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The Ugly Truth About Hustle: It’s Killing Your Faith · Reborn w/ Antonio Boutros

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to the Reborn Podcast, the space where faith meets life's complex challenges.
• 0:06
  SPEAKER_00: I'm Tony Butros, and in today's episode, we delve into a poignant topic.
• 0:12
  SPEAKER_00: How sometimes our relentless pursuit of success can inadvertently lead us away from the solutions to our deepest struggles.
• 0:20
  SPEAKER_00: Reflecting on the biblical insight from James, faith without works is dead.
• 0:28
  SPEAKER_00: A powerful reminder that our actions are essential to manifest our faith.
• 0:33
  SPEAKER_00: Today, I share a personal chapter from my life about overworking, missing community support, and finding my way back.
• 0:45
  SPEAKER_00: Entrepreneurship is demanding.
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_00: I was praying for a way out of loneliness.
• 1:21
  SPEAKER_00: Yet I was avoiding the solution by burying myself in work.
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_00: It's a common trap.
• 1:28
  SPEAKER_00: Working more to solve problems that require not just more time at a desk, but a holistic approach, community, rest, and reflection are often part of the needed solution.
• 1:42
  SPEAKER_00: The scripture teaches us about balance in action.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_00: The faith motivates us to make wise choices, not just hard choices.
• 1:52
  SPEAKER_00: Faith without works is dead.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_00: This isn't just a theological statement.
• 1:56
  SPEAKER_00: It's profoundly practical.
• 1:59
  SPEAKER_00: My faith was intact, but my works, my actions, were misaligned with my needs.
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_00: Despite understanding deep down that attending my men's groups meetings could alleviate my sense of isolation, I allowed the urgent to overshadow the important.
• 2:18
  SPEAKER_00: For anyone feeling trapped in this cycle, here's what I've learned.
• 2:22
  SPEAKER_00: First, recognize when work becomes an escape rather than a solution.
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_00: Man, wow.
• 2:30
  SPEAKER_00: Read that again.
• 2:31
  SPEAKER_00: Read that again.
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_00: For anyone feeling trapped in this cycle, here is what I have learned.
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_00: Recognize when work becomes an escape rather than a solution.
• 2:43
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know about you.
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, I don't know about you, but I profoundly know for a fact that there are probably hours, hours every day, where I'm at my computer working, but probably working to 20% 20% of my capabilities.
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_00: Why?
• 3:05
  SPEAKER_00: Because I'm burnt out.
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_00: So now imagine instead of those couple hours every day, I'm going to these men's groups, then throughout the other times that I am working, to them 150%.
• 3:18
  SPEAKER_00: Which way do you think would be better?
• 3:21
  SPEAKER_00: Probably the second way, right?
• 3:24
  SPEAKER_00: Here's the second thing.
• 3:25
  SPEAKER_00: So first thing was recognized and work becomes an escape rather than a solution.
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_00: Second way, prioritize your support systems.
• 3:33
  SPEAKER_00: Don't skip those meetings or check-ins that replenish your spirit and mind.
• 3:37
  SPEAKER_00: I think the thing for this is, and I, you know, I hate to say it, but I think the thing for this is we don't see them as as important as I have, let's say, a business meeting, okay, and it's gonna make me 100 grand.
• 3:53
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, great.
• 3:53
  SPEAKER_00: And then I have a spiritual meeting, and it's gonna um rejuvenate my soul, right?
• 4:00
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, it's gonna make me perform much better in the next week because I have this mental health and this spiritual health and this connection with God uh and my brothers around here that are that are powerful.
• 4:14
  SPEAKER_00: And and this one isn't, you know, it I can't push it back a couple hours.
• 4:18
  SPEAKER_00: This is it's at the time it's at, period.
• 4:22
  SPEAKER_00: The business meeting, I could probably push it back a couple hours.
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_00: But because I see money on this side, I'm immediately going to that meeting.
