<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0" xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd" xmlns:googleplay="http://www.google.com/schemas/play-podcasts/1.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[The Dandelion Report with Julie Chenell: Faith & Work]]></title><description><![CDATA[Money, Mindset, & Growth from a Biblical Worldview]]></description><link>https://www.thedandelionreport.com/s/business</link><image><url>https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!nGtx!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F45af4e0e-c808-4c28-ae4c-aae132c54623_256x256.png</url><title>The Dandelion Report with Julie Chenell: Faith &amp; Work</title><link>https://www.thedandelionreport.com/s/business</link></image><generator>Substack</generator><lastBuildDate>Tue, 21 Apr 2026 22:20:48 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.thedandelionreport.com/feed" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><copyright><![CDATA[Julie Chenell]]></copyright><language><![CDATA[en]]></language><webMaster><![CDATA[juliechenell@substack.com]]></webMaster><itunes:owner><itunes:email><![CDATA[juliechenell@substack.com]]></itunes:email><itunes:name><![CDATA[Julie Chenell]]></itunes:name></itunes:owner><itunes:author><![CDATA[Julie Chenell]]></itunes:author><googleplay:owner><![CDATA[juliechenell@substack.com]]></googleplay:owner><googleplay:email><![CDATA[juliechenell@substack.com]]></googleplay:email><googleplay:author><![CDATA[Julie Chenell]]></googleplay:author><itunes:block><![CDATA[Yes]]></itunes:block><item><title><![CDATA[On Becoming a Shepherd (and a Sheep)]]></title><description><![CDATA[Notes from the learning curve before the sheep arrive]]></description><link>https://www.thedandelionreport.com/p/on-becoming-a-shepherd-and-a-sheep</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.thedandelionreport.com/p/on-becoming-a-shepherd-and-a-sheep</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Julie Chenell]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 17 Jan 2026 20:32:16 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!nJE_!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fde79082f-7a40-45d0-8342-8aa53d8c7868_1136x854.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>In a month, my husband and I are going to become shepherds of a very adorable (and expensive) flock of sheep. </p><p>Preparing our property for these animals has been eye opening and costly. We didn&#8217;t realize how much there was to do until we began, and every time we check something off the list, three more to-do&#8217;s get added. </p><p>The whole thing has been one giant learning curve, and the sheep aren&#8217;t even here yet. </p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!nJE_!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fde79082f-7a40-45d0-8342-8aa53d8c7868_1136x854.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!nJE_!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fde79082f-7a40-45d0-8342-8aa53d8c7868_1136x854.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!nJE_!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fde79082f-7a40-45d0-8342-8aa53d8c7868_1136x854.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!nJE_!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fde79082f-7a40-45d0-8342-8aa53d8c7868_1136x854.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!nJE_!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fde79082f-7a40-45d0-8342-8aa53d8c7868_1136x854.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!nJE_!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fde79082f-7a40-45d0-8342-8aa53d8c7868_1136x854.png" width="1136" height="854" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/de79082f-7a40-45d0-8342-8aa53d8c7868_1136x854.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:854,&quot;width&quot;:1136,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:1712863,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.thedandelionreport.com/i/184896952?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fde79082f-7a40-45d0-8342-8aa53d8c7868_1136x854.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!nJE_!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fde79082f-7a40-45d0-8342-8aa53d8c7868_1136x854.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!nJE_!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fde79082f-7a40-45d0-8342-8aa53d8c7868_1136x854.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!nJE_!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fde79082f-7a40-45d0-8342-8aa53d8c7868_1136x854.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!nJE_!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fde79082f-7a40-45d0-8342-8aa53d8c7868_1136x854.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><p>Even though we chose sheep (specifically the Valais Blacknose Sheep) for specific financial and logistical reasons, God has been gently tapping me on the shoulder about the spiritual symbolism of sheep. </p><p>It&#8217;s almost like maybe it wasn&#8217;t just a bright eyed idea by Julie&#8230; it was God&#8217;s plan to show me what it means to shepherd and be shepherded.</p><p>Did you know that sheep and lambs are the MOST mentioned animal in all of scripture? No other animal comes close. </p><p>God clearly reveals Himself through sheep and shepherding, and that&#8217;s intentional. </p><p>He is the good shepherd. </p><p>We are sheep. </p><p>Of all the things He could have used to depict our relationship with Jesus, that&#8217;s what He chose. </p><p>Maybe He <strong>REALLY</strong> wants me to pay attention.</p><h2>What sheep are actually like&#8230;</h2><p><em>..and Ac &amp; I are about to learn this firsthand.</em></p><h3>1. Sheep are <strong>not self-directing</strong></h3><p>Sheep don&#8217;t thrive by &#8220;following their heart.&#8221; If left alone, they:</p><ul><li><p>Wander aimlessly</p></li><li><p>Get lost <em>fast</em></p></li><li><p>Can&#8217;t find their way back</p></li></ul><p>They need a shepherd constantly.</p><h3>2. Sheep are <strong>defenseless</strong></h3><p>They have:</p><ul><li><p>No claws</p></li><li><p>No fangs</p></li><li><p>No speed</p></li><li><p>No camouflage</p></li></ul><p>A sheep alone is easy prey.</p><h3>3. Sheep are <strong>easily panicked</strong></h3><p>One loud noise. One unfamiliar shadow. The whole flock can scatter. Human nervous systems do the same thing.</p><p>This is why the Bible emphasizes:</p><ul><li><p>Stillness</p></li><li><p>Trust</p></li><li><p>Voice recognition</p></li></ul><p>Peace comes from recognizing the Shepherd, not controlling the environment.</p><h3>4. Sheep <strong>don&#8217;t know what&#8217;s good for them</strong></h3><p>Sheep will:</p><ul><li><p>Eat poisonous plants</p></li><li><p>Drink dirty water</p></li><li><p>Lie down in unsafe places</p></li></ul><p>They need to be led to green pastures and still waters&#8212;they don&#8217;t naturally choose them.</p><h3>5. Sheep thrive best <strong>in community</strong></h3><p>A lone sheep is a dead sheep. A flock:</p><ul><li><p>Stays warmer</p></li><li><p>Is safer</p></li><li><p>Is easier to protect</p></li></ul><p>This is why Scripture is so relational. Faith was never meant to be a solo act.