Overflow Only

Overflow

“You can’t give what you don’t have.” I said it to someone else and didn’t realize those words would come back to check me. I had spent years pouring my time, my ideas, my energy, my resources. I’m a giver by nature so it felt natural. It was the "right" thing to do right? Well eventually, I looked around and realized that my cup was bone dry. 

When I realized that no one is responsible for filling you up and everyone is trying to keep their own cups full, I quickly had to learn to save something for me. Not everything. But enough. Enough time. Enough peace. Enough clarity. I had to unlearn the guilt that told me filling myself first was selfish. It’s not selfish—it’s self-FULL. Filling myself up first was the equivalent of "put your mask on first and then help others" as we're told when boarding a flight.

That shift changed everything. I started placing boundaries: My phone shuts off at a certain time to everyone except my husband. I graciously decline attending events that I do not have the social, mental, physical or emotional capacity for. I am a fierce protector of my space and no longer offer energy to things that drain me. Some doors had to close. Some relationships, too. Not out of anger but out of alignment.

So what does overflow look like? It looks like showing up full. Serving from peace, not pressure. Saying yes when it aligns and no when it doesn’t. It’s not about being unavailable but it IS about being intentional. In the business world, overflow looks like being able to lead your team without running on fumes. It’s having clarity in your decision-making because you’ve made space to think not just react. It’s honoring your calendar the way you honor your clients. It’s building systems and boundaries that protect your peace and your productivity. Overflow means you’re not overcommitting, overfunctioning, or overcompensating. You’re building from alignment, not anxiety. That’s when your leadership becomes sustainable and your impact becomes soul-aligned.

Let this be your reminder: 

• What’s in my cup is for me. What overflows is for everyone else.

• That’s not selfish—it’s soul stewardship.

• You get to lead, serve, and show up from a full place.

• No one gets full-cup access. Those close enough receive the overflow on your saucer, but what’s in the cup? That’s yours to keep.

• Take care of you first. Stay full. And don’t let life, people, or pressure sip it away.