Hey everyone! Quick intro - I'm 24, graduated in 2024 (UGA), building a service business in my college town (Athens, GA). I met David on a mission trip in Costa Rica about a month ago. In January, I went through a breakup with a girl that I thought I would marry (been dating for a year and a half). She had almost every quality that I've been looking for in a wife besides us being misaligned on family. That rocked my world, but also woke me up to the fact that I have been living life on autopilot for the last year. I've been saying I want to build a personal brand, move out of my college town, run my business remotely, break 3 in the marathon, find a mentor, and get in the Word consistently. The environment you are in holds you back more than you know. Over the last 3 days I went to Austin, Texas. I've been seeing so much content online about how active it is and I was influenced to go there lol. I couldn't tell if it was God calling me there or social media before I went. Well, God spoke to me in amazing ways on that trip. I broke down crying in church on Sunday, overwhelmed by how confusing life felt. The sermon was on Job, and the key message was that God can take anything away from us at any moment, and we don't know if we truly have faith until he does. My identity was heavily tied up in my relationship, and I've felt extremely lonely since ending things. The city I'm in makes me feel like I can't progress any further even though my business is here and on paper things would look like they're going great. To sum this up, I decided to take another leap and move to ATX in three months. I won't know anyone besides my friend who is going to be rooming with me. I don't know if my business will survive, or what I will do when I get there. I obviously have a plan, but things could change in a minute. God wants us to live by faith. The times that have changed my life or the times when God has given me an opportunity and I've jumped and tried to bite off more than I can chew.

“I just want to be happy” Change that to, “I am happy” And stop thinking of everyone else. Stop comparing. You’re not behind. You haven’t failed. Contentment isn’t a bad thing. Take a breath. Put your phone on DND and set it in a drawer. You’re not that important but your mental health is. These phones have a way of stealing our peace. And we have full control over them. We can turn them off. Get a flip phone. Put on DND and just have your spouse and kids calls come through… All the other stuff is noise. It’s noise you can turn off. Go outside. Smile at the sun. Dance in the rain. Look at the stars. Life is short, go live it. 🫶🏽

I realize I’m one of or the only woman in this group. Which doesn’t surprise me one bit. I’ve always been a black sheep, and there’s no reason to stop now. I am a spiritual woman, and I love to empower my growing community. I am a YouTuber and a spiritual influencer. I resonate with other influencers who are genuine/good people who truly want to uplift and inspire others. I truly feel that I can make a difference in people’s lives. I’ve been on a healing journey since 2020, and that’s also when I had my first spiritual awakening. This awakening opened up my entire world to the possibilities of life. I started to realize how powerful I truly am, and that I could take control of my life, and change for the better. My whole life I over indulged and had little to no self discipline. This was not something I was taught as a kid. I had to learn it on my own, later on in my adult life. To be honest, I am still learning, but I am much better off than I used to be. In my early 30’s I gained a significant amount of weight. I had severe health concerns that debilitated my daily life. I could barely get around, and I was hospitalized several times. My addiction to food almost killed me, when I got Covid at almost 700lbs, I’m lucky to still be here. Now, enough with the somber, today I am in a really good place! I have lost over 130lbs and counting! My health concerns are almost nonexistent, they’ve healed significantly. I can move easier, and walk longer. I can breathe better. Overall my life has improved in tremendous ways. You know the one thing that kept me going? It was my faith. My faith in the Divine, and in my future was the very thing that kept me going. I never gave up on myself, despite every single step being a massive struggle, literally. As I was decreasing my body, I was growing in spirit. I am in such a good place now, spiritually, physically, emotionally, mentally.. All the things. I am consistently bettering myself everyday, and I’ve done this all on my own. My insurance does not allow the weight loss medication. I’ve done this with a lifestyle change and dedication. I will continue to share my journey and experiences in hope that I can inspire others to keep fighting no matter how difficult life may seem. I believe we all deserve happiness, and I’ve learned that self discipline is the highest form of self love. 💕 Thank you guys for allowing me to join the black sheep club. I’d love to make some life long friends. I’ve needed a sense of community. I think this is a good place to start.

A lot of us grew up chasing one sentence from our dad. “I’m proud of you.” For some guys, it was given freely. For others, it never really came. And when that approval doesn’t show up, it creates a fork in the road inside a young mans heart. Some become victims. They spend their lives feeling like they weren’t enough. But others… others become something else entirely. They become relentless. They build. They prove. They endure. They push further than most people ever will. I’ve never really heard my dad genuinely say he’s proud of me. And if I’m honest, it hurts. But the older I get, the more I wonder if God sometimes allows certain gaps in our lives because they become fuel for our calling. Sometimes the very thing that wounds us is the thing that drives us. A lot of “black sheep” carry that same story. We didn’t quite fit. We weren’t fully understood. And we were always trying to prove something. But that fire can become purpose if we let it. So if you’ve ever felt that missing approval, don’t let it turn you into a victim. Let it turn you into a man who builds a life so meaningful that the approval you once chased becomes something you give to the next generation. And maybe that’s the real win. Not hearing “I’m proud of you.” But becoming the kind of father, leader, and man who says it to someone else at exactly the moment they need it. 💪

When Jesus talks about the narrow road in Matthew 7, He’s not talking about random rule following. He’s describing alignment. “Enter through the narrow gate… small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life.” Matthew 7:13–14 NIV The narrow road is restrictive by design. That’s the point. It requires intention. It forces choice. You cannot carry everything onto it. Ego, comfort, distraction, approval seeking, excess, comparison. There isn’t space for it all. The wide road is easier because it demands nothing. It allows drift. It accommodates appetite. It lets you blend in. You don’t have to think hard on the wide road. You just move with traffic. The narrow road requires awareness. For you specifically, this isn’t about salvation theology. You already believe. This is about daily decisions. The narrow road shows up in small, practical ways. It’s choosing discipline when comfort is available. It’s saying no to an opportunity that looks good but isn’t aligned. It’s guarding your inputs when everyone else scrolls. It’s building slowly when shortcuts exist. It’s staying faithful when you could leverage something for faster gain. Here’s what’s important to understand. The narrow road often feels lonely at first because fewer people walk it. But loneliness is not the same as wrongness. In fact, in high performance environments, narrow paths are usually the ones that produce excellence. Same spiritually. There’s also something biological happening. The human brain is wired to conserve energy and seek reward. The wide road feeds dopamine easily. The narrow road delays gratification. Over time, that delay builds capacity. That capacity builds authority. Authority builds impact. So when you feel tension choosing discipline, that tension is not a sign you’re off. It’s a sign you’re crossing from instinct into intentional living. Another thing to consider. The narrow road isn’t about intensity. It’s about consistency. You don’t sprint a narrow mountain path. You walk it carefully. Step by step. Attention forward.