  Signs you're emotionally and physically burnt out 
•  Why "pushing through" isn’t always the answer 
•  The role of faith during stressful seasons 
•  How to prioritize rest without guilt 
•  Reconnecting with purpose beyond your career 
•  Simple ways to start taking care of yourself again 

🎧 Perfect For:

•  Nurses, healthcare workers, and high-stress professionals 
•  Anyone feeling overwhelmed or mentally drained 
•  People navigating burnout, life transitions, or stress 
•  Those seeking balance, faith, and personal growth

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:02

This is Hold My Stethoscope. Hey everyone, welcome back. This is Hold My Stethoscope. I am Brittany, and I got my girl Felicia. Hi, everybody. Super happy to be back. Um, this week, we hope you enjoyed last week's episode with Christopher Blake. Um, talking about pediatrics. So this week it is back to me and Felicia, and we're just gonna kick it and keep it real today. We're just gonna talk about our slides. So hopefully y'all like it.

SPEAKER_01 0:41

I have a topic that I just kind of want to like talk to everybody about. It's not anything unfamiliar, it's what we're all pretty familiar with. But I just want to know who out there is running on empty besides me. Because I swear to you, I am truly, truly running on empty. It doesn't mean that you're just tired. It's like everything. I don't know. Like it's when you feel mentally, emotionally, and physically just done. That's that's what I feel like right now. And I don't know how many of you are are feeling that way or have felt that way, you know, but let's talk about it. All right. Let's just talk about it, you know, that that kind of tire, that sleep, it doesn't fix it. It's that kind of a tire, you know. It's it's not just that you need a nap. You know, I'm just talking about being mentally drained, being emotionally checked out and physically exhausted all at the same time. That's what I'm talking about. I call it a combined overload, is what it is. Because I I personally feel like I'm running on empty. I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 2:07

Like Brittany, is that something that you oh my God, so much, so freaking much. But do you feel like it's combined with kind of like your health stuff, or do you feel like it's just completely like it's it's just life.

SPEAKER_01 2:27

Life right now. It's it's everything that plays a part in it, you know, my health. You know, um, you're running on this adrenaline, like just taking it back a little bit to my health and finding out, guys, just so you know, we're coming up on a year real soon, okay? Like next month. But from finding out till even up until now, you're running. You're trying to get everything done to take care of this tumor in your body and hopefully get it out of your body, along with still trying to be that normal girl. Like, I don't want people to look at me as like she's sick. Like, I want it to still be like everybody looked at me like, you know, that's Felicia. So, you know, just run, run, run. It's still trying to work and still trying to maintain life at home. And I don't know if at this point where things um are where I'm in a happier place with all of it, why do I feel emotionally, mentally, and physically drained?

SPEAKER_00 3:42

Well, my meal it's almost kind of like that like letdown where it's kind of like you've been running on fumes for so long that it's like finally just all like like happened and it's really like gotten you.

SPEAKER_01 3:53

Maybe it's just coming to a head, you know, because it's not like I said, it's not just one thing, it's everything hitting you at once.

SPEAKER_00 4:04

That's why I think it's hard too, because I I I I it's it's definitely not just, I feel like you is the world we're like living in right now. We're all trying so hard to just like make it every day. Like it's just hard, man. It's hard out there right now.

SPEAKER_01 4:22

It is, and and that's just me saying what I feel like for you that could be a different combination. That's why I think it's called uh it's like a com a combined overload. Yeah, you know, but it's almost so draining that little things that probably shouldn't bother you do.

SPEAKER_02 4:48

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_01 4:49

Or wouldn't typically bother you, they do. And it's just because you're feeling just this whole overload, like overload of just being exhausted from it all, not sleepy, exhausted.

SPEAKER_00 5:03

You know, like it's it well, it's so true because you're kind of talking about that, and we've talked about it before with like taking care of yourself. But I almost feel like you kind of feel like where it doesn't necessarily matter, like if you get enough sleep or like you take a couple days off, like it's your overwhelm is so much that it's like you're so far behind the eight off you can't play catch up, like can't play catch-up, and it's yeah, it's things that probably wouldn't typically even be anything that you'd be overwhelmed or bothered with.

SPEAKER_01 5:40

That's what's interesting to me. You know, it can be little things just all of a sudden so overwhelming and you've made them into big things because you're just exhausted overall. How do you get past that? Because you almost feel so drained that even in a situation, it can be as easy as walking into work. And somebody asks you for something small, and you're just like, I don't have anything else to give. Like in your mind, that's what you're thinking when it's really not that big of a deal. It's just not. You're just exhausted, you know. So I'm just keeping it real. Like, I don't know. What's going on though? Like, talk to it, talk to us, give us a little more detail. I don't really know. And that is probably the issue, is that nothing that I am being asked of me is anything unusual. It's not. I felt like, well, maybe you need a vacation, because let's think about it. I'm not done, I've not had a vacation, you know, because I've been dealing with a lot, you know, there's been no time for no vacation. So is that what it is that, you know, I need just a little break from it all? I don't know if that would change anything. I don't even know if that is the kind of burnout draining feeling it is that you need a vacation. I'm not sure. And this is why I'm bringing it to all of you to help me because I cannot figure that out. Like, I am not sure why at the happiest time of my life with the news that I received, do I feel so exhausted. I don't know. That's that's really where I am, is I just don't know why I feel so drained. You know, because um, like I said, nothing in my life is should make me feel as drained as I am. I'm just, you know, it just is. This is nothing that's not the norm for me. I guess I should say. But for some reason I'm a little more exhausted than I would be, you know? And I don't know why. So I'm hoping that somebody can tell me something. You know, I don't know.

unknown 8:16

Something.

SPEAKER_01 8:17

You know, just to be able to hold it all together, you know, it almost believe it or not, and this might make you proud, Brittany, but it almost makes you feel like you don't care. Whatever, when things are presented, you know, like you're almost like okay. You know, but it's because you're literally like almost like a little checked out when you would normally probably have reacted in some way, if that makes sense. That's that's sort of and I know it's not just me. I've I've been actually hearing nurses saying this, you know. I think maybe the world feels this way for numerous reasons. I don't know. You know, is this just an exhausting time? I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 9:10

I think it is because people are having to deal with more and more and more. You know, they kind of talked about like, um, you know, our parents, grandparents, wherever we're at, had was like that stoic generation that just went to work all the time. The increase in, you know, financial strain, the increase in, you know, disturbance of like world peace and and you know, all these kind of other undertakings we're all having to do to kind of be comfortable. Like people can't afford food, like people can't afford housing. Like those were not necessarily things like our parents and our grandparents had to deal with. Like, why and it's in that generation now where like people are literally worried about like putting food on the table because a carton of milk's like ten dollars and like eggs are out of control, and just like everything. It's like everybody's pinching pennies, nobody could actually enjoy life because you're just worried about taking care of the bare minimum in your life right now. Exactly. And we're all trying to hustle or do whatever we can to kind of keep up, but it's not good enough. Like it's just there's so much pressure on everybody right now. Like, yeah, that cognitive overload that we're all having is just extraordinary. I really like don't think it's necessarily just you. I really think it's like it's everybody. I'll speak for you know, obviously, my own standpoint here is like I have my normal nurse educator job and do that. I would say I definitely used to go way above and beyond, and I bur myself out doing that. So now I'm just you know going in and doing my job, and I still do it well, but I I I can't give that anymore to myself, but my financial situation hasn't changed. Like I'm not getting any more money, like you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_01 11:17

Like, and the world's I know exactly what you mean.

SPEAKER_00 11:19

I know exactly what you mean, and and uh I now I'm working even more. I work as a clinical adjunct instructor, have my own business. I'm trying to keep up with everybody on social media and growing that presence and like just start doing some like real estate job. So I feel like I'm always being pulled in a lot of different directions too, and like I don't even know like necessarily where to kind of wrap my brain around things or which thing to go.

SPEAKER_01 11:49

Manage all of that because my exhaustion, mental exhaustion, doesn't even allow me to want to do anything outside of just having to go to work. That's how tired I feel. So I commend that you can juggle multiple things at this time because literally I come home from work, shower, and my iPad is there, and I will play a game or something until I mean I'll eat dinner, pillow again until I literally go to sleep and start this over again the next day. That's how I know I'm just like, and so how on earthly checked out, yes.

SPEAKER_00 12:40

Are you able to juggle for myself? It's kind of twofold. A, keeping myself busy in a way keeps me feeling productive so that I can keep up because I know that this hustle hopefully will not be a long-term thing. Right, right. Now I need to put in the work to get my business and my future where I want it to be. So that's part of it is knowing like just have to like hustle now so it'll pay off in the end. And, you know, the other part is I mean, unfortunately, I can't really stop. Like, I don't have the financial like means. Like, I get it. No, I'm with you. Absolutely going. I have to pick up these extra jobs, I have to keep trying to make money with my business and keep trying to do all these things because I don't have a choice. Like, right. No, and that's I think a lot of people are in that same like standpoint, you know, of moms and dads and whoever that's trying to, you know, be there for their kids, but then like to put food on the table or to get them the newest pair of Nike shoes or whatever else, like people are struggling to just try to, you know, there's less of a pot to pick from to go to everything that needs to be done. No, I I agree. I definitely agree. We'll have a good answer because I feel like I'm not, I don't balance things well. I'm just I feel like you do every day just trucking along, trying to figure it out.

SPEAKER_01 14:13

I literally just keep on tricking, tricking away.

SPEAKER_00 14:17

Just literally every day I'm just trucking along and being like, we just gotta keep going.

SPEAKER_01 14:21

I can't stop. Remember you having this overload of a feeling at one point in time. You've definitely overcome whether you've overcome, or either it you definitely are able to show the needs.

