By Rebecca Johnson // People // EEW Magazine Online

News of ministry leader Dianna Hobbs’ traumatic brain injury moved many people when a rare allergic reaction to an antibiotic triggered a mini stroke and almost 30 seizures in 2019. Since her challenging diagnosis, she has become an inspiration and a symbol of faith in the face of tragic odds.

She recently discussed her journey to ditch perfection while navigating her new limitations on her Your Daily Cup of Inspiration podcast which has been downloaded by more than 750,000 people according to official podcast analytics data.

During the 45-year-old’s honest chat, the podcaster with studios headquartered in Buffalo, NY, got raw and real about how it feels to have her life derailed and to be forced to relearn how to function.

In a Cup of Inspiration blog posted Monday, Feb. 28, the “God Did It” author said she is embracing the “New Dianna” with open arms nearly three years after the fateful incident. Her first major steps include debuting an unscripted, rawer version of herself on her podcast—something she had not done prior.

To prepare listeners that are used to a more polished, refined, scripted version of the nonprofit founder, Hobbs wrote a letter to her readers reflecting on her personal growth and readiness to strip away the mask.

“Trying to keep up with ‘Old Dianna,’ that previous version of me, has been holding me back from doing the work of the Lord consistently and efficiently,” Hobbs said in the post titled, “The most important post I’ve ever written.”

“Chasing perfection or a past version of myself is hindering me in so many ways,” she added.

Hobbs, whose stellar production team launched her personal podcast after she resigned from her #1 rated afternoon show as a radio DJ at a local station, helped create a tight formula for Hobbs. It is one that listeners grew accustomed to for years. But those days of following a format to a tee, she said, are behind her.

As the award-winning founder of EEW Magazine Online evolves as a new person, she told her audience that she has finally realized that she can no longer “pretend” to be the same person she was before the traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, emotional issues, and speech troubles.

Hobbs called it, “Plain old exhausting trying to keep up an image,” and even allowed listeners to hear words she actively struggled to say, marking her most vulnerable moments to date.

“I just don’t believe God can bless who I pretend to be. I must allow Him to bless who I truly am,” Hobbs continued. “I had to ask myself, who are you doing this for, Dianna? Because God doesn’t require me to put on a show. He didn’t ask me to be perfect. And He never commanded me to try to be the old version of myself.”

In her open blog letter, Hobbs wrote, “It took a while and a mix of strategies to get me to this place. Prayer, cognitive behavioral therapy, Prozac, and time have worked together to give me this level of clarity and willingness to accept what God has allowed.”

Even though it took years and lots of courage to speak her full truth, the respected Christian women’s leader has no doubt arrived at that place of kicking perfectionism to the curb for good.

“New Dianna flubs sentences and says and does things that make me want face palm constantly,” she explained. “Because of brain trauma, I routinely blurt things that may be considered edgy, inappropriate, or a little taboo. But hey, I’m doing the best I can.”

So far, the response to New Dianna’s best has been overwhelmingly positive, as an outpouring of kind comments has spilled out on social media.

“This a beautiful testimony of God's grace. Thank you for being honest and transparent,” said Natalie White, a blog commenter. “You are now free to be who you are at the present. He will use you in a beautiful way.”

“I am blessed by your authenticity,” said another supporter, Lauren. “God will truly use you in this season.”

Hobbs, who has newly branded herself “Your Bestie from Buffalo” on the podcast, has hundreds of thousands of “besties” from around the world who are just as eager to get to know New Dianna as Hobbs is to unveil her.

Your Daily Cup of Inspiration podcast, which is rated 4.9 out of 5 stars on Apple Podcasts and recommended by Christianity Today, is available at YourDailyCupOfInspiration.com and wherever podcasts are heard.

Listen to a recent podcast below.