The Quest to Break Through My Income Ceiling: Part 3

How My Vacation Broke My Nervous System

To read the previous posts, in this series, please click here. 

If you've been following my journey to break through my income ceiling, you've probably noticed that very little of this work has actually been about money.

The real work has been training my nervous system to receive more abundance, more freedom, and more ease without trying to pull me back to what's familiar. Because here's what I've come to believe: your income can only grow to the extent that your nervous system can comfortably hold it. If more money unconsciously feels like more responsibility, more pressure, more visibility, or simply "too much," your mind and body will find a way to pull you back to what's familiar. Breaking through my income ceiling isn't about finding a better strategy. It's about becoming the version of me who can safely receive a bigger life.

I didn't realize my recent vacation was about to become the biggest test of 2026.

For the second half of our trip, we flew to Colorado and rented a cabin just outside Rocky Mountain National Park. We splurged on a cabin right on the river with a private hot tub overlooking the water. It was beautiful, peaceful, and slow. Exactly the kind of life I've been working so hard to create.

What I didn't realize was that this vacation had quietly surpassed an invisible "just enough" limit I'd been living under. Camping in beautiful places felt completely normal because we could drive there with our trailer. But flying somewhere, renting a car, booking a cabin by the river, taking long, slow mornings, and doing absolutely nothing productive had somehow crossed an invisible line in my nervous system. Somewhere along the way, I had unconsciously decided this was "too much." Not financially. Emotionally.

My old pattern loved control. It loved having an itinerary, staying busy, and making sure every minute had a purpose. But this year I've been intentionally doing less, releasing control, building a team, and allowing life to support me instead of feeling like I have to carry it all.

This vacation wasn't just a vacation. It was sixteen straight days of practicing a completely different way of living.

The first day, my nervous system was screaming. It wanted a plan, an agenda, something productive to do. Instead, we drank coffee overlooking the river, soaked in the hot tub, wandered through the park, hiked, laughed, let Bailey play, and simply enjoyed being together.

Little by little, my nervous system settled.

Then something surprising happened.

Once my mind accepted all this ease, my body took over.

After the second day, I started getting intense stomach pain every evening. My legs ached. I couldn't sleep. At first, I assumed it was something I ate, so I did what I always do. I started problem-solving. I changed my food, adjusted my routine, and tried to fix it.

Eventually, it hit me.

My mind had stopped resisting.

My body hadn't.

If you've read The Big Leap, Gay Hendricks talks about upper limit problems. Sometimes when we experience more joy, abundance, love, or ease than feels normal, our mind or body unconsciously tries to restore us back to what is familiar. Not because we want to, but because our nervous system hasn't yet learned that this new level of goodness is safe.

When I connected those dots, my first response was...

WTF?!

You're telling me my body was trying to protect me... from too much peace?

As strange as it sounds, I don't think my nervous system was fighting me. I think it was training.

It was like taking a muscle that had never been used and asking it to lift heavy weights. Of course it was sore. That doesn't mean the workout was wrong. It means the muscle is growing.

That's exactly how I think about this vacation now.

It didn't break my nervous system.

It expanded its capacity.

And that might be one of the biggest lessons I've learned on this journey.

Because I don't just want to make more money.

I want to become the kind of person who can actually receive more abundance, more ease, more freedom, and more joy without unconsciously pushing it away.

That capacity isn't built by reading another book or listening to another podcast. It's built one rep at a time. One slow morning. One afternoon without an agenda. One moment of letting someone else take the lead. One vacation where I let it be as good as it really is.

As I write this, I'm back home.

The vacation is over, but the work isn't.

I came home with an expanded nervous system, a few sore muscles (both literally and figuratively), and an even deeper commitment to keep stretching my capacity to receive. Because that's what growth feels like. Not perfect. Not effortless. Just a little more spacious than before.

So now I'm curious...

What would feel expansive for you?

What's one thing you could do this week to welcome a little more abundance or ease into your life?

Maybe it's outsourcing something you've been carrying. Maybe it's taking care of yourself before the world starts asking things of you. Maybe it's asking for help, saying no, slowing down, or finally giving yourself permission to let life be a little easier.

Whatever it is, don't wait until it feels comfortable.

That's the point.

Your nervous system doesn't expand by thinking about abundance. It expands by experiencing it.

I'd love to hear from you. Hit reply and tell me one thing you're committing to this week that stretches your capacity to receive. I read every email.

Disclaimer: I am an educator, not your personal financial advisor. Please make sure to do your own research before moving forward with any actions discussed in this blog post. 

Know that all investments involve some form of risk and there is no guarantee that you will be successful in making, saving, or investing money; nor is there any guarantee that you won't experience any loss when investing. Always remember to make smart decisions and do your own research!