SPEAKER_00 14:36

I feel like, you know, I was I I currently in my nurse educator role, it's a two-person job because our department's just so big and so spraying. And they need to consider that. Yeah. So, but at one point I was doing that solo for like a year by myself. Right. And I was kill literally, I was killing myself doing that because I was literally there all the time, like trying to just stay to flow. It was awful. Like it was awful, and I definitely got to my breaking point there. And I feel like there was a shift instead of giving 60 hours a week to that job, took a little bit of my life back. Like, I I obviously found a good relationship in my personal life, which definitely helps. And then I also kind of started doing these other side things. So that 20 or 30 extra hours I was spending at my primary job now was being replaced with these other sort of projects that were more, I don't know if I'd call them passion projects, but more something that was mine. Yeah. Like I know what I'm doing in like these extra hours now to film content or like push my business stuff out there or do these nursing education things or build these CEN costs or whatever you know I'm doing. It's knowing that it's not for a corporation, it's for me and how I want to build my personal brand and my business going forward. So I also think that that's part of it is I'm working more, working more now than I was, but I'm also doing things that are more meaningful to me than that corporate job is. And that is not I don't love my corporate job and I don't give myself to that job because I still do you know good work and I still love doing like too. But I'm building something that's truly like mine. That if you know, if I if that corporate job were to let me go tomorrow, like nothing that I have done for them is something I can kind of keep and take with me. So like I also feel like that's part of it is like, yes, I'm freaking exhausted. Like I am just trying to truck along every day, but my purpose changed and my passion kind of changed a little bit too. I stopped giving to a place and started giving more to yourself, me and my passion project.

SPEAKER_01 17:14

So But wouldn't you say your career? So your current career, though, position is in line with what your passion is for your own purpose.

SPEAKER_00 17:27

It I mean, yeah, because it's and I think that's true because I love like I got into my quote unquote corporate position because I loved teaching. I loved precepting, I love doing all those things. So it was a good transition. And I've been able to take that kind of passion, but turn it around into something that is definitely not profitable for me. No, I know. But I'm building it to hopefully one day not only do what I love and teach others and give back to people and impart this years and years of knowledge I have, but to also hopefully make a decent living for myself. I mean, that's the goal.

SPEAKER_01 18:16

So I see how for you it's definitely been able to. I mean, because I'm sure there was a point in time where you just felt like like it's not that you didn't enjoy your your actual job, but you know, was it really giving you all the gratification that you were looking for? You know what I mean? It was one point that you, and then you were seen, if that makes sense. All of a sudden, you were seen.

SPEAKER_00 18:48

That's hard because it wasn't like, you know, the company I work for didn't recognize me or my effort. So like don't get me wrong about that because I feel like they were, but you know, you can only go so far, you know, and I and and and I'm not trying to say this in me, but like I was really trying to push a lot of initiative. There was a lot of things I was trying to push into and you know to make better for the system. But no, I know that it didn't didn't go the way necessarily I wanted it to or how it planned to. And it was in almost that kind of like no mindset that I was like, okay, well, if this isn't gonna happen then I'm through this way, I'm gonna pivot and I'm gonna be like, okay, I can still do this, but now I'm gonna do it on my own terms. But I can take an incredible.

SPEAKER_01 19:41

I want to let you know that I recognize everything that you were doing. I do recognize it. I know no people recognized it, and and they, I think that's when this level of respect, it seems like it takes a little while in certain roles for a level of respect to come. And that could be, you know, I think something that probably just takes time is what I'm gonna say.

SPEAKER_00 20:12

I will definitely say that because even before that, you know, before I was really, you know, more into the system and stuff like that, even transitioning, like I was a bedside garner, right? But I was at a different hospital within the system. And then I transitioned over to this educator role at a different hospital, the hospital I'm at now. And it took me a while, a while trying to get the buy-in of the staff. Like they didn't know me, I was outside. I remember, yeah. So I had to get people to trust me, you know what I mean? Well, that takes time, and I think that that's just overall true for anything, you know. Hopefully, people are, and I I I appreciate that that people are skeptics, like you shouldn't necessarily kind of like what Nurse Carrie was talking about, like, you know, you can trust but verify. And it's like kind of that same thing. Like, you can say, okay, you're the educator, but like let me just like feel you out first before I trust that information. And it's kind of what I'm experiencing, I feel like, in a way, with social media right now, because I'm, you know, kind of building along with the max EDU, building my kind of personal nurse educator brand on like TikTok and you know, Instagram. And it's that people have to build that trust of me that I'm giving them the information that's correct and current and and relevant to them before maybe I get that complete buy-in. So I definitely see it's slow and steady growth that I've had with my social media. So I know it just time. And that's the one thing, right? We all freaking hate is waiting and we're uh especially ER. Nurses, especially ear nurses, are terrible at waiting. So we have no patience. That's the hard part. Yeah, we're not patient.

SPEAKER_01 22:09

And that is something that I am working on because we don't have a lot of patience. I am trying to work on realistically coping with how things, you know, are because coming from that bedside, ER nurse, into an educator role, into something that it let's just say this. It's new. It's new not just to me where I am, but to everybody. So building trust with, you know, one another. Like you, you know, you didn't you had to build, like you say, that trust with the staff, but not so much as the buy-in from the other side of it. Whereas when you're walking into something that's new and it's it's trying to take off all the way around and nobody really knows each other, it's trying to learn and get that trust for one another in all angles. So what do you do when you feel like that? Like, so you can't tell me everything.

