Shownotes
We often admire strength and resilience in others while doubting we have it ourselves. But here’s the truth: strength doesn’t always look bold and unshakable, and resilience doesn’t always feel like bouncing back quickly. Most of the time, this actually looks a lot more like exhaustion, baby steps forward, and continuing to show up.
In this episode, we’ll rethink what it really means to be a woman of strength and resilience. From identifying with (or bawling through) Luisa’s “Surface Pressure” song in Encanto to the practice of keeping a simple “ta-da list,” you’ll discover that you’re already stronger than you think. And when your own capacity feels like it’s run out, God’s Word reminds us that His strength shows up in our weakness.
Episode Highlights
- How we view strength and resilience in others vs what it actually looks like
- Practical ways to identify and validate your own strength and resilience in daily life
- The value of showing up rather than looking tough
- 2 Corinthians 12:9 - “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
Resources Mentioned
- Give Yourself Credit - You Do a Lot! - “Ta-Da” List Journal
- Shop all Merciful Mornings journals
- Listen to “Surface Pressure” from Encanto
Related Episodes You Might Also Like
- EP 3 - Encouragement for the Woman Who is Drowning in Overwhelm
- EP 18 - Giving Yourself Grace Through Seasons of Life
- EP 21 - 5 Tips to Keep Going and Never Give Up
- EP 39 - The Source of Empowerment with Becky Beresford
- EP 59 - Rethinking the Proverbs 31 Woman: Inspiration, Not Expectation
- EP 64 - Letting Go Isn’t Giving Up: The Faithful Fight Against Anxiety with Nichole Suvar
Connect with Rachel
- Website: racheldbaker.com
- Instagram: @rachel.d.baker
- Email: rachel@racheldbaker.com
It means so much to me that you are part of this community! I never recommend anything to you that I don't truly love and believe is worthwhile. Some of the links I share are affiliate links, and I will earn a tiny commission if you go through them to make a purchase. It's no extra cost to you, and buying through the links I share is one small way you can support this ministry and our podcast.
Mentioned in this episode:
Renewal Retreat 2025
When was the last time you had a full day - let alone a whole weekend - that felt calm and refreshing? A weekend where you could rest without guilt? To think without interruption? To let God speak without having to multitask Him? If that question hits a little too close to home, I want to invite you to the Renewal Retreat. It’s happening October 16–19 in a beautiful lakehouse in central Arkansas. This is three nights of worship, rest, coaching, good food, and encouragement that goes beneath the surface with other women who get it. No pressure. No performance. No pretending. Just space to remember who you are and Who you belong to. Whether you’re worn out from doing all the things or just longing for a reset, this weekend is for you. And the best part? There are payment plans that make it really doable. It’s time for rest, real connection, and a reset that actually sticks. Come join us!
FREE Printable Permission Slips
If you’ve been feeling like you need a minute to catch your breath, hear from God, and remember who you are outside of all the chaos... this is for you. It’s a Printable Permission Slip. Yes, an actual fill-in-the-blank reminder that you are allowed to rest, reflect, and realign with what really matters. When you download it, you’ll get four designs of beautiful, fill-in-the-blank permission slips and 20 permission slip ideas to get you started. You don’t need the world’s permission to step into your purpose - but sometimes it helps to see it in writing.
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Transcripts
You're listening to the podcast where we ask, how's all that working for you?
Speaker A:Because sometimes all you need to change your life is a moment of reflection.
Speaker A:In this space, we are done with sugarcoating.
Speaker A:We embrace keeping it real.
Speaker A:I'm your host, Rachel D. Baker, guiding you on this journey to create some breathing room, set healthy boundaries, and reclaim your time guilt free.
Speaker A:This is real talk with a bit of sass, and we are always seeking the truth in God's word.
Speaker A:Let's talk today about strength and resilience.
Speaker A:And before you completely turn this episode off because you feel so exhausted, cannot even handle the thought of listening to one more person tell you to suck it up, push through, that is not what this is.