</p><h3>6. Sheep are highly <strong>attuned to voice</strong></h3><p>Sheep can recognize their shepherd&#8217;s voice and distinguish it from others. Why it matters:</p><ul><li><p>Sheep don&#8217;t respond well to force</p></li><li><p>They respond to familiar, calm direction</p></li><li><p>Anxiety increases when too many voices compete</p></li></ul><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.thedandelionreport.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.thedandelionreport.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><h3>It&#8217;s pretty fair to say that I&#8217;ve spent a good part of my life not acting like a sheep. Maybe I was more like a goat. Or an untamed horse. </h3><p>Stubborn. Self-directed. Easily spooked. Blew through boundaries. Ignored what was best for me. Refused to be tamed. </p><p>Let&#8217;s be honest. </p><p>Making it your life&#8217;s mission to act like a sheep is not exactly a high achieving path. &#128514; </p><p>It&#8217;s not really a goal to be a sheep. </p><p>But&#8230; when you have a good Shepherd, everything changes. </p><p>When sheep have a good shepherd, they don&#8217;t need to be brilliant, brave, or self-directing. They don&#8217;t need to scan the horizon all day for threats or decide which path is safest. They don&#8217;t need to know what plants are poisonous or where the still water is.</p><h3>They just need to recognize the voice they trust&#8230; and follow.</h3><p>That&#8217;s the part that keeps landing for me.</p><p>A good shepherd:</p><ul><li><p>Goes ahead of the flock</p></li><li><p>Absorbs danger before the sheep ever see it</p></li><li><p>Sets boundaries so the sheep can relax</p></li><li><p>Knows when to move and when to let them rest</p></li><li><p>Notices the quiet ones who fall behind</p></li></ul><p>Sheep never become capable. They thrive because the Shepherd is capable, and He stays close to them.</p><h3>I&#8217;m learning, humans are not designed to be endlessly self-directed.</h3><p>We don&#8217;t flourish under constant decision-making, ambiguity, or pressure to &#8220;figure it all out.&#8221; It&#8217;s exhausting. As someone who has spent three lifetimes over functioning, I can attest.</p><p>Sheep flourish under:</p><ul><li><p>Clear direction</p></li><li><p>Trusted leadership</p></li><li><p>Consistent presence</p></li><li><p>Rhythms we don&#8217;t have to invent ourselves</p></li></ul><p>I&#8217;m realizing how much of my life has been spent fighting that reality &#8212; trying to lead myself harder instead of letting myself be led well.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.thedandelionreport.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.thedandelionreport.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><h3>What I&#8217;m learning before the sheep even arrive</h3><p>The sheep aren&#8217;t here yet, but the lessons are coming quickly. </p><p>In this endeavor, we&#8217;re the shepherds and the sheep are &#8230; well&#8230; the sheep. And I&#8217;m not so sure I&#8217;m a good shepherd yet. I&#8217;m worried actually I will be terrible at it. This is just another area where I&#8217;m asking God to help me, and to trust that it will all work out. </p><p>My achilles heel. </p><p>Trust. </p><p>I trust effort.<br>I trust preparation.<br>I trust over-functioning.</p><p>What I don&#8217;t naturally trust is rest. Or guidance. Or the idea that I don&#8217;t have to carry orientation for everyone and everything all the time.</p><p>The sheep will be here soon, and I&#8217;ll learn how to shepherd them the best I can. But I think the deeper work is already happening&#8230; learning to listen, to slow down, and to follow a voice I don&#8217;t have to question or outsmart.</p><p>I don&#8217;t need to become a sheep on purpose.<br>I already am one.</p><p>The invitation is simply to trust the Shepherd, and let Him lead.</p><p>xx</p><div><hr></div><h3>Scripture Study References</h3><h5><strong>Foundational</strong></h5><ul><li><p><strong>Psalm 23</strong> &#8211; <em>&#8220;The Lord is my shepherd&#8230;&#8221;</em></p></li><li><p><strong>Psalm 95</strong> &#8211; <em>&#8220;We are the people of his pasture&#8230;&#8221;</em></p></li><li><p><strong>Psalm 100</strong> &#8211; <em>&#8220;We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.&#8221;</em></p></li></ul><div><hr></div><h5><strong>Sheep without a shepherd (vulnerability)</strong></h5><ul><li><p><strong>Numbers 27:16&#8211;17</strong> &#8211; Sheep without a shepherd</p></li><li><p><strong>1 Kings 22:17</strong> &#8211; Israel scattered like sheep</p></li><li><p><strong>Matthew 9:36</strong> &#8211; Jesus sees people as sheep without a shepherd</p></li></ul><div><hr></div><h5><strong>Bad shepherds / leadership accountability</strong></h5><ul><li><p><strong>Ezekiel 34</strong> &#8211; Condemnation of selfish shepherds</p></li><li><p><strong>Jeremiah 23:1&#8211;4</strong> &#8211; Woe to the shepherds who scatter the flock</p></li><li><p><strong>Zechariah 11</strong> &#8211; Warning against false shepherds</p></li></ul><div><hr></div><h5><strong>God / Messiah as Shepherd</strong></h5><ul><li><p><strong>Isaiah 40:11</strong> &#8211; God gathers lambs in His arms</p></li><li><p><strong>Micah 5:4</strong> &#8211; The ruler who shepherds God&#8217;s people</p></li><li><p><strong>John 10</strong> &#8211; <em>&#8220;I am the good shepherd.&#8221;</em></p></li><li><p><strong>Hebrews 13:20</strong> &#8211; Jesus as the great Shepherd</p></li></ul><div><hr></div><h5><strong>Lost sheep / care for the vulnerable</strong></h5><ul><li><p><strong>Matthew 18:12&#8211;14</strong> &#8211; Parable of the lost sheep</p></li><li><p><strong>Luke 15:3&#8211;7</strong> &#8211; Joy over one recovered sheep</p></li></ul><div><hr></div><h5><strong>Sheep &amp; goats</strong></h5><ul><li><p><strong>Matthew 25:31&#8211;46</strong> &#8211; Separation of sheep and goats</p></li></ul><div><hr></div><h5><strong>Shepherding as leadership (after Jesus)</strong></h5><ul><li><p><strong>John 21:15&#8211;17</strong> &#8211; <em>&#8220;Feed my sheep.&#8221;</em></p></li><li><p><strong>1 Peter 5:2&#8211;4</strong> &#8211; Shepherd the flock gently</p></li></ul><div><hr></div><h3>Great Biblical leaders who were shepherds</h3><h5><strong>Abraham</strong></h5><ul><li><p>Patriarch of Israel</p></li><li><p>Wealthy pastoralist with flocks and herds</p></li><li><p>Learned long-term provision, patience, and trust in unseen direction</p></li></ul><p>Shepherding trained Abraham to follow God without maps.</p><div><hr></div><h5><strong>Isaac</strong></h5><ul><li><p>Son of Abraham, heir to the covenant</p></li><li><p>Continued a pastoral life</p></li><li><p>Led quietly, without conquest or spectacle</p></li></ul><p>A reminder that leadership isn&#8217;t always loud.</p><div><hr></div><h5><strong>Jacob</strong></h5><ul><li><p>Father of the twelve tribes of Israel</p></li><li><p>Spent decades shepherding under harsh conditions</p></li><li><p>Learned endurance, responsibility, and humility over time</p></li></ul><p>Shepherding shaped Jacob from a deceiver into a father of nations.