SPEAKER_00 23:21

No, that is the one thing I also definitely have learned is like I have two different departments. So I have like an adult-specific ER and a pediatric specific ER, and they're separate, like they are separate. Right. Um, and it's very different. Different, they're different, but you know, like one kind of side has more, you know, kind of that like a autonomy. Like they really are really good at like working together, but also like kind of like if I have something or there's a need for education, like I am good with like passing that off and letting them take over. Whereas, you know, the other side's a lot bigger, there's just a lot going on, right? You're to kind of it's it's it's harder to do those kind of things. So like there's also just it's differences, and it's like you kind of have to adapt to how everybody else is doing things, but knowing that at the end of the day, and this was probably my biggest lesson that I learned in my last seven plus years as an educator, is at the end of the day, and I told you this before, but I'm gonna tell everybody else listening right now, is at the end of the day, that job is a job, literally. That's all it is. It's a job. And if tomorrow came, like and I was saying I they fired me, I got let go, whatever something life happened, and I was no longer with the company, then they would move on and they would be just fine. They don't let me just say it that way. And I think that was hard because part of kind of like that hierarchy of needs is kind of that sense of purpose, like your sense of purpose in the world. Like I put in this world, God made me his masterpiece, which is like part of our Easter sermon, but God made me his masterpiece to fulfill a role in this world. And we tie a lot of that to our jobs and being like, do I have satisfaction in what I'm doing every day is making a difference and I'm, you know, contributing positively to this world. I have something I'm passionate about and giving. And I think it was in that kind of, I don't want to say one moment, but it was in that where I was like, this is literally a job. And if I leave tomorrow, like, yes, they'll be sad. But like for my position, they will hire somebody for my position and that job and that place will move on and will eventually forgive me. Like, and like that's just the reality of it. Yes, and then once I realized, you know, kind of that part of it, the more I was like, okay, then like I'm now going to build a legacy for myself that is not tied to one place. Right. So I feel like that's where I kind of had a switch of my mindset is I was like, I'm gonna continue to do the things that make me passionate, which is emergency nursing education. I love teaching about this stuff. I love trauma, I love pediatrics, I love the whole thing, but I'm not gonna tie it to a job. I wanna make it part of who I am and my purpose in this world. And it's not tied to the company I work for. So I go in to my job and I do my job that they are paying me for, but it has stopped being to the extent where I was going way up, like I was going way above and beyond. And I'm not saying I still don't take on extra projects or do other things like I obviously do, but it's a job. It is no longer a huge portion of my life. It is how I make a living to pay bills, to pay for the electricity, to pay the rent and to pay for my car. You know, like it's a means for me to live. I have now put my purpose in life into another avenue. And like I'm gonna tie it right back because me and Felicia are both very spiritual people to kind of like the message we talked about at um at my church over the weekend. I you guys will hear this a little bit later, but Easter weekend was just this past weekend. So we're filming a couple days after Easter weekend right now. And you know, Easter weekend is always that time is like Christians that it's that really if it's the almost one weekend besides like Christmas, it's that one weekend we can really stop and look at our faith because it was the day they put Jesus on the cross to die for our sins, right? He was tortured, tortured, tormented, just awful things were happening to him. And he stood there and took it because he was sent his purpose in life was to come down here and to redeem us and to die for our sins so that we would have everlasting life. That's like that was his purpose in life, and God is so good that he was resurrected from the grave, resurrected from the dead because God loves us so much, and God has a purpose for all of us to do something amazing in this world. And like if you're struggling, part of that I think you need to look at is are you doing what you were put on this earth to do? Right. And that can be hard because that's not written anywhere. No, it's not something you have to kind of figure out, and as you build a relationship with Christ, like you could kind of like ask him, like, give him lines. What am I supposed to be doing with my life? Because you'll feel uncomfortable with things that you're not meant to be doing. And then once you kind of find that purpose, you get more of that clarity and that ease to it. That, like, okay, this is what I'm supposed to be doing with my life. Like, so that's the other thing is like God made us as masterpieces, He created us to be wholly amazing people to go out and do all these great things, but we have to be able to fulfill the purpose that we were made for. Absolutely. If you're not, that's I think also where you get the uncomfortability and that like soul like sucking kind of energy comes from if you're not doing what you were put on this earth for. So I think part of it almost for you, kind of going full circle here is I mean, it's terrible to say, but like your cancer has it's served a purpose, right? It has served because it united people. It showed you your love. You were a vessel for just amazing things that happened. Yes. And I mean, to be a testament right now, I mean, we're speaking to, I don't know who's all gonna listen to this, but we're speaking about God and Jesus Christ right now. Absolutely, whoever's listening to us, because we decided to get this thing finally off the road and running because of your cancer journey. So, like it all ties into everything here. And it's just like maybe what you're doing workwise is not your purpose. Maybe it was or it was like a means, but maybe it's not your purpose anymore.