Speaker A:It's not what we're doing here today.
Speaker A:We admire strength and resilience when we see it in other women.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:We also doubt it in ourselves.
Speaker A:We wish we had more of it.
Speaker A:And we feel proud when we realize just how much of that we've actually shown.
Speaker A:But here's the thing.
Speaker A:Most of the time, strength and resilience don't actually look like what we are picturing in our heads.
Speaker A:Let's get down to some actual definitions.
Speaker A:Let's just get real practical for a second.
Speaker A:If we look at the definition, strength.
Speaker A:Strength is the capacity to withstand great force or pressure.
Speaker A:And then resilience.
Speaker A:Resilience is the capacity or ability to withstand or to recover quickly from difficulties.
Speaker A:Okay, so those sound pretty impressive, right?
Speaker A:It is.
Speaker A:That is impressive.
Speaker A:But the tricky part is that in the moment, those definitions don't really feel anything like what we're actually living.
Speaker A:Strength doesn't always feel like capacity.
Speaker A:It often feels like scraping the bottom of the barrel, holding on by the tips of your fingers.
Speaker A:And resilience doesn't always feel like recovery or withstanding difficult things.
Speaker A:A lot of times it feels like you are just barely making it through the day.
Speaker A:Do you feel.
Speaker A:Do you feel what I'm saying here?
Speaker A:Does this sound familiar at all?
Speaker A:When you imagine a strong woman, think of somebody in your head when I say, wow, what a strong woman.
Speaker A:Maybe you picture somebody in your mind, and maybe you think of someone who's bold, fierce, or unshakable or somebody who goes through loss, heartbreak, or illness, and they come out with this amazing testimony and it's tied up in a pretty bow.
Speaker A:Her story feels so impressive.
Speaker A:But if you've lived through some stuff, and I know you have, you know, it doesn't feel like that in the moment.
Speaker A:Strength doesn't feel glamorous and resilience doesn't feel heroic.
Speaker A:It probably feels like exhaustion.
Speaker A:It feels like dragging yourself out of bed when you would rather stay under the cozy covers.
Speaker A:It feels like trying to pray when you don't really even have the words.
Speaker A:Or it feels like wishing someone else would just swoop in and fix it already.
Speaker A:Okay, this might feel a little out of left field, but go with me for a second.
Speaker A:Have you seen the movie Encanto?
Speaker A:If you have not seen Encanto, go right now, watch it immediately.
Speaker A:It's a Disney movie.
Speaker A:It's an animated movie, but it's brilliant.
Speaker A:I love it so much.
Speaker A:If you have seen it, you remember Luisa, the sister who sings Surface Pressure on the outside.
Speaker A:She is admired for her gift of strength and resilience.
Speaker A:The one who can handle all the hard and heavy things for everybody else.
Speaker A:She's literally at one point, like lifting buildings and boulders.
Speaker A:And she's just so strong and everybody can count on her.
Speaker A:But that song that she sings in the movie, the one you absolutely have to dance too.
Speaker A:It's a total bop, as my kids would say.
Speaker A:But it also made every single mom cry the first time she heard it.
Speaker A:The lyrics of that song Surface Pressure, peel back the curtain and they show what's really going on inside of this strong woman.
Speaker A:There's fear of failing, longing for rest and wondering what would happen if she couldn't carry it all anymore.
Speaker A:Would everybody be okay if she just took a friggin break and rested from carrying all the heavy stuff for a hot second?
Speaker A:I have not met a woman yet who did not feel all the feels and maybe even bawl her eyes out the first time that she listened to that song.
Speaker A:Because it's us, right?
Speaker A:That's us.
Speaker A:That pressure, that constant carrying of all the things, the silent exhaustion while everybody else sees you as the strong one.
Speaker A:I've noticed in my own life the moments where I have been the most resilient.
Speaker A:When things have been really, really hard.
Speaker A:Those moments haven't looked like these big Instagram worthy victories.
