Written by: Dr. Nancy Meyer

By What would you do if I told you something today that could change your life for the better?
Would you lean in a little closer?
Would you pause your to-do list, your caregiving, your endless giving—and listen?

I’m a wife. A mother. A caregiver.
I’m a doctor. A businesswoman. A speaker. A leader.
I’ve raised kids, empowered women, run a successful practice, and even competed in five Half Ironmans.

To most people, I looked like someone who had it all together.
But behind all the accomplishments, I carried something hidden:
I didn’t know how to value myself.

That sounds strange, doesn’t it?
“People like me don’t have self-worth issues.”
Except—I did.

I served with my whole heart, but I neglected my own well-being in the process.
During my divorce, I stayed for my kids. Not for me. Because I didn’t believe I was worth fighting for.
Even as I was being torn down emotionally and financially, I just wanted him to tell me everything would be okay.

That’s how little I thought of myself.
And yet—I had a husband, a house, a business, a family.
I told myself, “I can’t be unhappy. If I feel empty, it must be my fault.”

But here’s the truth I’ve come to learn:
Perfection on the outside means nothing if you’re crumbling on the inside.

I believed that taking care of myself was selfish.
That real love meant always giving and never receiving.
That rest was laziness. That nourishment was vanity.

But God began showing me something different.

When I started training for triathlons, I thought it was about the physical.
But every swim, every mile, every finish line became deeply spiritual.

I didn’t just cross race finish lines—I crossed into self-respect.
I began to see myself the way God sees me.

And that changed everything.

Neglecting your body, mind, and spirit isn’t humility—it’s disobedience.
We don’t have to die for our ministry—Jesus already did that.

And here’s something you might need to hear today:
You cannot truly love others if you don’t value yourself.
When you don’t believe you’re worthy of love, you’ll spend your life trying to earn it…
And miss that you already have it—in Him.

We serve. We teach. We say, “Here I am, Lord, send me.”
And God replies, “Yes, daughter. But take care of the vessel I’m sending.”

Our children are watching, especially our daughters.
So are all the women around us.

If they see us burn out for everyone but never let God pour back into us,
They’ll believe love means exhaustion.
That faith means never resting.
That being a good woman means being an empty one.

But what if we showed them something better?

That rest is holy.
That nourishing your body is worship.
That saying “I matter too” is a godly act of stewardship.

It’s declaring:
I am a daughter of the King—and my well-being matters to Him.

So today, I remind myself—and maybe you need this too:

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me...
Even value myself. Because He does.

Defying Fear Verse

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

— Philippians 4:13 (NIV)

Defying Fear Principle