</p><div><hr></div><h5><strong>Moses</strong></h5><ul><li><p>Deliverer of Israel, lawgiver</p></li><li><p>Shepherded sheep in Midian for <strong>40 years</strong> before leading people</p></li><li><p>Shepherding broke impulsiveness and built patience</p></li></ul><p>God used the desert and sheep to remake a prince into a shepherd-leader.</p><div><hr></div><h5><strong>David</strong></h5><ul><li><p>King of Israel, psalmist</p></li><li><p>Shepherded sheep as the youngest, overlooked son</p></li><li><p>Learned courage, protection, and responsibility in obscurity</p></li></ul><p>David protected sheep from lions and bears before facing Goliath.</p><div><hr></div><h5><strong>Amos</strong></h5><ul><li><p>Prophet to Israel</p></li><li><p>Explicitly identified himself as a shepherd and fig farmer</p></li><li><p>Spoke truth without ambition or institutional power</p></li></ul><p>God chose a shepherd to confront corrupt leadership.</p><div><hr></div><h5><strong>The Shepherds at Jesus&#8217;s Birth</strong></h5><ul><li><p>Socially marginalized, considered unreliable witnesses</p></li><li><p>First to receive the announcement of Christ&#8217;s birth</p></li></ul><p>God entrusted the first revelation of the Messiah to shepherds &#8212; not kings.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[A Prayer for the Successful Nihilist]]></title><description><![CDATA[A Facebook post about Alex Hormozi sent me back to my own story of deconstruction, and reminded me that God will go to extraordinary lengths to bring a heart back to Him.]]></description><link>https://www.thedandelionreport.com/p/a-prayer-for-the-successful-nihilist</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.thedandelionreport.com/p/a-prayer-for-the-successful-nihilist</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Julie Chenell]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 23 Jul 2025 13:28:54 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!cH90!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3e27d1cd-5e05-4350-9af6-9c4df3c055ee_1390x966.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The other day I saw a post on Facebook from an influencer named Akbar Sheikh.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!cH90!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3e27d1cd-5e05-4350-9af6-9c4df3c055ee_1390x966.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!cH90!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3e27d1cd-5e05-4350-9af6-9c4df3c055ee_1390x966.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!cH90!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3e27d1cd-5e05-4350-9af6-9c4df3c055ee_1390x966.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!cH90!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3e27d1cd-5e05-4350-9af6-9c4df3c055ee_1390x966.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!cH90!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3e27d1cd-5e05-4350-9af6-9c4df3c055ee_1390x966.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!cH90!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3e27d1cd-5e05-4350-9af6-9c4df3c055ee_1390x966.png" width="1390" height="966" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/3e27d1cd-5e05-4350-9af6-9c4df3c055ee_1390x966.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:966,&quot;width&quot;:1390,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:122509,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.thedandelionreport.com/i/169041367?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3e27d1cd-5e05-4350-9af6-9c4df3c055ee_1390x966.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!cH90!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3e27d1cd-5e05-4350-9af6-9c4df3c055ee_1390x966.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!cH90!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3e27d1cd-5e05-4350-9af6-9c4df3c055ee_1390x966.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!cH90!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3e27d1cd-5e05-4350-9af6-9c4df3c055ee_1390x966.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!cH90!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3e27d1cd-5e05-4350-9af6-9c4df3c055ee_1390x966.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>For those of you who don&#8217;t know, Alex Hormozi is a popular online influencer and entrepreneur who runs a company called Acquisition.com. He&#8217;s made millions and helped thousands of people scale their companies. </p><p>When I read this comment, my mind instantly went to an Inner Circle dinner back in 2018. I remember being at restaurant and Alex was sitting to my left. It was my first time in Russell&#8217;s Inner Circle. I knew no one, and Alex wasn&#8217;t as famous then as he is now. </p><p>During this time I was fully deconstructed in my faith, and as we talked, I got a sense that he was a believer. Alex was generous with his advice and help for me, and after talking business for a bit, the conversation eventually landed on Jesus. Hearing Alex talk so confidently about his faith jolted me. </p><p>It&#8217;d been awhile since I talked faith, and this was probably the first time I realized that there were a fair amount of Christians in the online space. </p><p>This memory is what prompted me to respond to Akbar in the following way: </p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!rkS7!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff56d80f7-bdee-49c9-a4d5-769685d718ce_1158x198.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!rkS7!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff56d80f7-bdee-49c9-a4d5-769685d718ce_1158x198.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!rkS7!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff56d80f7-bdee-49c9-a4d5-769685d718ce_1158x198.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!rkS7!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff56d80f7-bdee-49c9-a4d5-769685d718ce_1158x198.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!rkS7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff56d80f7-bdee-49c9-a4d5-769685d718ce_1158x198.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!rkS7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff56d80f7-bdee-49c9-a4d5-769685d718ce_1158x198.png" width="1158" height="198" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/f56d80f7-bdee-49c9-a4d5-769685d718ce_1158x198.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:198,&quot;width&quot;:1158,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:51518,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.thedandelionreport.com/i/169041367?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff56d80f7-bdee-49c9-a4d5-769685d718ce_1158x198.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!rkS7!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff56d80f7-bdee-49c9-a4d5-769685d718ce_1158x198.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!rkS7!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff56d80f7-bdee-49c9-a4d5-769685d718ce_1158x198.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!rkS7!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff56d80f7-bdee-49c9-a4d5-769685d718ce_1158x198.