Faith, Perfectionism and Learning to Trust God’s Mercy

In this solo episode, Leana gets into one of the most requested topics from her community — the perfectionist mindset in faith. She opens up about her own journey with hijab, modesty, and the moments she found herself resenting religion because she was holding herself to an impossible standard. This one is honest, human, and full of grace. This one is for every woman who has ever felt like she is not doing enough, not religious enough, or not worthy enough to keep trying. Leana gets into: → Why putting on the hijab took her a year and a half — and why that timeline was exactly right for her → How the all or nothing mindset in faith can lead to burnout, resentment, and pulling away from God entirely → Why small, consistent steps in your faith journey will always outperform going full force and burning out → The difference between doing acts of worship out of fear versus doing them out of genuine love for God → Why God knows your heart and your intention — and why that matters more than perfection on paper → The danger of arrogance in faith — and how being perfect on the outside means nothing if the heart is not right → How culture gets mistaken for religion — and why separating the two changed everything for Leana → Why God calls himself the Most Merciful in almost every surah in the Quran — and what that actually means for how we approach our mistakes → Not letting people ruin religion for you — whether it is judgment, harsh words, or someone else’s ego dressed up as guidance → Forgiving your past self and why shame has no place on a journey toward God → Why repentance is a clean slate — and why only God has the right to judge what came before → How to build a relationship with God that is yours alone, without anyone else’s opinion getting in the way → Why when faith feels hard, it usually means the heart needs more connection — not more rules “You could be doing everything perfect on paper, but if your heart is not there and your soul is not truly connected to God, it defeats the whole purpose of having faith.” — Leana Deeb TOPICS DISCUSSED (00:00) Intro — The Perfectionist Mindset in Faith (02:20) Her Hijab Journey — Small Steps & Why It Took a Year and a Half (04:21) When Perfectionism Leads to Resentment — Her Honest Struggle With Hijab (06:38) Ad Break — Fatty 15 (08:39) Ad Break — Talkspace (10:59) Doing Acts of Worship From Love, Not Fear (13:18) Don’t Let People Ruin Religion for You — Culture vs. Faith (15:39) Forgiving Your Past Self & Building Your Relationship With God on Your Own Terms Stay connected with Leana Deeb: Instagram: @leanadeebb / @beinghumannpodcast TikTok: @leanadeebb / @beinghumannpod Thank you to our sponsors! Use code LEANA for 15% off at Fatty 15 — fatty15.com Use code SPACE80 for $80 off your first month at Talk Space — talkspace.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices