Ever feel like you're fighting a silent battle in your own head? Those nagging thoughts of unworthiness and self-doubt? You're not alone. This is a war for our souls, a war against the very purpose we were created for. But there's a way to fight back and win.

In life, a beautiful rhythm often goes unnoticed—a dance of giving and receiving that flows through every aspect of who we are and what we do. This flow is called reciprocity. The balance reminds us of one undeniable truth: what we pour out will eventually pour back into us.

Burnout isn’t just exhaustion—it’s the relentless cycle of doing, pushing, and grinding without ever feeling like you're making headway. It disguises itself as productivity, ambition, or "just getting through," but it robs us of our joy, peace, and purpose. The good news? We don’t have to stay on this treadmill. We can press "stop," step off, and choose a different path—one that values rest as much as hustle and purpose overpressure.

Walking on a beam requires each step to be intentional and carefully placed. In the same way, setting boundaries is about making deliberate choices. This requires thought, consideration, and wisdom. When you say “no” to something that doesn’t align with your values or drains your energy, there is always a price to pay and that price is a misstep most likely toppling off the balancing beam.

You may not have imagined your life as a maze, but let's think about it for a few minutes. Stop multitasking for a moment and hear me out. A maze is a continuous corridor of walls that either align the way to success or signify dead ends where we can either set up camp and stay or turn around and try again. Is this not life?

We will always encounter a wall, but as we heal within and trust our Lord more, the walls will become smaller, and we will become stronger, taller, and more skilled in scaling or leaping over them. Right now, that wall may seem intimidating and unbearable to encounter. I understand.

When we live a life of intention and purpose, every step along the way in a particular direction leads us closer to where we are meant to be. Moving with this confidence and clarity makes the undesirable aspects of the process and journey more bearable and your points of achievement more inevitable. 

In a world that is quick to misrecognize Black women, we must be equally quick to recognize ourselves and each other. This means rejecting the false images imposed upon us and embracing our full, authentic selves.