Speaker A:They're not heroic tales.
Speaker A:They weren't necessarily big ticket items from my to do list.
Speaker A:I like to call these my Ta Da list.
Speaker A:We've talked about this before, right?
Speaker A:Some days a list like this would include things like got out of bed, Ta da.
Speaker A:Took a shower, Ta da.
Speaker A:Or maybe brushed my teeth, Ta da.
Speaker A:That's it.
Speaker A:And you know what?
Speaker A:All those things count.
Speaker A:That is evidence of strength and resilience.
Speaker A:It is visible proof that I did not give up, that I showed up for my own life.
Speaker A:Even when it felt impossible, when I was completely worn down.
Speaker A:So let's get to the truth that our hearts need to hear.
Speaker A:You know, we are always seeking truth in God's word around these topics that we're dealing with on the daily.
Speaker A:So the truth our hearts need to hear today.
Speaker A:You are already stronger than you think.
Speaker A:You may not feel it, you may not see it, but the very fact that you are listening right now, that you've gotten through what you've gotten through, or that you're still going through it, that's the proof.
Speaker A:You don't have to look like the world's version of strong.
Speaker A:You don't have to look like Louisa from Encanto, with all the muscles and big and brave and strong.
Speaker A:God wired you with resilience that shows up in the quiet moments of everyday life.
Speaker A:I cannot tell you how many times I've tried to muscle my way through impossible situations, nearly burning myself to the ground in the process.
Speaker A:I thought being strong meant pushing through, getting it all done.
Speaker A:Everybody move.
Speaker A:Get out of my way.
Speaker A:I've got this.
Speaker A:And every time I have tried to operate from my own strength, which is limited, God has basically said, oh, that's cute, sit down.
Speaker A:You know, little pat on the head.
Speaker A:Why don't you just sit yourself down, sis?
Speaker A:Here is the hope we get to hold onto.
Speaker A:2 Corinthians 12, verse 9 says, God's power is made perfect in our weakness.
Speaker A:That means you don't have to muscle through on your own.
Speaker A:You don't have to be the hero of the story.
Speaker A:God's strength shows up when yours can't.
Speaker A:That is the very definition of grace.
Speaker A:And if you read that full verse, you'll see his grace is sufficient for us.
Speaker A:It's all we need.
Speaker A:So here's my challenge for you this week.
Speaker A:You know, we like to get practical.
Speaker A:We can do the things.
Speaker A:My challenge for you this week is start your own ta da list.
Speaker A:Every time you do something that proves you kept going, whether it's making a phone call you've been avoiding or just simply brushing your teeth, write it down.
Speaker A:Actually write it down.
Speaker A:Build your own visible evidence of your resilience.
Speaker A:Because when you can see it on paper, you'll start to believe it in your heart.
Speaker A:And if you want a place to keep all those ta da lists together, I actually just decided to create a journal just for this.
Speaker A:I needed a place to keep it together.
Speaker A:And then I decided to put it out there for anybody else who might need it.
Speaker A:The COVID has a quote on it that was actually said to me by a dear friend.
Speaker A:It says give yourself credit.
Speaker A:You do a lot.
Speaker A:I needed to hear that in the moment and maybe you do too.
Speaker A:This journal is designed to hold your ta da lists in one place so then you can flip back through them on days you need that reminder most.
Speaker A:So if that's something that would serve you, you can find the link for that in the show notes.
Speaker A:Or you can just go to racheldbaker.com shop and click on Merciful Mornings Journals and you'll find it there.
Speaker A:Listen, you're already living as a woman of strength and resilience whether you feel like it or not.
Speaker A:Don't discount those small victories.
Speaker A:Trust me, they add up.
Speaker A:If today's episode encouraged you, don't keep it to yourself.
Speaker A:Share this episode with a friend who might need the reminder that she is stronger than she thinks.
Speaker A:Until next time, please remember you are stronger than you think and you are loved more than you know.
