Why Working Twice as Hard Won’t Protect You

You have too much on your plate.

Every single thing feels important—like nothing can be released.

But here’s the hard question:
Have you started putting your faith in your plate… instead of in God?

Our culture—capitalism, white supremacy, patriarchy—beckons us to load our plates with more and more.
As Black women especially, we’re told we have to do twice as much just to succeed, to be seen, and just to survive. But the truth is—working twice as hard won’t protect you from discrimination. It only leads to exploitation and burnout.

And this mindset has even crept into Christianity. Women in particular are praised for sacrifice, even when it costs us our health and peace. We mistake overwork for holiness.

But hear me: your worth is not in the plate. It’s in God. And God never asked you to exhaust yourself to prove anything.

That’s why PRUNING matters—not as loss, but as holy protection from systems that will drain you dry.

And I know that because I lived it.

But you don’t have to figure this out alone. 🌿 This month on Patreon, I’m walking women step-by-step through the pruning process—so you can release what drains you and step into alignment.

Join us here: patreon.com/LiberatedPathsCoaching.

One day, a superior presented me with an opportunity.
This was during a season of exhaustion as a working mother. When I hesitated, they advised me (with good intentions) to “always say yes to opportunities” until I reached a certain level of success.

That was what they said out loud. But underneath was a weighty, unspoken message: that as a woman—especially a woman of color—I had to work twice as hard, say yes twice as much, just to be seen as worthy.

I froze. Something didn’t feel right. I voiced my overwhelm as a new mother, hoping for understanding. They reassured me that children were resilient—that my son would “adjust.”

I muted the phone and sighed.

For so long, I believed that if I said no, I’d fall behind. Lose my place. Miss my moment. So I started scanning my calendar, head in one hand, mouse in the other. Then I heard my son playing in the next room.

My gut said no. My spirit said no. My motherly instinct said no.

I had to fight the voice whispering: This is your chance. Don’t mess it up. I had to confront the lie that pleasing others was my path to purpose.

So I said no.

And in that “no,” I said yes to my healing. Yes to alignment. Yes to the Holy Spirit’s rhythm over societal pressure.

That moment taught me pruning isn’t just subtraction—it’s trust.

The Bible gives us a clear warning about overdoing:

In Numbers 20, God tells Moses:

But instead of speaking, Moses strikes the rock:

Yes, the water still flows—but God responds:

Overdoing might look successful in the moment, but it can keep you from the deeper purpose God is calling you to. Alignment can be much simpler than we make it.

Then there’s this:

God blesses His beloved with rest—but we must trust Him enough to choose it for ourselves.

When we prune, we trust God’s rhythm over our own striving.

I know I don’t need to convince you.
You already feel the exhaustion dragging at you at the end of the day. Your loved ones notice it—even when you try to push through and show up with love.

But this isn’t just about canceling a few meetings or rescheduling a task. Without real pruning, the cycle will simply resurface somewhere else on your plate. The weight won’t disappear—it will just shift.

Every day you delay, the roots of overcommitment grow deeper, and the harder it gets to remember what ease even feels like. But you don’t have to stay stuck. This is your invitation to release what was never meant for you to carry.

So where do you begin?

This is the process I walk women through on Patreon. In that space, I share a 3-step reflection that always exposes the lies fueling your busyness. It’s the exact framework that shows you why you feel so overloaded—and how to release what God never asked you to carry.

You’re only getting the clarity in this email. The actual step-by-step reflection—the one that uncovers the lies fueling your busyness—isn’t here. That’s waiting for you inside Patreon. The first pruning rhythm begins this week—don’t miss it.

✨ Inside Patreon, I guide women through one simple rhythm each week: short teaching, guided reflection, and a doable action, so they leave with confidence - not just intention.

By the end of the month, you’ll not only have practiced trusting God enough to release what doesn’t belong—you’ll also create a written Pruning Plan: what stays, what goes, and what gets boundaries.

This is just the beginning. I’ve curated a Pruning Journey for you this month on Patreon. 

Join us, and by month’s end you will:
✨ Uncover the lies fueling your busyness
✨ Name your overload with clarity w the difference between real responsibility and emotional obligation

📩 The first rhythm begins this week. Don’t miss it—join us today.

🌱 You don’t need to do more to prove your worth.
You need to trust the One who already calls you worthy—and let Him guide your pruning.

With love and power,
Dr. Devin
liberatedpathscoaching.com 

👋🏾 P.S. You’re missing the step-by-step process here. Join me on Patreon so you don’t just read about pruning—you live it.