Blog

<h3>When You’ve Been Erased One Too Many Times </h3>Recently, a photo was shared—meant to honor my partner and uplift a collective win.But I wasn’t in it.Even though I was there. Even though I contributed. Even though I showed up fully.I had been digitally removed.Maybe it was a mistake. Surely it wasn’t meant to hurt.But it did.It hit a nerve—an ancestral one. A sacred one.And in that ache, something ancient and powerful awakened.<h3>The Pain of Erasure Black Women Know Too Well </h3>For Black women, especially those who live at the intersection of art, spirituality, and leadership—this isn’t new.This is the wound.Whether you're a creative, a healer, a visionary, or someone simply holding space in a world not built to hold you—You’ve likely felt this too:✨ Being left out of the conversation ✨ Getting erased from the credit ✨ Watching your truth be edited out for someone else’s comfortThis kind of creative erasure and emotional invisibility is not only painful—it’s a continuation of generational silencing.And I refuse to let that continue in my lineage.<h3>It’s Not Just a Picture. It’s a Pattern. </h3>That image wasn’t just a photo—it was a mirror. Reflecting every time I’ve been cut out, overlooked, or erased without apology.Because erasure doesn’t always look like harm. Sometimes it sounds like silence. Sometimes it hides in phrases like:“It wasn’t intentional.” “You’re overreacting.” “I didn’t realize.”But our spirits always realize.And here’s the truth I’m claiming: I will no longer shrink to fit into spaces that refuse to honor me.<h3>Choosing Remembrance Over Silence </h3>This isn’t about ego. This is about dignity. This is about sacred self-witnessing.I spoke up—not to start a fire, but because I am the fire.🔥 I am reclaiming the voice I once silenced to make others feel safe. 🔥 I am holding space for the women like me who are done being cropped out. 🔥 I am writing myself back into the story.<h3>For the Ones Who Feel Invisible </h3>If you’ve ever been erased—literally or emotionally—this is your invitation to rise:&nbsp;🌺 You are not too sensitive. &nbsp;🌺 You are not imagining it. &nbsp;🌺 You are sacred. &nbsp;🌺 You are the altar and the offering.And you deserve to be seen—not just in photos, but in presence.<h3>Final Reflection: Your Truth Is the Resistance</h3>&nbsp;I am not here to perform. &nbsp;I am not here for approval. &nbsp;I am here to be witnessed—in full bloom.Because I know what it means to carry sacred fire and still be told I’m not enough.To all the women, especially Black women, who are reclaiming their voice, visibility, and value:We rise.&nbsp;Not louder. &nbsp;But deeper. &nbsp;Not for applause. &nbsp;But for truth.<h3>&nbsp; So Tell Me…</h3>Where in your life have you felt erased—and what part of you is still waiting to be seen, named, and honored?What came up for you? Share it with us in The Garden.Read: True Connections and Healing from Burnout #BloomDontShrink #BlackWomenRest #VisibilityIsPower #SacredWitnessing&nbsp; #CreativeReclamation #EmotionalHealing

I Was Removed From the Picture — And I Refuse to Be Erased

People often ask me about my doctorate.&nbsp; They want to know how I did it, what it took, and what it feels like to achieve the highest academic honor.Because to many, it’s a symbol of brilliance. A finish line.&nbsp; A badge of success.But here’s the truth:&nbsp; It didn’t give me what I was really chasing.It didn’t make me feel safe.&nbsp; It didn’t shield me from burnout or financial instability.&nbsp; It didn’t protect me from being overlooked or disrespected.&nbsp; And it definitely didn’t heal the deep ache I carried inside — the part of me that thought I had to earn my worth by doing more. <h3>When Achievement Isn’t Enough: The Emotional Cost of Over-Functioning</h3>Looking back now, I see it clearly:&nbsp; I pursued my doctorate as a survival strategy.Deep down, I believed that if I achieved something “undeniable,”&nbsp; I would finally be seen.&nbsp; Finally feel secure.&nbsp; Finally be respected.That’s the lie that over-functioning tells us —&nbsp; That if we just do enough, prove enough, achieve enough... we’ll finally be safe.So I earned my doctorate from the University of Southern California — one of the most prestigious universities in the country.&nbsp; I poured in time, labor, and tens of thousands of dollars.&nbsp; Because I believed the myth that letters after my name would equal protection.But I was wrong.Yes, the degree opened a few doors.&nbsp; But it didn’t provide lasting financial freedom.&nbsp; It didn’t prevent the organization I worked for from collapsing.&nbsp; And it didn’t ensure I’d be paid fairly — even now, I have the highest degree on my team and I’m certain other, less credentialed colleagues make more.The title didn’t heal me. It masked my exhaustion.And now, I recognize it for what it was:&nbsp; A high-achieving form of burnout. A beautifully framed act of over-functioning. <h3>What Is Over-Functioning? Signs You Might Be Doing Too Much</h3>Over-functioning isn’t always loud.&nbsp; Sometimes, it looks like degrees, promotions, certifications, and saying “yes” when your soul is screaming “no.”It’s the pressure to outperform in order to feel enough.&nbsp; To carry everything.&nbsp; To be everything.And I had to ask myself:- Why do I believe I must do it all?&nbsp; - Why do I keep pushing for titles when what I truly crave is peace?&nbsp; - What if healing is not another degree... but another layer of healing?<h3>Choosing Healing Over Hustle: What I Want Now</h3>Now, I want something different.I want aligned work that doesn’t leave me depleted.&nbsp; I want my income to feel like joy, not just labor.&nbsp; I want wholeness, not just hustle.I no longer want to survive by over-functioning.I want to bloom from rest, worthiness, and radical softness — not endless proving.And I know it’s possible.&nbsp; Because I’m starting to finally live in it. <h3>If You're a High-Achiever Feeling Exhausted… You're Not Alone</h3>Maybe you have the degrees. Maybe you’re the one people turn to for everything. Maybe you’re brilliant, competent, and reliable — and you’re also silently breaking inside.Let me say this to you with love:You are not broken. You are not behind. You are awakening. This is what it looks like to bloom. Not in a classroom. Not at a conference. But deep in your nervous system. Deep in your soul.You’re allowed to stop over-functioning. You’re allowed to be free.<h3>So Tell Me...</h3>Where in your life might over-achievement be covering a deeper ache? What would it feel like to bloom from rest, wholeness, and softness — instead of performance?SistaRhythm | Bloom Priestess🌺✨🔥📖🌿🌀🕊️

