The Year of the Crown!

Have you ever felt like you’re running a race on a treadmill that someone else set to "sprint"? Your calendar is bleeding ink, your caffeine intake is the only thing keeping you upright, and despite doing everything, you still feel like you’re missing the very life you’re working so hard to build. We’ve been sold a lie that "the grind" is the only path to the palace, leaving us exhausted, depleted, and—if we’re honest—a little bit heartbroken.

I’ve spent too many years choosing hustle over holiness and burnout over blessing. But this year? This is my Esther Year.

The Ethos of the Palace

In the biblical narrative, Esther didn't just wake up and stumble onto a throne. Before she ever stood before the King, she underwent twelve months of preparation. Six months with oil of myrrh and six months with sweet spices and perfumes.

This wasn't just a spa day; it was a transition of identity. Myrrh was used for purification, and the spices for beautification. From a standpoint of character and credibility, we cannot expect to lead in spheres we haven't allowed ourselves to be prepared for. True abundance requires a foundation. If we want the "soft life," we must first do the internal work of shedding the "hustle culture" skin that tells us we aren't enough without our achievements.

The Heart of the Transition

There is a profound ache that comes with trying to force a door open that God is asking you to wait for. We have all felt that heavy, suffocating pressure to "make it happen" at the cost of our own spirit. But think of the emotional toll that takes—the anxiety that keeps you up at night, the fear that if you stop for a moment, you’ll lose everything.

An exhausted queen is a reactive queen, but a rested queen is a strategic one. Esther had the favor of the King not because she was the loudest in the room, but because she moved with a quiet, rested confidence. When we rest, we stop the internal bleeding of "never enough." We signal to ourselves that we are worthy of care before we are ever useful. We stop operating from a place of lack and start attracting from a place of deep, soul-level overflow.

The Logic of the Softer Life

It sounds counterintuitive—to get more, you must do less. But the logic of the Kingdom is different from the logic of the world. Abundance cannot grow in soil that is parched and cracked. If you are the vessel through which your life’s work flows, then maintaining the vessel is the most logical thing you can do.

3 Steps to Your Softer, Abundant Life

If you’re ready to trade your "survival mode" for your "Susa palace" era, here are three steps inspired by Esther’s journey:

1. Curate Your "Hegai" Circle

Esther didn't navigate the palace alone; she listened to Hegai, the king’s eunuch, who knew exactly what pleased the King.

• The Soft Life Move: Surround yourself with mentors and friends who breathe peace into your life, not chaos. Audit your circle. If your community focuses on "the struggle," it’s time to find a circle that celebrates the "softness."

2. Embrace the "Soaking" Period

Esther spent an entire year just preparing her physical and spiritual self. She wasn't rushing to the throne room on day one.

• The Soft Life Move: Practice the art of the "slow morning." Allow yourself time to heal from past seasons of burnout. Water your soul with rest, prayer, and silence.

3. Master the Art of the Elegant Request

When Esther finally approached the King, she didn't come with a frantic energy. She invited him to a banquet. She led with hospitality and grace.

• The Soft Life Move: Stop "fighting" for what you want and start "inviting" it. Move with the quiet authority of someone who knows she is already chosen. When you value your own peace, others will value it too.

This is your time to stop striving and start stepping into the abundance that was already set aside for you. Your Esther Year isn't about working harder; it's about becoming the woman who is prepared to receive the crown.