The Arts of Slow Living

Stop Chasing the Money. Start Building the Meaning. 🤍

For a long time, I thought that if I could just get my business to a certain point, I would finally have the capacity to focus on everything else that mattered to me.

So I worked.

I built.

I learned.

I created.

And I poured almost everything I had into getting my business off the ground. But if I'm honest, there were times when the numbers became very loud.

How much am I making?

How many clients do I have?

Is this working?

Am I doing enough?

Will I ever get there?

Maybe you have asked yourself some of those questions too. But lately, life has been reminding me of something important.

Not everything meaningful can be measured in money.

Alongside my business, I have the privilege of being a Director of Mustard Seed Tree, an NPO that provides free counselling nationally and abroad, with a particular focus on supporting victims of abuse.

This work is separate from my business.

But it is deeply personal to me. The work we are doing is not easy. The process is long; sometimes it is uncomfortable.

Sometimes it requires difficult conversations.

And often, there are no immediate results.

But it matters.

This work is connected to the cycles of abuse I have seen broken in my own family. And now, I have the privilege of being part of something that is working towards helping break those cycles in our communities too.

Many of the people I work alongside are survivors themselves. And perhaps that is where the urgency comes from. There is something that happens when you have survived something and begin to realise that maybe your story can become part of creating a safer future for someone else.

Something inside you says: It stops with us.

Not perfectly.

Not overnight.

But intentionally.

Five years ago, a very dear friend asked me to become part of this work. I didn't even have to think about it.

My answer was yes.

For a long time, though, I wasn't able to give as much time and energy to this role as I wanted to. I was using almost everything I had to build my business and create a sustainable foundation for myself.

But something has shifted.

My capacity has grown.

And I believe the time has come. This season is teaching me that money has a place.

We need it.

We need it to support our families.

To build sustainable businesses.

To create opportunities.

And yes, to fund meaningful work.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to make money.

However, money is a result and a resource. It should never become the identity of what we are building. Because sometimes, when we chase the numbers too hard, we forget what matters.

We forget why we started. And we can overlook the things we are building that may never have a price tag attached to them.

So today, I am reminding myself of this: I am still building my business.

I still have financial goals.

I still believe in being paid well for meaningful work, but a meaningful life is bigger than one income stream.

Bigger than one business.

Bigger than a number in a bank account.

Sometimes the most important work we do is the work that comes from our hearts. The work connected to our stories.

The work that says: Because I survived, perhaps someone else can too. Because something changed in my family, perhaps something can change in my community. Because I have been given an opportunity, I will use it to help create something better for those coming after me.

That kind of work can be long.

It can be difficult.

It can ask us to have uncomfortable conversations.

It may not always bring immediate results, but it matters.

So no, I am not postponing or holding off on building wealth.

I am not sacrificing my business. And I am certainly not apologising for wanting to create financial sustainability. But I am learning not to chase money so relentlessly that I forget the meaning behind what I am building.

Because some things are priceless.

And sometimes the greatest measure of success is knowing that because you showed up, something became better.

A life.

A family.

A community.

A generation.🤍

So, before you chase another number this week, pause and ask yourself: What am I actually building?

And perhaps even more importantly: What will still matter when the numbers change?

With love,
Natalie 🤍

'My body loves me, and I love and cherish my precious body.'🤍

SOULFUL SATURDAY 🤍

The rain is soft and cleansing this morning.

It's tinkering on the rooftop… because I have a rooftop. ☔️
And somehow, even that simple thought fills me with gratitude.

I’m still soaking in Holy Spirit from last night’s prayers. The worship music is still resounding somewhere in my head, and my heart feels… quiet.

Full.

Held.

Gratitude overwhelms me.

And strangely, I don’t feel worthy of it.

I don’t feel like I’ve worked hard enough for it. I don’t feel like I’ve earned it.

And perhaps that’s the point... some things aren’t earned. Some things are simply given.

This peace that makes no human sense. This deep knowing that I am held, even when I don’t understand what comes next.

Maybe this is what grace feels like. A reminder that I don’t have to strive for every good thing. I don’t have to prove myself worthy of being blessed.

I can simply receive.

Breathe.

Be still.

And allow His presence to fill the spaces in me that striving never could.

His presence is everywhere.
All around me.
Within me.

Omnipotent.
Unexplainable.
Unmistakable.

So today, I’m not rushing.

I’m listening to the rain.
I’m letting the music linger.
I’m allowing gratitude to wash over me.

And I’m receiving this beautiful, undeserved gift called peace. Perhaps it really is our birthright.

Happy Soulful Saturday. 🤍

Pause. Breathe. Thrive.

Love always
Natalie Joy

— The Arts of Slow Living™

🌿 Thought-Free Thursday

Stop overthinking.

You don’t have to solve everything, have all the answers, or make another decision today.

☕ Pause.
🌿 Breathe.
🤍 Rest.
✨ Let today simply be today.

Rest is part of how we restore ourselves.

“I don’t need to think my way through this moment. I can just be here.”

Choose peace. Choose yourself. 🤍

Healing IS Business Strategy.

I know so many good leaders who are leading from a wounded place; and sometimes, that wound is loud.

It can look like screaming matches, manipulation disguised as leadership.
Shaming people when they're doing their best. Creating environments where people don't feel safe to disagree or give their opinion.

Anxiety that becomes part of the culture.
Micromanagement.
Control.
Defensiveness; and eventually, people stop bringing their ideas to the table because they’ve learned it isn't safe to do so.
The thing is…
Our businesses are changing.
Nine-to-fives are evolving. Remote and hybrid work have changed how we relate to one another. Technology and AI are accelerating everything. We're being asked to rethink how we lead, communicate, collaborate and build.

But if you walk into a new system carrying old wounds, eventually something is going to sound the internal alarm. Because you cannot build a healthy future while constantly responding from an unresolved past. And this isn't about being a perfect leader.

We all have wounds.
We all have moments where our nervous system gets the better of us.
The question is: Are you willing to become aware of what is driving your behaviour? Because healing isn't separate from business.

It affects how you price.
How you communicate.
Who you hire.
Who you trust.
How you handle conflict.
How you respond when someone challenges you; and ultimately, how people experience you. There is a profound difference between building a business from healing and building one from proving.

One creates space, the other creates pressure.
One invites people in, the other needs to control the outcome.
One is rooted in identity, the other is often trying to repair it through achievement.

This is why I believe healing IS business strategy.

Not because business needs more perfect people, but because it needs more self-aware leaders. If anything in this story made you pause, perhaps there is something worth exploring.

That is exactly the kind of work I do through Heritage Identity Mapping.
If you're ready to understand what you're carrying into the business you're building, send me a message.

Best,
Natalie Joy