36 | When You’ve Become Who Everyone Else Needs You to Be | Burnout Recovery with Kimia Penton

There are seasons when everything looks right from the outside. You’ve worked hard, cared for people, carried responsibilities, and done what was expected of you. But somewhere beneath all that competence, a quieter question may begin to surface: Where did I go? In this episode of At the Counter with the Baking Pastor, Laura is joined by organizational psychologist, leadership practitioner, recording artist, and author Kimia Penton for a conversation about authenticity, people-pleasing, boundaries, burnout, purpose, and belonging. Kimia shares her own experience of realizing she had become skilled at performing the roles expected of her while drifting away from herself. Together, Laura and Kimia explore why saying no can feel so uncomfortable, how healthy boundaries can actually preserve relationships, why kindness sometimes requires more honesty than niceness, and what happens when we stop measuring our lives entirely through other people's approval. Kimia also shares a tender childhood story about a small gray My Little Pony that has remained with her for nearly four decades and why it still reminds her of what love and value really look like. In this conversation: When achievement becomes armor People-pleasing, overfunctioning, and burnout Learning to say no without abandoning the people you love Healthy boundaries in family, faith, and work The difference between niceness and kindness Recognizing our own internal red flags Moving from “Will they choose me?” to “Do I choose them?” Why legacy is built through the way we live, love, and lead today You are more than the roles you perform, the peace you maintain, the approval you earn, or the work you complete. Connect with Kimia Want to go deeper into the themes of authenticity, purpose, and living in alignment with who you were created to be? Visit Kimia Penton’s website to learn more about her work, explore her book, Power, on Purpose, and connect with her: https://www.kimiapenton.com/book Pull up a chair. There’s a place for you here. ☕  Join me October 19–23 for The Empty Chair at the Counter, a free five-night online retreat for anyone carrying grief, change, or a season that feels heavier than expected. Come as you are. Your chair is already waiting. https://bakingpastor.com/tec-atc/ Support the show ☕ Enjoying At the Counter? Share the podcast with a friend: If an episode made you think of someone, send it their way. Leave a review: Your review helps more people discover At the Counter with the Baking Pastor and find encouragement for the season they’re walking through. Come join us at the Counter: Download the At the Counter app in your phone’s app store and connect with a welcoming community where the conversation continues between episodes. At the Counter with the Baking Pastor is for anyone looking for Christian encouragement for hard seasons, grief support, burnout recovery, soul care, and faith in everyday life. We talk about grief and loss support, caregiving, life transitions, unwanted change, emotional healing, spiritual weariness, rest and renewal, and practical soul care for the days when life feels heavy, faith feels tired, or you simply don’t feel like yourself anymore. Pull up a chair. The counter is open. ☕