SPEAKER_01 30:53

Or I thought about it, or is it that sometimes it's not that it might not be a purpose? It sometimes, sometimes you can be kind of held back a little bit from what your purpose is. And you just kind of really like brought up a really good point with that. So you know how you love to teach. So it's gratifying. One thing that I noticed a change in me is every time I go over the EKG testing or something, how excited I get with just teaching and showing, you know, that passion, even like when we're doing skills fairs with mega coach, that is a that is a passion that I do have. Because I too loved to preset and and teach people, you know, things and figure out ways where they will remember it. You know, and that could be part of the problem here is because I'm really not getting that. Yeah. Because there's a difference. The maybe the like the hospital where you are, where you get a little more time where you can focus on that teaching aspect, which is what you love. Whereas maybe in some of the other hospitals you're spending more time chasing or, you know, um just trying to keep some certain things in order and you don't get that opportunity to really educate like you would like to.

SPEAKER_00 32:41

And so, well, maybe that's it too. It's like maybe you have you found your passion, but you're not in the right place to allow it.

SPEAKER_01 32:53

Or that's it. Right. Exactly. I mean, and I think I just realized that just listening to what you were saying, because as I I often think about, like, you know, God, what is your plan? I asked him, Lord, what is your plan for me? And let me tell you, I often hear that something I don't want to hear, which is you gotta sit still.

SPEAKER_00 33:20

Ooh, ooh, ooh, that's a good one, Felicia, because that is so hard, especially for ADHD.

SPEAKER_01 33:32

You gotta sit still. You have no idea how often I get that just keeps coming back, keeps coming back. And I'm like praying, and I'm like, Lord, you know, and I'm trusting in you. You have always guided me. You, I mean, look at this. Like, most people with what I was diagnosed with wouldn't be here to even have a conversation or talk to anybody at this point. So I have to listen because that's what my father is telling me to do. I hear it all the time, very clearly without wanting to hear it. You gotta sit still. And it shows. Let me tell you, it shows me in multiple ways when I'm trying to do something other than sit still. It's like you're going to sit still right now. And that's kind of where it is, and that's where I, you know, personally, you know, in my own head, have to be like, just sit still. There will be change when there needs to be change, you know, and that is kind of like, you know, something that I'm I'm trying to work through. That's why I say I didn't want to call it like a burnout, but I was feeling the overload. And it's not just from any one specific thing. It's just, it's just from it's from a lot of things. It's just an overall feeling of just like a slight exhaustion. You know, I know I'll get past it. I always do, you know, but just trying to like figure out coping, more coping ways to not allow. It's nothing that I am being asked or expected to do is anything hard. It's really not. It's not anything really that you put any type of stress. It's just overall, I'm exhausted. And I think that's just from everything that I've just been dealing with over the past year, you know? It's just getting there. So I was just trying to see like how many other people just feel that combination of being just overload, you know, and what's some things that we could do to not feel that way, you know. Yeah, grateful that I wake up every morning. There's a lot to be grateful for, honey. My cat stand alone is of the most high. Like, I mean, honestly, need to be on my knees every night thanking the Lord, thanking him for all that he has done for me, for my family, for my friends. Because you're right, I know I was used as a vessel for so many others. People I haven't seen in many, many years. Hundreds of people have been there for me, you know, and God knows how to bring them when you need them. And this is something that I'm gonna say, it may sound a little weird. And I actually had a conversation with another friend of mine about this. But what was supposed to be the worst time of my life was probably the best time of my life.

SPEAKER_00 36:52

See, that's such an oxymoron, but it was so true. You were literally living your best life at the worst time in your life.

SPEAKER_01 37:02

That's wow. Wow. And it's true. Like, I am still in disbelief. Like, just how people came from from I mean, that surprise birthday part. I don't think I've ever had a birthday like that last year. Just everything in every way, since the first day of chemo, since finding out and and all the love in the hospital and stuff, and just how it had it it continues. So it has definitely been one of the best times of my life. Like, truthfully, even though it was scary. Yeah. It's bizarre, it's crazy, you know.

SPEAKER_00 37:46

But interesting, like you're kidding, you're getting that like a feeling, or you know, like God's talking to you to just be patient. So, like, obviously, there's like amazing things around the the you know, bend here, so to speak, and God's, you know, through other disciples, like wait, like you just gotta wait. We'll be good and you just gotta wait, but that can also be hard on personally, it's hard. Well, well, especially in a society like we have today, where it is kind of that hustle society, right? We kind of talked about that earlier, where we're all just trying to hustle and kind of make it and choose rest. Like it that's almost like frown, you know, it's like almost frowned upon to just like rest. And maybe that's where some anxiety is coming from too, is because like you're in or used to a society where you're just going, going, going, going, going, and God's like, no, I need you to just rest in that distress.

SPEAKER_01 38:48

I just need you to rest.