• 4:30
  SPEAKER_00: And oftentimes, even the people in the our men's groups, they're gonna praise us for it because it's like, yeah, man, go get your bag, yeah.
• 4:37
  SPEAKER_00: But we know deep down how important these men's groups or these meetings, these spiritual groups that rejuvenate us.
• 4:47
  SPEAKER_00: We know how crucial these are.
• 4:51
  SPEAKER_00: So the second one is prioritize your support systems, don't skip those meetings or check-ins that replenish your spirit and mind.
• 4:58
  SPEAKER_00: The first one was recognize when work becomes an escape rather than a solution.
• 5:04
  SPEAKER_00: Lastly, reassess your workload.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_00: That's another thing.
• 5:10
  SPEAKER_00: Can tasks be delegated?
• 5:11
  SPEAKER_00: Can deadlines be adjusted often?
• 5:14
  SPEAKER_00: The answer is yes, and it's up to us to make these changes.
• 5:19
  SPEAKER_00: As a business owner, I was listening to Brad Lee earlier, who's a very successful business owner.
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_00: I think he's in his 50s, 60s, been doing business his whole life.
• 5:31
  SPEAKER_00: And I saw some and I said, Hey, instead of trading time for money, what if and now now hear me out?
• 5:40
  SPEAKER_00: We traded money for time.
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_00: We paid people to do tasks that we need to get done.
• 5:46
  SPEAKER_00: These tasks, they need to get done, okay?
• 5:49
  SPEAKER_00: Period.
• 5:52
  SPEAKER_00: But they don't need to get done by us.
• 5:55
  SPEAKER_00: And that is growth.
• 5:58
  SPEAKER_00: So, number one, recognize when work becomes an escape rather than a solution.
• 6:03
  SPEAKER_00: Number two, don't skip meetings or check-ins that replenish your spirit and your mind.
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_00: Number three, delegate to task that can be delegated.
• 6:12
  SPEAKER_00: Can deadlines be adjusted?
• 6:14
  SPEAKER_00: Great.
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_00: Adjust them.
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_00: Now, I think some of the questions that I probably struggle with myself, that I think uh I get asked a lot of times as well, um, in regards to this kind of stuff is two questions, right?
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_00: First question is how can I tell if I'm working too much?
• 6:38
  SPEAKER_00: And as an entrepreneur, it's like, man, what there's no definite, there's no that's that's not a thing.
• 6:44
  SPEAKER_00: Working too much is not a thing.
• 6:48
  SPEAKER_00: I would counter that by saying this.
• 6:51
  SPEAKER_00: Look for signs like neglecting personal relationship, consistent fatigue, and feeling disconnected from your community or spiritual practices.
• 7:00
  SPEAKER_00: As an entrepreneur, I work more than the average person does.
• 7:05
  SPEAKER_00: But as a Christian, I know that God is first, and I put God first.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_00: But now when I'm feeling disconnected from my community, that's inherently, given under you know, men's groups, that's inherently disconnecting me from God in a sense, right?
• 7:24
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm am I putting God first?
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know.
• 7:28
  SPEAKER_00: Um, neglecting personal relationships, right?
• 7:34
  SPEAKER_00: To an extent you have to as an entrepreneur.
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_00: Um just just to be blatantly honest, okay?
• 7:40
  SPEAKER_00: To an extent you have to, but when it gets to the point where you're getting consistently fatigued because you're doing that, then again, it goes back to hey, I'm working, let's say 14 hours a day, but I'm working at 60% of my capability.
• 7:56
  SPEAKER_00: So really that means I'm working what eight hours a day, you know, for saying 100%.
• 8:03
  SPEAKER_00: What if instead of that I go back to these back to my community, and then I go work 12 hours a day, but I'm working at 90%.
• 8:16
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, so how much more am I getting done in two hours less?
• 8:22
  SPEAKER_00: I'm working less, I'm getting done more, I'm getting more done.