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!rkS7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff56d80f7-bdee-49c9-a4d5-769685d718ce_1158x198.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"></picture><div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>Even though I myself have gone through walking away from my faith and returning, it didn&#8217;t dawn on me that Alex would have spoken so confidently at that dinner and then rejected it all. </p><p>Or had he?</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jOa-!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc6c79e1a-78f3-4704-9b3a-f4c5b6980538_1204x506.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jOa-!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc6c79e1a-78f3-4704-9b3a-f4c5b6980538_1204x506.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jOa-!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc6c79e1a-78f3-4704-9b3a-f4c5b6980538_1204x506.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jOa-!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc6c79e1a-78f3-4704-9b3a-f4c5b6980538_1204x506.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jOa-!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc6c79e1a-78f3-4704-9b3a-f4c5b6980538_1204x506.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jOa-!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc6c79e1a-78f3-4704-9b3a-f4c5b6980538_1204x506.png" width="1204" height="506" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/c6c79e1a-78f3-4704-9b3a-f4c5b6980538_1204x506.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:506,&quot;width&quot;:1204,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:124352,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.thedandelionreport.com/i/169041367?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc6c79e1a-78f3-4704-9b3a-f4c5b6980538_1204x506.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jOa-!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc6c79e1a-78f3-4704-9b3a-f4c5b6980538_1204x506.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jOa-!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc6c79e1a-78f3-4704-9b3a-f4c5b6980538_1204x506.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jOa-!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc6c79e1a-78f3-4704-9b3a-f4c5b6980538_1204x506.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jOa-!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc6c79e1a-78f3-4704-9b3a-f4c5b6980538_1204x506.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption"></figcaption></figure></div><div id="youtube2-dupln9NZnMc" class="youtube-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;videoId&quot;:&quot;dupln9NZnMc&quot;,&quot;startTime&quot;:null,&quot;endTime&quot;:null}" data-component-name="Youtube2ToDOM"><div class="youtube-inner"><iframe src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/dupln9NZnMc?rel=0&amp;autoplay=0&amp;showinfo=0&amp;enablejsapi=0" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" gesture="media" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowautoplay="true" allowfullscreen="true" width="728" height="409"></iframe></div></div><p>I went and watched the clip. </p><p>My heart both sank and ached as I listened to him explain how he arrived at the conclusion that he did not believe in any of it. </p><p>The funny part though? In that 5 minute clip, several times he kept saying &#8220;I might be wrong&#8221; in different ways.</p><ul><li><p><em><strong>1:06:</strong> In a direct, though somewhat sarcastic or placating tone, he says, <strong>"and i'll say it right now i'm wrong. i'm wrong you're right everyone listening to what you believe you're right."</strong> He says this to appease listeners who may have felt their faith was attacked.</em></p></li><li><p><em><strong>3:10:</strong> He implies that no one has the definitive answer, including himself: <strong>"...to say that like we have cracked it or like alex has cracked it..."</strong></em></p></li><li><p><em><strong>4:51:</strong> He makes his most direct and clear statement acknowledging his view isn't a universal truth: <strong>"but that's that's like and i know it's i'm not right you know what i mean it doesn't like that's just my two cents."</strong></em></p></li></ul><p>So why am I talking about Alex Hormozi&#8217;s deconstruction?</p><h3>Because there are a LOT of people this is happening to, and having walked it, I feel compelled to speak about it.</h3><p>First, no one but God knows the intimate parts of any human heart. We can guess, but He alone judges fairly and justly according to His perfect understanding.</p><p>I want to say this to ANYONE who has deconstructed or watched a loved one walk away from the faith: if that person was once TRULY saved- a follower of Jesus, a believer in His word, even if that faith was as small as a mustard seed&#8230;</p><h4>You cannot deconstruct your way out of God&#8217;s grip. </h4><p>Alex Hormozi does not have the power or the might or the success or the intelligence to escape the grip of Almighty God if he did in fact give his life to Jesus and receive salvation.</p><p>How do I know this? </p><p>Because of God&#8217;s faithfulness to the covenant He made with Israel. He walked through the covenant with HIMSELF during that incredible moment with Abraham.</p><div class="pullquote"><p>When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. - Genesis 15:17</p></div><p>Abraham was in a deep sleep. When two people made a covenant in ancient times, each person walked through the piece of the animal that was sacrificed. But in this one, God walked through both.</p><p>Over thousands of years, God is still not done with His chosen people. Despite the Jews rejection of their Messiah, He is faithful.</p><p>He will bring a remnant to Himself. He will make good on all the promises He spoke through His prophets.</p><p>Jesus and Paul say it again in the New Testament. </p><div class="pullquote"><p>27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. 30 I and the Father are one.&#8221; - John 10:27-30</p><p>38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.&#8221; - Romans 8:38-39</p></div><p>God will not let His children get lost. Not if they&#8217;ve said yes to Him. </p><p>Now&#8230; here comes the hard part.</p><p>This is the part of my deconstruction story that feels eerily similar to the pattern of Israel&#8217;s disobedience, exile, discipline, and restoration. </p><h3>God will go to great lengths to rescue those who are in the grip of sin. And oftentimes that means a LOT of pain. </h3><p>In Isaiah 47:10, we see the prophet showing just how smart, strong, successful people lose their way.</p><div class="pullquote"><p>You felt secure in your wickedness; you said, &#8216;No one sees me&#8217;; <strong>your wisdom and your knowledge led you astray,</strong> and you said in your heart, &#8216;I am, and there is no one besides me.&#8217; <br>- Isaiah 47:10</p></div><p>As much as the health &amp; wealth gospel sounds great to our ears, it&#8217;s more often that wealth and success lead to a crisis of faith, not the advancement of it.