SPEAKER_00 38:49

Uncomfortable.

SPEAKER_01 38:50

Yeah. Yeah. You know, I just need you to rest. I need you to like yesterday, I feel I felt this abundance of just tiredness that came over me that I was like, I gotta go lay down. I'm never like that. I don't nap. I'm not that girl that's ever napped really, but sometimes God will be like, I done told you. You need to rest yourself. You need to rest. And this is that time that you're going to do it. Because you're not gonna believe that I almost taught myself from going from one place back to the other, and instead I didn't do that. I came home. Yes, ma'am. Yes, ma'am. I did, but I didn't do it. I didn't do it, you'll be proud. Because that tiredness. God's also telling you there, like you need to just sit the F down and it is like how you were in the beginning. Yeah. Like you're like, and you're giving, and you've told me, I can admit, you know, you told me to prevent me from going through this, but I don't know if it's the ER nurse.

SPEAKER_00 40:08

It doesn't like, but it's also one of our fatal flaws is we give really amazing advice, but we're awful.

SPEAKER_01 40:17

Listen, taking like our own or like that, like yeah, I don't know what would make any of us think that any difference it would it would be. Like, what benefit really would have been for me to just keep on going? Like we had already worked, and then I'm gonna go and do more for what? For what? Really, for what? Literally, no. And I I was like, I I can't make it anyway. It was like I was like, you're not going anyway, you're gonna go home and you're gonna lay down. You need to, because just that's just how exhausted all of a sudden I came in, you know, became and it was like that's what's happening. You need to just sit down and rest. Yes. And I'm good. Literally, he's speaking to you right now and telling you that. You gotta sit down and rest. Relax. This forces me, Britt. Coming to to do this part, it forces me. And I love it because I'm like, that is kind of how my life probably needs to be planned out four days a week. Oh, you gotta be here. Oh, I gotta go. You know, other than that, I don't know why I think.

SPEAKER_00 41:32

I mean, if you want us to schedule a podcast every nine hours, good.

SPEAKER_01 41:38

I'm just saying, you need to learn from like, well, we'll figure it out. Like after the other, after weeks ago, I was like, oh my God, no, I gotta go. Like, you should see me packing up my stuff. I'm like, oh no, that can't happen again, you know? And that's how I think I view most things in like, oh my God, you gotta be, you gotta do, but not everything requires you to be that way. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_00 42:02

I almost feel like God's telling you right now, like he's telling you your mission right now is to just take a step back and rest. Like maybe that's like your body needs that. Like if God's telling you that, there's a reason for it. And you know that. No, I know.

SPEAKER_01 42:15

I know. You know, I miss surrounding myself around people. That was majority of my life all the time. And I don't know if that's how I even more so thrived through this through cancer like this, because the journey and the army of people. It's like I don't get me wrong, there are times I like my my time, but I love the interaction.

SPEAKER_00 42:46

Girl, okay, I feel like we need to have another, like uh, you know, dinner at your house or something.

SPEAKER_01 42:52

Right. Like, I just love interaction. I don't know what it is. And sometimes I think that's how I end up in my shell. I'm like, I might be spending too much time alone, like something. I don't know what it is, you know. And then I get I go in that whole hole is what it is. And I'm like, Yeah, you gotta come out of that.

SPEAKER_00 43:13

I feel like me and you're like, we've talked about our birthdays are like a week apart. We're very similar. Like it's crazy. Yes, there are times where I like I, you know, I get my little funks too, and I'm like, yeah, I don't want anything to do with people. Like, nope. So I feel you, girl. I've I'm I know exactly what you're talking about. But if you need to be around some people now, we'll have to arrange like uh when you're when your Anthony could uh give us some is a good old cooking and okay, exactly.

SPEAKER_01 43:42

That's what we need. We just gonna need some some time.

SPEAKER_00 43:46

Whatever it needs to be. Whatever it needs to be.

SPEAKER_01 43:49

We're gonna just need to have.

SPEAKER_00 43:50

My singing mother's her spouse, and my single brother is Anthony. So it's also another commonality that we have in.

SPEAKER_02 43:58

And they're both great. And both A G. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 44:05

That's the other thing. God obviously brought us together too for a reason.

SPEAKER_01 44:09

Like I already know that. It is so bizarre because I think about that more than you know. I'm like, you know, you never know. Because God brings people in your circle when when needs, you know, when when He needs to, right? He also removes people from your circle. Even when you don't really understand why. But He knows his purpose. He's protecting you. You know what? Because He hears things you don't. Absolutely. He hears things that you don't. So then He removes certain people that aren't good for you at certain times. So I I've learned over the years that people do come in our lives for a reason, a season or a lifetime. You know that.

SPEAKER_02 44:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 44:58

I I love that saying and people coming out like there are some people that are going to be leaves off of a tree on the tree or the roots of the tree. And when you start thinking back, you will see because leaves do what? Fall off the trees. So those are sometimes you think somebody is going to be there with you forever, but they may be a leaf or branch. You know, branches break off. But roots, no matter what, they stay. The roots of the tree.

SPEAKER_00 45:34

All right. Well, you also walk like your tree of life and how deep your roots um were in your, you know, your time of need over the last year or so.

SPEAKER_01 45:43

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 45:45

You're allowed to have these, you know, times of just pure exhaustion. You've got no combat. Yeah, exactly. And God's telling you that it's your time to rest.

SPEAKER_01 45:58

It's just time for you to rest. It's not, it's not the more nothing less. It's just time for you to sit down and rest yourself. And you're gonna listen one way or another. Like that's that's really what it comes down to. I'm gonna force you. The moral of the story, everybody, today is what you're feeling is okay for you to feel that way as long as we don't stay that way. Like, and just no.

SPEAKER_00 46:22

We make jokes, right? But like, you know, is everything okay? Yeah, yeah, it's okay. I'm like, it's not okay. And it's okay for it to not be okay.

SPEAKER_01 46:30

Like it's not gonna always be okay.

SPEAKER_00 46:32

Yeah, exactly. It's not, it's it's a cycle. Like we all go through like these cycles. I I mean, I don't know any person in this world who doesn't go through like cycles of like, you know, feeling down or feeling like whatever.

SPEAKER_01 46:47

And then they're like, what's my purpose? Or, you know, when when you when you are, well, I felt, I'm sure you did too. As an emergency room nurse, I don't know what it was. It's almost like you felt like you had superpower. I don't know what it was. Just did like you you definitely served a purpose. Like you helped save a life. I don't know what it was. And then so then I go through this feeling of, are you serving a purpose? Like, but you really are. I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 47:27

And it that's even beyond like just, you know, if we have non-healthcare people that listen to us, it's not just being in healthcare. Like no, it is my your Anthony, my Anthony, they're both not in healthcare, but they serve purpose in this world. So like every single human being has a purpose. And if you haven't found yours, keep searching. Turn to your maker and and ask him what your purpose is. I think both each bear. Just ask for strength made for a purpose.

SPEAKER_01 47:58

Yeah. Yep. Just ask for strength and and just tell that devil get behind you because sometimes the devil can be a little busy, you know.

SPEAKER_00 48:08

Oh, that devil, he works overtime. He's he's the biggest you know, he's the biggest person who's getting overtime every single day. Every day. Every day.

SPEAKER_01 48:20

Like he be having people wanting to walk out of work like we can afford it. I'm so walk, I'm just gonna leave work. Knowing what the economy and everything is like right now, you can't even afford the gas. You put it and talk about, I'm gonna, I'm just gonna leave. I don't, I'm, I'm tired of this. What are you gonna do? Like, seriously, put yourself in a worse situation. So, devil, you need to get back. Like, yeah, we are not hearing any of that. Okay, not hearing it.

SPEAKER_00 48:49

So push that devil away because he is a tricky, jerky man. He's gonna be drunk. He's got lots of tricks on his team, but he's busy.

SPEAKER_02 48:59

He's busy.

SPEAKER_00 49:00

He's a busy spot around. I love it. Yeah, we I mean, I feel like most of our like it's been a lot of this podcast, has been just kind of that like emotional kind of stuff. And we so we don't really have that uh drop our stethoscope moment because you know we're not because it's been one drop, one thing. Yeah, we really haven't, you know, help had to listen in. We've we've listened in, but it's really been a personal kind of conversation, which is fun because I mean, we started this podcast not really knowing what we were gonna do. And I feel like to this day, we still don't kind of know what's going on. You take it one day at a time. Yeah, some podcasts we have guests on and we talk and we chat and we learn things, and other times, like it's just just teaching about fun things and wanting to see.

SPEAKER_01 49:54

Who else out there may be just having that day, week, or whatever, and putting it out there. Somebody say, you know what, I can definitely relate right now, but you know what? I'm just gonna overcome it.

SPEAKER_00 50:08

Yeah, because I feel like that's the other thing is, you know, we've always been trying to keep it very real, and it's like we're both just literally humans. We're both like just we go through days of struggle, we go through days of mistakes, we go through days where you know we don't know what's if it's worth it anymore, if you know, we're down the right path, like we're messy, like sometimes you know, our hair's undone. We got like we're people, we're real, we're human, we're all we're honest. Like well, you know, the one thing I have to tell people to do, and clearly you you just show up. I think you just show you just show up. That's where the devil will get you, is if you stop showing off. So show up. So that's true. Even if you look at the hot mess, just show up.

SPEAKER_01 51:03

So you know what my whole my stethoscope moment is? Is because I'm about to drop everything I've been carrying that ain't mine, okay? I'm dropping it. If it ain't, it don't need to be, it don't need to be sucking the life out of me. That that has to it doesn't.

unknown 51:20

No.

SPEAKER_00 51:20

I'm telling you, it just it's if it's literally making you feel so bad, it's not worth it. Give that to God, man. Give it to God. He can handle it. That's that's his job. Pray and he can handle it. Yeah. So I'm I'm I'm sad that you're feeling this way, but I am very much relate to it because I've been there probably more frequently than I like to admit. Right now, I feel that steady state. I'm okay right now.

