In 2019, Marilyn experienced burnout from a 10 year career in social services. She was burned out to the point where she needed some time to just exist after she left her career.
She remembers going to the grocery store and being so exhausted that she would catch herself staring at something. Then realizing that in that moment she was not thinking anything and that she could not remember why she was at the grocery store.
When Marilyn thought about her life the word, she used to describe how she was that “I am tired.” And when she talked to anyone about how she was truly doing she would just start crying and not understanding why she was crying or feeling that way.
Marilyn was a high functioning burnout till one day she experienced a wake up call. That day she realized the reason she was still at her job was for the paycheck. The wake up call felt her life was broken into a million different shards of glass and that they would never be able to be put back together.
In her career in social services, Marilyn has learned that poverty is more than just the lack of financial resources. Dr. Ruby Payne defines poverty as “the extent to which an individual does without resources” in any area of their life.
Marilyn was experiencing emotional poverty. It took a while for her to admit that she was experiencing burnout and depression. She was the one who was helping others through their crisis and she should not need help in life because she was the one who helped others. But she was wrong about this in so many ways. She was not a super human.
When Marilyn realized that she was experiencing burnout and depression, she left her career, took time to heal and build self care into her life. During the journey of healing, God started to put together the shards of glass that were broken and teaching her that self care is Biblical. God has created beauty out of the brokenness with Marilyn’s life.
Marilyn now helps Christian women who are experiencing burnout and overwhelm create a self care plan in their life.
Marilyn is married to an amazing man who is an amazing support for her.
Marilyn is an aunt to a tribe of children. There quite a few missing from this picture.
Marilyn is wanderlust at heart. She loves seeing new places.
Photography is another passion Marilyn has. She loves to capture nature and landscapes.