</p><p>I didn&#8217;t return to Jesus when I hit my million dollar year. I returned when nihilism lead to crippling existential dread, and I had sin that I felt enslaved to. Darkness. Pain. Anxiety. Anger. Grief.</p><p>That was the moment I reached back out. </p><p>I felt sadness in my spirit the entire day after seeing that clip about Hormozi. I started to pray for him, and then I stopped.</p><p>I asked God, &#8220;What do I pray for? If the Hormozi I talked to in 2018 was truly saved then, you have him in your grip, even if he doesn&#8217;t realize it right now.&#8221; </p><p>And I felt God&#8217;s spirit nudging me to reflect on my own journey. </p><p>The feelings I hated. The pain I experienced. The terror I lived with. This was the catalyst for returning. </p><p>So I prayed that Alex&#8217;s nihilism would mature and ripen into the true existential dread that it represents. I prayed that he would feel the darkness of what nothing in the afterlife truly means. </p><p>And then I prayed that he would FEEL God&#8217;s breath on him. He may think he&#8217;s walked away from God. But God&#8217;s unending, scandalous, breathtaking love and faithfulness has not left him, or anyone like him that has once cried out to Jesus, and then walked away. </p><p>Alex hasn&#8217;t escaped God&#8217;s grip. I didn&#8217;t. You haven&#8217;t. </p><p>I don&#8217;t pretend to know what Alex still wrestles with privately. I can only speak to what he&#8217;s shared publicly, and what it stirred in me.</p><p>If you&#8217;re in a season of pain, doubt, terror, or existential dread, God has given you a gift. He&#8217;s allowing you to see the emptiness of life without Him. It may feel terrible, but He will go to extraordinary lengths to bring back a heart that once said yes to Him.</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Unsurrendered Hustle]]></title><description><![CDATA[When your greatest strengths become your biggest stumbling blocks.]]></description><link>https://www.thedandelionreport.com/p/the-unsurrendered-hustle</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.thedandelionreport.com/p/the-unsurrendered-hustle</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Julie Chenell]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 09 Jul 2025 15:14:21 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/8ddd9b0a-fee7-4de8-8749-49c2447bdc7f_1024x1024.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I am characterized by speed, hustle, action, problem solving, execution, results, grit, and persistence. And while these aren&#8217;t bad traits, I&#8217;m currently getting schooled by God in how much these traits (when not surrendered) become tripping stones in my walk with God.</p><p>I&#8217;ve been having morning quiet times with God after spending a decade of fiercely protecting my mornings for &#8220;sacred time&#8221;. And letting go of that idea hasn&#8217;t come easily to me. <em>I also realize the irony here is that I&#8217;ve been calling it sacred time and using it for work and not God related matters. </em>&#128580;&#129318;&#8205;&#9792;&#65039;</p><p>No matter how amazing, restful, illuminating my morning time with God is (and it always is and I think to myself <em>my goodness this is amazing</em>), the next morning I feel my flesh saying, &#8220;Hurry up Julie. You&#8217;ve got stuff to do. Maybe answer that email first and then read your Bible.&#8221;</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.thedandelionreport.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.thedandelionreport.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p>You&#8217;d think I&#8217;d learn after four months straight - that God is able to use the time I do have to be more productive and effective.  I even tell myself this, but it doesn&#8217;t stop the wrestling. </p><p>And that&#8217;s what I realized&#8230; maybe the wrestling will never stop. On this side of heaven, I will go to battle with my flesh every morning and choose whether to listen to my logical brain, or my spirit.</p><p>I&#8217;ve been reading through Isaiah and this verse came up the other day and I wanted to share some of the deep dive I did on it. </p><div class="pullquote"><p><em>&#8220;This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: &#8216;In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.&#8217;&#8221; - Isaiah 30:15</em></p></div><p>First, I took the four words (repentance, rest, quietness, trust) and did a quick word study.</p><ul><li><p><strong>Repentance</strong> - <em>&#1513;&#1473;&#1493;&#1468;&#1489;&#1464;&#1492;</em> (shuvah)- Meaning: To return back</p></li><li><p><strong>Rest</strong> - <em>&#1504;&#1463;&#1495;&#1463;&#1514;</em> (nacha&#7791;) - Meaning: To settle</p></li><li><p><strong>Quietness</strong> - <em>&#1513;&#1463;&#1473;&#1511;&#1461;&#1496;</em> (shaqet) - Meaning: Undisturbed</p></li><li><p><strong>Trust</strong> - <em>&#1489;&#1460;&#1496;&#1456;&#1495;&#1464;&#1492;</em> (bit&#7717;ah)- Meaning: Secure confidence</p></li></ul><p>How many of those words describe you? How many of those words describe the trendy and viral social media content that goes out in droves day after day? How many of those words do you associate with the presence of the Holy Spirit? </p><p>What a stunning upside down description of the markers of a person walking with God compared to what society elevates. </p><p>Here in the Old Testament, we have Isaiah the prophet declaring the path of salvation for the Israelites. He says repentance brings deliverance from sin, deliverance from fear, striving, chaos, and spiritual danger. It&#8217;s a call to stop running, stop performing, and instead to return. Reorient yourself back to God. </p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.thedandelionreport.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.thedandelionreport.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p>But He also specifically says &#8220;and rest&#8221;. </p><p>This isn&#8217;t the first time God has spoken about rest. Rest is a foundational part of His character. He Himself rested on the 7th day. He instructed His covenant people to do the same. </p><p>Repentance means to turn back around yes, but what do you do when you turn to face Him? Do you spin in guilt? Strive to prove yourself? Work yourself into performance and actions that prove your worthiness? </p><p>Rest is a posture of safety. It&#8217;s saying &#8220;I trust I am safe here with you.&#8221; God doesn&#8217;t just want us to turn away from our sin, He wants us to REST in His provision and His ability to fix what we&#8217;ve messed up. </p><p>Remember that we have to see the scripture in the context it was written, to fully understand how revolutionary God&#8217;s words were here.</p><p>This was the late 8th century BC, during a time when the kingdom of Judah (Southern Israel) was terrified of the rising power of Assyria, the brutal empire swallowing up nations left and right.</p><p>Rather than trusting Yahweh, Judah&#8217;s leaders were secretly planning to form a military alliance with Egypt - hoping Egypt would protect them from Assyria. Seems 100% reasonable to me. </p><p>But God says, turn BACK to me and then rest. &#128563;</p><p>Whereas Israel wanted control, speed, certainty, and power, God was offering what appeared to be the opposite. </p><p>Then the word continued. &#8220;In quietness &amp; trust is your strength.&#8221; </p><p>He&#8217;s saying in your undisturbed restful posture where you&#8217;re fully confident in God, you will have strength. </p><p>I&#8217;m laughing as I type that because that is so opposite of how I operate, it&#8217;s uncanny. </p><p>God is upside down from our flesh, from the world, from our political structures, from our social hierarchies, all of it. </p><p>There&#8217;s no better picture of this than choosing a TINY unknown nation like Israel to bring forth the savior of the world. </p><p>Jesus continued to preach this upside down message when He showed up with the Sermon on the Mount with the Beatitudes. The poor, the mourning, the meek, the hungry, the merciful, were to inherit the Kingdom of God.</p><p>In this ancient word from Yahweh in Isaiah, He&#8217;s anchored these four things- <strong>repentance, rest, quietness, trust</strong>- to a relationship with Him. When you turn back, it&#8217;s to someone. When you rest, you rest in someone. When you feel quiet, undisturbed, and trusting, it&#8217;s in someone. </p><p>Sure it&#8217;s easy to rest and trust when nothing is wrong and everything is safe, but these are words of instruction to the Hebrews in the context of national panic, crisis, and stress. </p><p>This is God&#8217;s prescription for crisis and when you&#8217;re stuck in the consequences of sin. </p><p>I encourage you to look at how many times God talks about rest, quietness, peace, stillness, repentance, and trust. </p><p>If you&#8217;re looking for evidence of the Spirit of God working in someone&#8217;s life, look for these qualities shining forth more and more. </p><p>I end with the last part of this verse. It hangs in the air a bit but I think it&#8217;s intended. </p><p><em>&#8220;But you would have none of it&#8221;. </em></p><p>It&#8217;s easy to read an ancient book and think that we would act differently than Israel in that moment. But it&#8217;s not true. </p><p>My prayer to God&#8230;</p><p><em>&#8220;You&#8217;re right. I would have none of it, but I don&#8217;t want that to be my legacy anymore. I repent of my unsurrendered hustle and insistence on not resting in your leadership. Help me to turn to you in rest and quietness. Help me to stay undisturbed when things look a mess. Help me to trust you in the tangled up situations that seem unsolvable. Give me the strength to reject my flesh and the push to rush and hustle and figure it all out. Thank you that EVEN in my running away, even in trusting in my own strength, you were faithful.&#8221;</em> </p><p>xx</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.thedandelionreport.com/p/the-unsurrendered-hustle/comments&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Leave a comment&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.thedandelionreport.com/p/the-unsurrendered-hustle/comments"><span>Leave a comment</span></a></p><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Hidden Cost Of Chasing Attention]]></title><description><![CDATA[If Jesus Himself didn't try to capture everyone's attention, why are we trying so hard to?]]></description><link>https://www.thedandelionreport.com/p/the-hidden-cost-of-chasing-attention</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.thedandelionreport.com/p/the-hidden-cost-of-chasing-attention</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Julie Chenell]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 01 Jul 2025 13:50:08 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/d71d01d3-c900-4b66-ba94-26800c03bf03_1536x1024.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I was watching an episode of The Chosen the other night, and laughed out loud when Matthew (one of Jesus disciples and a character depicted as slightly autistic) was moaning about why Jesus keeps answering in riddles all the time. </p><p><em>So relatable Matthew. I totally get it.</em></p><p>The Bible (and Jesus words) can be quite confusing at times, and so far the answer I&#8217;ve gotten about this&#8230; has to do with <strong>attention</strong>. </p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.thedandelionreport.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.thedandelionreport.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><h4>What is *attention* anyway? </h4><p>It&#8217;s us humans using our five senses to notice something. We respond to a trigger, a scent, a sound, sight, word, etc. and we then focus our attention (our brainpower) on whatever that thing might be. </p><p>Have you ever stopped to think how powerful this skill is? How much agency God gave us to be able to direct our attention (which is like a laser) at ANYTHING we want? </p><p>I think God understands the power He&#8217;s given us with our attention better than we understand it. Because Jesus took great care to speak PLAIN truths hidden in riddles.</p><p>He was looking for people who were using their attention to seek God. Those who were, would understand His words. Those who weren&#8217;t, would miss it. </p><h4>The deepest truths of the Kingdom were available to those who were paying attention.</h4><p>He wasn&#8217;t trying to reach a hardened heart or an ear that wasn&#8217;t turned. God in human form didn&#8217;t expect to reach everyone, and so it makes me ask: &#8220;Why am I so focused on how many respond to me?&#8221; </p><p>Many thought leaders and business owners today claim that attention is the new currency. In a world that is run by algorithms rewarding the number of people responding (both positive and negative), it&#8217;s easy to get sucked into this mindset of <em>response equals success.</em></p><h4>The other day I had someone take one of my articles here on The Dandelion Report and draw outrageous conclusions that weren&#8217;t true. </h4><p>She twisted my words and didn&#8217;t understand at all what I was trying to say. Not only that, she used my article to make an argument that villainized me. </p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WQQb!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbc8876d9-e31e-40b3-85d9-a87a05ddc510_1154x192.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WQQb!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbc8876d9-e31e-40b3-85d9-a87a05ddc510_1154x192.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WQQb!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbc8876d9-e31e-40b3-85d9-a87a05ddc510_1154x192.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WQQb!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbc8876d9-e31e-40b3-85d9-a87a05ddc510_1154x192.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WQQb!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbc8876d9-e31e-40b3-85d9-a87a05ddc510_1154x192.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WQQb!