SPEAKER_01 51:51

Right. Um but I have been. I know that we as people go through that. And that is really why I wanted to bring it to for what you like, talk about it. Because I'm like, I know that that we all go, and then sometimes we just need to get back on the track. Like, this is how I see it. We on a road, and sometimes we detour. Yeah. Off the road. We just need to get back on the road. Sometimes you detour and you kind of get a little lost, you know. But somebody finds you, so Britney found me and put me back on the road. Come on. Come on, get back on the road. And then it's all good. But that's if you do it.

SPEAKER_00 52:36

We've talked about this in the previous episode too, where I was like, you're, you know, battling cancer. And I was just like, no, I don't want to go from for my birthday. And you're like, you're coming. So like, I'll just say it, girl, it's my turn to be like, no, come on, Felicia. We can talk about it.

SPEAKER_01 52:51

You know what's interesting about you saying that is my Anthony has a tendency to say, like, say if something bothered him, and then he'll go, I'm sorry, dear, I can't complain. I go, Yes, you can. Yeah. It's who we are. You can complain if something is bothering you, you know. And I know it's not, but my motto, regardless of how I'm feeling, is if you can fix it, you fix it. Some things we can't, we it's not in our power to fix. Okay. So if we try and keep that mentality, like, if you can fix it, then go ahead and fix it. No matter what. Sometimes it's not stuff we want to fix, but we can, but other things we cannot. So fix the things that we can fix. And as long as I stay focused on that, I detour, but then I get back on the road. And that's just the way it is. So I feel better already. I mean, just like sharing it.

SPEAKER_00 53:51

You're one of like the strong, like you truly, like you may feel weak at this moment, but you're truly like one of the strongest people I've ever met. And like it's been such an honor. Like that we've grown so close over these last like seven whatever years, how whatever years it's been. And I just I'm so lucky and blessed to call you like one of my closest friends.

SPEAKER_01 54:14

Like, I'm just see, that's how I feel. And I'm like, it's interesting that she came to that hospital, but she didn't know that, honestly, and you don't ever know who you're really there for. I'm not kidding. Like, you you came in that hospital, you might think that you're really, oh, I didn't know I would meet this person, and this is how this would be. Because never would you see that, right? But God already knows, like he brings people in your circle for a reason. You don't know that you're gonna need them or they're gonna be there for you down the line, you know. But he knows. He knows that's why I have to continue to trust in God. Just anyway, period. I got a lot to be thankful for. But continue to just continue to trust in God, you know, because he already know. Yeah, you don't know, he steps ahead of us already.

SPEAKER_00 55:15

Yeah, he's got a plan for our lives that we just gotta continue to put our faith and trust in him, and it's gonna all work out how it's supposed to work out. And I think it's in a way, there's like I sense, you know, I've really built my relationship and my faith. It's it's really like having this really crazy peace that just knowing that like whatever happens, it's all it's all in the control. So, like, you know, I don't want to be dark, but like, hey, if my whatever time's tomorrow and God's like it's done.

SPEAKER_01 55:51

That's not being dark. That is the reality. If it's your time, and that's one of the things I said. I said, if God was to take me away from here tomorrow, I have no regrets. I've had a wonderful life.

SPEAKER_00 56:03

I'm just ready for me to come home or for you to come home.

SPEAKER_01 56:06

Like I mean I've done my duty. Yeah, you have to be at peace with yourself and all. And you know what? That in itself is such a wonderful feeling. It really, really is.

SPEAKER_00 56:19

My god, it is it honestly. I'm not just trying to mess around with anybody, it is the best feeling in the world when you can be at peace with your life because you're so rooted in your faith, then like the devil can't shake it. No matter what happens, like I'm at peace. Get that because I had a relationship with my father that you my father, geez, you know, Christ God to know that everything's gonna be okay. I put my faith and my love and my trust in him, and like at the end of the day, it's his will. So it is all his will. Get it.

SPEAKER_01 56:58

I'm telling you guys, I am living proof. I'm telling you, you know, I am living proof. So I just want to thank you all. I hope that if only one person received it, then that's great. And tomorrow's a better day. Like, look at us, we're blessed. We're here having this conversation. And now tomorrow's a new day, and all that stuff is now behind us, right with the devil. Get on behind, behind us.

SPEAKER_00 57:31

I can't wait for um hi, mom. I'm gonna show up my mom out because she's the one who definitely listened.

SPEAKER_01 57:36

I love you. You're the best, you're the best. I can't thank you enough. You're an absolutely amazing person who raised an amazing daughter. I appreciate you. You are truly a God sent angel.

SPEAKER_00 57:50

Thank you. I'm expecting I'm ready for your text message to tell me how much you love Felicia so I can pass it on to her. Yes. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 58:01

So, anyways, this has been a good time. We love you guys all. We love you.

SPEAKER_00 58:05

Thank you for tuning to us, and we will see you next Wednesday. Yeah. See y'all next time. Bye.