I skipped my morning reset. I regretted it.
Returning to Your Center
Come back when life pulls you away.
As we close out August, there's one idea from Rooted in the Present that I hope you'll carry with you long after this month ends:
Learn how to return to your center.
For me, returning to my center means returning to myself. It's coming back to the grounded, present version of me who remembers what matters, pays attention to what's happening right now, and isn't trying to solve everything at once.
And I definitely don't stay there all the time.
Last week I shared that one of my favorite daily practices is starting my morning with The Bible Recap while I drink my coffee. I listen to the day's Bible reading and podcast before everything else gets moving. It helps me be still, spend time with God, and set the tone for my day.
Every once in a while, though, I'm running behind and convince myself I don't have time.
You would think I'd learn. 😂
Inevitably, I spend the rest of the day feeling like I'm trying to catch up with myself. Eventually, I have to stop, pause, and make time for the reset I thought I was too busy for in the first place.
That's what returning to your center looks like.
The goal isn't to stay perfectly grounded every minute of every day. Life will pull us away. We'll get distracted, overwhelmed, rushed, frustrated, and occasionally wonder why everyone needs something from us at the exact same time.
The practice is learning to recognize when we've drifted and knowing how to come back.
Here are seven ways to practice returning to yourself.
Rest in the Shepherd
Psalm 23 gives us such a beautiful picture of what it looks like to be led back to peace: quiet waters, green pastures, restored souls.
If you have a relationship with the Lord, let Him be the place you return when everything else feels noisy. Pray. Read Scripture. Turn on worship music. Sit quietly with Him.
Try reading Psalm 23 slowly and notice which words speak to you today. You may find exactly the reminder your heart needs.
Respond with Grace
When people are coming at you from every direction, give yourself a moment before you respond.
Take a breath.
Pause.
Give yourself enough space to choose your response instead of reacting from frustration or exhaustion.
Then offer the other person the same grace you'd hope to receive on one of your hard days.
Reach Out
Sometimes we need another person to help us find our footing.
Reach out to the friend who has a calming presence. The one who listens well, asks good questions, makes you laugh, or reminds you who you are when you've temporarily forgotten.
We weren't meant to navigate everything alone.
Be Your Own Friend
We also need to learn how to sit with ourselves.
When you're feeling overwhelmed, ask yourself the questions you'd gently ask someone you love:
What am I feeling?
What do I need right now?
What actually needs my attention today?
What can wait?
Then respond to yourself with the same kindness and patience you'd offer a friend.
Sit with God
We have become so accustomed to noise that stillness can actually feel uncomfortable.
Start small.
Set a timer for 90 seconds.
No phone. No podcast. No list of things to accomplish.
Simply sit quietly with God. Breathe. Ask Him to help you return to yourself and to His presence.
If 90 seconds becomes five minutes someday, wonderful.
For today, 90 seconds is enough.
Celebrate Your Growth
Don't rush into September without noticing how far you've come.
Celebrate your wins, even the small ones.
Maybe you've become better at recognizing when you're overwhelmed. Maybe you've started putting things on your Not Yet List. Maybe you're spending more time outside, noticing beautiful moments, setting healthier boundaries, or giving yourself permission to pause.
Progress deserves to be noticed.
Return to Peace
My hope as we finish August is that you have a few more tools in your toolkit than you did when we started.
The Not Yet List.
Today's Beautiful Moment.
Your 5-Minute Rooted Reset.
A daily grounding habit.
A verse.
A walk.
A person you can call.
Keep what works for you.
You don't need every tool every day. You simply need to know which ones help you find your way back when life gets noisy.
Growing Good
September is just around the corner, which I'm still trying to wrap my brain around!
1. Self Improvement Month
September is Self-Improvement Month, but before you decide you need another goal, another habit, or another project, look back at what you've already started.
Is there one idea from our August newsletters that's worth carrying into September?
Maybe you started reading more. Maybe you've been practicing a new skill. Maybe you've created a healthier routine or discovered something you want to keep learning.
Keep going.
And if nothing from August fits, choose one small area you'd genuinely like to grow in. Read a book, take a class, practice a skill, or ask someone to teach you something they do well.
Growth doesn't require reinventing yourself every month. Sometimes the best next step is continuing what you've already begun.
2. A Very Important Holiday
September 6 is National Read a Book Day, and obviously I fully support celebrating this highly important national holiday. 😂
Have a silent book club. Visit your favorite coffee shop and give yourself an hour to read. Swap books with a friend. And because it's still basically summer in Texas, my personal recommendation is to jump in the pool and float with a good book in hand.
If you're looking for something to read, I'll bring back one I've recommended before: You Can't Screw This Up by Adam Bornstein.
I especially appreciate its emphasis on making sustainable progress instead of chasing perfection, which feels like a pretty perfect way to head into a new month.
Rachel Recommends: Austin Edition
I'm in Austin, Texas, this week for the AASC Conference, and if you're a fellow AASC member who's here too, I hope I get to see you!
In honor of spending the week in Austin, this week's recommendation is simple:
Go enjoy Austin.
I'm not going to recommend specific restaurants because there are far too many good ones and I refuse to enter the Austin barbecue debate because I would like to keep all of my friends. 😂
But you really can't go wrong with two things:
Tacos and barbecue.
I have yet to be disappointed by either choice in Austin.
And if you need a break from conference rooms and air conditioning, Barton Springs Pool is hard to beat when Texas is serving up another 100-degree day.
If it's your first trip to Texas, I also love the Bullock Texas State History Museum and walking around the Texas Capitol. Eat something delicious, explore a little, and enjoy the city while you're here.
A Thought to Carry With You
“You have power over your mind—not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.”
- Marcus Aurelius
Free Resource: Your Come Back Plan
Last week I shared the 5-Minute Rooted Reset, a tool you can use in the moment when life feels scattered.
This week, we're taking it one step further.
The Come Back Plan helps you identify your personal signs that you're getting off-center and create a plan for finding your way back.
You'll identify:
How I know I'm getting off-center
What helps me feel grounded again
The people who help me come back to myself
A Scripture or truth that anchors me
What my body needs when I'm overwhelmed
What can go on my Not Yet List
My go-to five-minute reset
Because your way back doesn't have to look like anyone else's.
The important thing is knowing how to find it.
Download your free Come Back Plan here.
One Last Thought
You don't have to stay perfectly centered.
You just need to know how to come back.
There will be mornings when the routine doesn't happen. Weeks when the calendar gets crowded. Seasons when you realize you've been moving so quickly that you've stopped noticing the life happening around you.
When that happens, come back.
Come back to God.
Come back to your priorities.
Come back to the people who matter.
Come back to the practices that steady you.
Most of all, come back to yourself.
Presence isn't about perfection.
It's about returning again and again.
And every time you notice you've drifted, you have another opportunity to begin again.