I Have a Doctorate — And I’m Still Healing from Over-Functioning and Burnout

Not every separation comes with noise. Sometimes the greatest acts of self-love and emotional healing happen quietly.No fireworks. No confrontation. No explanation. Just a subtle stepping back. An energy shift. A bloom turning gently toward a different sun.Lately, I've been reflecting on the relationships I released without fanfare. No harsh words, no dramatic exits. Just... distance. Space. Silence born of self-respect.And what followed was one of the greatest revelations of my healing journey.<h3>When Emotional Distance Becomes Self-Love</h3>When I became less available, something powerful emerged.&nbsp; Some people noticed the absence of what I once provided: the energy, the attention, the constant availability.&nbsp; Few noticed the sacred shift happening in me.Some reached out with questions like:<ul style="list-style-type: circle;" data-mce-style="list-style-type: circle;"><li>"Why aren't you returning my texts?"</li><li>"Why don't I hear from you anymore?"</li><li>"Why don't I have access to you?"</li></ul>But almost none asked, "How is your heart?"And that distinction has been everything. There’s a difference between someone who checks in to reclaim access and someone who checks in to care for your heart.There’s a difference between contact and connection.Between touch and tenderness.Between taking and tending.Through sacred distance, I discovered who was truly invested in my heart-centered growth — and who was simply attached to my energy.<h3>Reflection</h3> This realization wasn’t easy. It was tender. Sad, even.&nbsp; Because of course, I wanted some of those relationships to be deeper, more mutual, more soul-nourishing.&nbsp; But clarity is a gift, even when it stings.And with that clarity, I’m learning not to confuse:<ul style="list-style-type: circle;" data-mce-style="list-style-type: circle;"><li>Proximity with presence</li><li>Familiarity with friendship</li><li>Contact with care</li></ul>I'm choosing — actively, intentionally — to honor the difference.&nbsp; I'm choosing sacred connections rooted in emotional healing. I'm choosing to reserve my sacred softness, my bloom, my essence for relationships that nourish — not just take.If someone can't pause to ask, "How is your heart?" — they may not have the tenderness required to walk with me into my next season.And that's okay.Not everyone can walk in the garden I'm growing.&nbsp; Some seasons are meant to be sacredly solo.<h3>Affirmations:</h3>I choose heart-centered relationships.I choose peace over performance.I choose blooming forward, even when it means leaving behind what no longer nourishes my spirit. 🌿May we be surrounded by those who tend to our gardens, not just harvest from them.🌿May we learn to honor the difference without guilt, only gratitude. 🌺I am not shrinking.🌺I am blooming louder, softer, and freer than ever. #TheGardenGrows #SacredSoftness #BloomingForward<h3>So Tell Me...</h3>Who in your life has shown up for your heart — not just your presence?What new boundaries or blessings is your soul asking for in this season? SistaRhythm | Bloom Priestess🌺✨🔥📖🌿🌀🕊️

Bloom, Don’t Shrink™ | Transformational Coaching & Community

Blog

I Was Removed From the Picture — And I Refuse to Be Erased

I Have a Doctorate — And I’m Still Healing from Over-Func...

When Distance Reveals True Connections: Choosing Heart-Ce...