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbc8876d9-e31e-40b3-85d9-a87a05ddc510_1154x192.jpeg" width="1154" height="192" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/bc8876d9-e31e-40b3-85d9-a87a05ddc510_1154x192.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:192,&quot;width&quot;:1154,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:48370,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.thedandelionreport.com/i/167183142?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbc8876d9-e31e-40b3-85d9-a87a05ddc510_1154x192.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WQQb!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbc8876d9-e31e-40b3-85d9-a87a05ddc510_1154x192.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WQQb!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbc8876d9-e31e-40b3-85d9-a87a05ddc510_1154x192.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WQQb!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbc8876d9-e31e-40b3-85d9-a87a05ddc510_1154x192.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WQQb!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbc8876d9-e31e-40b3-85d9-a87a05ddc510_1154x192.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">This reader put my article in ChatGPT and pasted the response where it was comparing me to a slave owner.</figcaption></figure></div><p>At first, I was hurt and angry.</p><p>Then I wondered about this very newsletter. Maybe I would be better understood if I was on video vs long form articles. Patience is so short these days, maybe she would have gotten it (or at least not twisted it) if it&#8217;d been a reel or short.</p><p>I was conflating response with success. </p><p>The next morning I resisted my morning scripture reading because I was supposed to read in Isaiah 6, and it felt totally irrelevant to the cares and worries of the day. My attention didn&#8217;t want to focus on Isaiah. It wanted to focus on what was right in front of me. </p><p>I believe I even muttered to God &#8220;What does King Uzziah &amp; Isaiah even have to do with me anyway?&#8221;</p><div class="pullquote"><p><strong>Isaiah 6:9&#8211;10</strong></p><p><em>And he said, &#8220;Go, and say to this people:<br>&#8216;Keep on hearing, but do not understand;<br>keep on seeing, but do not perceive.&#8217;</em></p><p><em>Make the heart of this people dull,<br>and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes;<br>lest they see with their eyes,<br>and hear with their ears,<br>and understand with their hearts,<br>and turn and be healed.&#8221;</em></p></div><p>Basically, Isaiah has agreed to preach a message and God is like &#8220;<em>Alright. But just so you know. It won&#8217;t work. Not only will they not hear, they will be hardened EVEN by the message itself.&#8221; </em></p><h4>Isaiah&#8217;s measure of success with the message wasn&#8217;t about the response of the people. It was about his obedience to God.</h4><p>How many of us are in a business or mission that&#8212; we feel so strongly about the message&#8212; that we&#8217;re obedient to it&#8230; even if our attempts at attention are ignored by the masses? </p><p>What a reframe. </p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.thedandelionreport.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.thedandelionreport.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p>Getting attention in the world of online business is measured by the number of people responding. A volume game. It&#8217;s completely human nature to want to see a good response as a way to stay motivated.</p><p>But what if it&#8217;s not about volume at all? But about focusing on the right responder.</p><p>This is why so many people fail to be consistent. They are banking their willpower on a very fickle algorithm and a human being&#8217;s response. </p><p>The hidden cost of chasing attention is that we lose our anchor to what makes our message successful. </p><p>Obedience is more the measure of success than a response.</p><h4>One last truth hidden in plain view if you&#8217;re paying attention. </h4><p>The power of my attention was focused on God&#8217;s directive for me to spend time Him in the morning, no matter how many Voxer messages or assignments were piling up. Because of that, I was able to find a highly relevant truth buried in ancient text I thought wasn&#8217;t relevant at all. </p><p>Something I would have completely missed otherwise. </p><p>This is not just a call for us to measure the success of a message based on obedience rather than response, it&#8217;s also a reminder that our attention is powerful. The things God wants to reveal to us will only be discovered when we decide to focus on Him.</p><p>That doesn&#8217;t mean He doesn&#8217;t also invade and interrupt our world from time to time. Of course! But to use a marketing term (search vs interruption), God is more in the business of responding to a searching heart than interrupting us when we&#8217;re not paying any attention.</p><p>For me, I will continue to write long form easily misunderstood articles on The Dandelion Report because it&#8217;s about my obedience to the message. I will let the scrollers, the trolls, and the folks looking to use it to confirm their own bias, do so.</p><p>And I will remember that my attention is powerful enough to find hidden truths in plain sight, as long as I look. </p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.thedandelionreport.com/p/the-hidden-cost-of-chasing-attention/comments&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Leave a comment&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.thedandelionreport.com/p/the-hidden-cost-of-chasing-attention/comments"><span>Leave a comment</span></a></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Ladder Of Wealth]]></title><description><![CDATA[One night, bored of the Netflix options and chatting with ChatGPT, I discovered something profoundly eye-opening about money & wealth that I would like to share with you all.]]></description><link>https://www.thedandelionreport.com/p/the-ladder-of-wealth</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.thedandelionreport.com/p/the-ladder-of-wealth</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Julie Chenell]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 17 May 2025 01:23:23 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/e6dbd610-7a07-4592-a2f8-b3015e2ee7b2_1536x1024.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>One night, bored of the Netflix options and chatting with ChatGPT, I discovered something profoundly eye-opening about money &amp; wealth that I would like to share with you all.</p><p>But first&#8230;.the pursuit of wealth is complicated.</p><p>It&#8217;s financial, it&#8217;s logistical, it&#8217;s about investments and business. It&#8217;s also a TON of mindset &amp; nervous system work.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.thedandelionreport.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.thedandelionreport.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p>If that weren&#8217;t complicated enough, we live in a society that presents all the highlight reels of money with none of the behind-the-scenes. It sets us up for an endless chase leading to wildly mismanaged ideas of what wealth actually is.