• 8:25
  SPEAKER_00: Right?
• 8:27
  SPEAKER_00: Perfect.
• 8:28
  SPEAKER_00: That's where we want to be, that's where we want to live.
• 8:32
  SPEAKER_00: Now, question two is what practice, what practical steps can I take if I feel overwhelmed but can't reduce my workload immediately?
• 8:40
  SPEAKER_00: And this is one that I have very much struggled with because for me it's uh I am very much an all or nothing type of guy, oftentimes.
• 8:50
  SPEAKER_00: And so what I say to this though is start small, schedule brief, non-negotiable times for rest and community meet community engagement, even short breaks can provide significant relief.
• 9:02
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm laughing because I actually just got a new puppy this past week, uh last weekend.
• 9:08
  SPEAKER_00: And man, this puppy is energetic, as all puppies are, and you know, she's definitely causing me some a little bit of headache, a little bit of annoyance, a little bit of uh money with some stuff have to get done with her, but man, she is making me more active, she's making me uh get outside more, she's making me um feel love more, you know, and so I genuinely believe that this dog is helping me with this.
• 9:43
  SPEAKER_00: Start small, schedule brief, non-negotiable times to rest in community engagement.
• 9:47
  SPEAKER_00: And what I've found is that oftentimes I've started going on several walks a day, just you know, walking a dog, but I love walking without headphones, right?
• 9:57
  SPEAKER_00: With without just just enjoying God's nature, right?
• 10:02
  SPEAKER_00: But then also, dude, if you're walking five times a day, two of those times, go go call a friend or go go do one of your business meetings that doesn't have to be a Zoom face-to-face over the phone while you're on a walk, as long as you can focus, right?
• 10:17
  SPEAKER_00: Especially if it's you know someone that you know pretty well, like you're not gonna mess anything up, like you guys, you know, have good rapport and whatnot.
• 10:25
  SPEAKER_00: Like, dude, go go take your meeting outside instead of sitting all day, you know, 14, 16 hours a day, whatever it is, right?
• 10:34
  SPEAKER_00: So, number one, how can I tell if I'm working too much?
• 10:37
  SPEAKER_00: Looking for signs like neglecting personal relationships, consistent fatigue, and feeling disconnected from your community or spiritual practices.
• 10:45
  SPEAKER_00: Number two, practical steps you can take if you feel overwhelmed but can't reduce your workload immediately.
• 10:52
  SPEAKER_00: Start small, schedule brief, non-negotiable time for rest and community engagement.
• 10:58
  SPEAKER_00: And I would say even five minutes helps.
• 11:02
  SPEAKER_00: Like on if you're very if you're actually mindful, you understand 15 minutes is a ton of time for a break.
• 11:09
  SPEAKER_00: So you can even get these done in five.
• 11:12
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 11:13
  SPEAKER_00: So I don't want to hear, hey, I don't have two hours a day to you know walk my dog or to uh you know sunbathe or whatever, right?
• 11:21
  SPEAKER_00: Five minutes is all you need, okay.
• 11:24
  SPEAKER_00: As we wrap up today's episode, remember that being busy isn't the same as being productive, and it certainly isn't the same as being faithful in action.
• 11:35
  SPEAKER_00: Consider how you can align your work with your faith and community needs to thrive.
• 11:40
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you.
• 11:41
  SPEAKER_00: As always, for tuning in to the Reborn Podcast.
• 11:45
  SPEAKER_00: Let's continue to support each other in faith and action.
• 11:49
  SPEAKER_00: Until next time, stay engaged and don't forget to take those vital steps towards balance.
• 11:57
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks so much for watching.
• 11:58
  SPEAKER_00: Hope to see you guys here next time.
• 12:00
  SPEAKER_00: Share this episode with a friend who you think can take value and have a blessed week.
• 12:05
  SPEAKER_00: This is Tony Boutros out.