🌿 From the Desk of Dr. Tara
July Reflection
Learning to Pause Without Feeling Guilty
"Be still, and know that I am God." — Psalm 46:10
If I'm honest, this year has taught me something I never expected to learn.
How to pause.
Not because I wanted to.
But because life gave me no other choice.
There have been seasons when I believed that if I just worked a little harder, prayed a little longer, or pushed through one more challenge, everything would somehow fall into place. I wore busyness like a badge of honor. My calendar stayed full, my heart stayed busy, and my mind rarely slowed down long enough to simply breathe.
Then life reminded me that we are human.
This past year brought unexpected challenges that changed my perspective. There were moments filled with uncertainty, moments that tested my faith, moments that reminded me just how precious life truly is. As many of you know, I walked through a cancer diagnosis and treatment. It wasn't a journey I would have chosen, but it became a journey that taught me some of life's greatest lessons.
I learned that strength isn't always found in pushing harder.
Sometimes strength is found in resting.
As a counselor, I often meet people who carry invisible burdens. They feel responsible for everyone around them. They pour into their families, their careers, their churches, and their communities until there's nothing left for themselves. Somewhere along the way, they begin to believe that resting is selfish or that slowing down means they're failing.
I understand that feeling.
But I've also learned that healing requires something many of us struggle to give ourselves:
Permission.
Permission to rest.
Permission to grieve.
Permission to heal.
Permission to say, "I'm tired."
Permission to ask for help.
Permission to simply be.
One of my favorite memories from this summer wasn't during a counseling session or while writing one of my books. It happened during a photo shoot with Toby, myTarapy's Chief Hope Officer.
Everything was going well until Toby decided he needed a break.
The lights, the camera, the excitement—it had all become a little overwhelming. So he climbed into my arms and simply rested. There was no rush. No expectations. Just a quiet moment of trust.
Our photographer captured that moment, and when I looked at the photograph later, I realized something.
How often do we deny ourselves what Toby naturally understood?
When we're overwhelmed, we don't have to keep performing.
Sometimes the healthiest thing we can do is pause long enough to catch our breath.
The world often celebrates hustle.
God often invites us into stillness.
Those are two very different things.
Being still doesn't mean you've stopped growing.
Resting doesn't mean you've given up.
Taking a break doesn't mean you're weak.
It means you're human.
And perhaps that's exactly where healing begins.
As I've built myTarapy, written books, raised my three incredible boys, and walked through life's many seasons, I've discovered that some of the most meaningful growth doesn't happen during the big moments.
It happens in the quiet ones.
The moments when we finally stop trying to carry everything ourselves.
The moments when we trust God enough to believe that He is still working, even while we rest.
So today, I'd like to leave you with a simple invitation.
Take a deep breath.
Step outside.
Watch a sunset.
Pet your dog.
Call someone you love.
Read a few verses of Scripture.
Drink another glass of water.
Sit quietly with a cup of coffee.
Whatever fills your soul, make time for it.
Not because you've earned it.
But because your heart needs it.
Healing isn't measured by how busy you are.
It isn't measured by how quickly you recover.
It isn't measured by how many things you cross off your to-do list.
Healing happens one faithful step at a time.
And sometimes...
That faithful step is simply choosing to pause.
🌸 This Month's Reflection
As you move through the rest of July, I encourage you to ask yourself one question:
"Where do I need to give myself permission to rest?"
You might be surprised by what your heart has been trying to tell you all along.
Remember this:
You don't have to have everything figured out.
You don't have to carry every burden by yourself.
And you don't have to rush your healing.
There is grace for today.
Hope for tomorrow.
And a God who walks beside you through every season.
Until next time...
Keep choosing hope.
Keep extending grace.
And keep believing that healing is possible.
With gratitude,
Dr. Tara J. Snow
Founder, myTarapy, LLC
Real Life. Real People. Real Healing.
🌸 A Final Thought
"No matter what today has looked like, remember this: your story is still being written.
Healing rarely happens all at once—it unfolds one faithful step, one courageous choice, and one hopeful day at a time."
Until next time...
Choose hope.
Extend grace.
Believe healing is possible.
With gratitude,
Dr. Tara J. Snow