</p><p>Let&#8217;s imagine the pursuit of wealth like a ladder.</p><p>Here&#8217;s the traditional view:</p><ul><li><p>Rung 1: Survival &#8211; Living paycheck to paycheck</p></li><li><p>Rung 2: Stability &#8211; Small savings, debt under control</p></li><li><p>Rung 3: Security &#8211; Steady income, 3-6 months emergency fund, debt low</p></li><li><p>Rung 4: Autonomy &#8211; Cash reserves 250k-1M, monthly surplus, assets in multiple buckets</p></li><li><p>Rung 5: Financial Independence &#8211; Work is optional, freedom to take risks, net worth $3m-$10m</p></li></ul><h3><strong>But did you know there are more rungs? And the rungs that most people &#8220;see&#8221; and admire out in the media, are not even on this traditional ladder?</strong></h3><p>Here are the next two rungs&#8230; think about celebrities, billionaires, etc.</p><ul><li><p>Rung 6: Pressure Zone &#8211; $10m plus. Tax strategy is full time, multiple entities, pressure to maintain, public visibility, LARGE fixed expenses</p></li><li><p>Rung 7: The Wealth Trap &#8211; $100m plus. Full time infrastructure to manage your life, constant scrutiny, pressure to protect, high stakes relationships everywhere, legacy obsession, paranoia with lawsuits</p></li></ul><p>Even if we say &#8220;I don&#8217;t want need to be as wealthy as Warren Buffett. I&#8217;ll just settle for a couple million&#8230;.&#8221; the persistent subconscious message fed to us everywhere is that celebrities, ultra wealthy tech bros and founders, investors, and legacy families have WON the game.</p><p>But it&#8217;s ALL wrong.</p><p>The people who win?</p><p><strong>Are the people who understand that Rung 4 and 5 are the destination.</strong></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.thedandelionreport.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.thedandelionreport.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p>This is the pocket where you have the LEAST diminishing returns with the MOST peace and power&#8230; IF you stop here.</p><p>And I get it&#8230; some people are meant for a level of big and successful that are more than just dollar signs. Go for it! I&#8217;m not talking to them.</p><p>But for the majority of the population, we are regularly feeding on a diet of media that makes rung 6 and 7 look like the dream. But it is not. They are the rungs of golden handcuffs.</p><p>The place where debt, pressure, leverage, and stress mount in an effort to protect what you&#8217;ve built.</p><p>Rung 4 &amp; 5 is where you want to sit.</p><p>I had this realization as I talked to ChatGPT about my insatiable need for safety that impacts all the decisions of my life.</p><p>I kept wondering &#8220;When will I feel safe enough?&#8221; I looked at others who are beyond me in financial means and thought &#8212; maybe when I arrive there?</p><p>Outside of my drive for safety, I can say I have ZERO sense of restlessness my life. I feel so much peace and contentment about where I am today materially. I don&#8217;t want more or better. I have blessings that are hard to comprehend even as it is.</p><p>The continual grind for money is motivated by the pervasive feeling of &#8220;But will it be enough for all the people who are in my care?&#8221; The drive for safety keeps me pushing even when I don&#8217;t have anything to spend it on yet except the wild worst case scenarios of having to fund my five Gen Z &amp; Gen Alpha children in an AI-driven world that&#8217;s eaten all jobs.</p><p>I hoped that a conversation with Chat would set me straight or at least illuminate where my subconscious is running the show. And it did not disappoint.</p><p>It told me that I objectively had reached a pocket of true freedom that must be protected.</p><p>In other words, <strong>I can&#8217;t keep climbing.</strong> I hit rung 4. Scratched the surface of 5 before I got pummeled with financial loss due to divorce.</p><p>I can&#8217;t keep thinking there&#8217;s more safety on rung 6 or 7. There is not. It&#8217;s a ruse.</p><p>My goal is now is to re-scratch 5 and stay there.</p><p>The pocket of wealth that you never want to leave is where you are:</p><ul><li><p><strong>Rich enough</strong> to fund your lifestyle, your kids, your peace, your future</p></li><li><p><strong>Liquid enough</strong> to absorb shocks, pivot, and breathe</p></li><li><p><strong>Established enough</strong> to never need a boss, a loan, or a lifeline</p></li><li><p><strong>Unknown enough</strong> to live without public pressure, scrutiny, or expectation</p></li><li><p><strong>Rooted enough</strong> to feel meaning, joy, and connection in your real life</p></li><li><p><strong>Private enough</strong> to choose simplicity, stillness, and depth</p></li></ul><p>My job now is to get my nervous system to cooperate with what my logical brain has already discovered.</p><p>The winners of true freedom &amp; peace are those who know when to stop climbing.</p><p>Don&#8217;t let a louder world or a dopamine addiction convince you otherwise.</p><p>xx</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[A Personal Update on the Direction of The Dandelion Report]]></title><description><![CDATA[Subscriber Notice]]></description><link>https://www.thedandelionreport.com/p/a-personal-update-on-the-direction</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.thedandelionreport.com/p/a-personal-update-on-the-direction</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Julie Chenell]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 21 Mar 2025 18:40:37 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/d0375ce9-7dd9-414f-a11c-7323598704cd_6720x4480.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Hello friends,</p><p>I wanted to reach out personally and share some important news about the future direction of The Dandelion Report.</p><p>When I started this newsletter, my intention was to provide timely information, insights, and strategies to help entrepreneurs and change-makers navigate an uncertain world across environmental, economic, and mental landscapes.</p><p>Over time, my personal journey has deepened significantly, bringing about a renewal in my faith and it is shaping my perspectives profoundly. This spiritual renewal has increasingly influenced how I approach resilience, business, and life amidst uncertainty.</p><p>As a result, going forward, The Dandelion Report will integrate a Biblical worldview, exploring resilience and thriving from a spiritually grounded perspective. I&#8217;ll still cover a variety of topics like I tend to do, but these discussions will be enriched and guided by faith-based insights and Biblical wisdom.</p><p>I will also be adding faith discussions that I come up with in my studies.</p><p>I understand this shift may not resonate with everyone, and I completely respect your decision if this direction no longer aligns with your interests. For those who feel inspired to continue this journey, I'm excited to share deeper, spiritually anchored insights with you in future editions.</p><p>Thank you so much for being part of this community.</p><p>Warmly, Julie</p>]]></content:encoded></item></channel></rss>