When you’re used to being the strong one, it’s hard to imagine what life looks like when you’re not being all things as a Black woman. This episode invites you to pause and reflect on the parts of you that feel overextended, overwhelmed, or overlooked.
Inspired by a single line from a daily meditation, Shirl explores what it means to sit with the question instead of rushing toward a solution. What if it’s not about fixing anything? What if you’re simply being invited to breathe?
If you’ve been feeling the weight of holding it all together, this Support Pause is for you. Because not being all things as a Black woman is not weakness — it’s sacred.
.Got a story about what it’s cost you to be the strong one? We’re collecting real, lived stories for the Black Women Storytelling Series, and we want to hear yours.
Submit your story here → https://forms.gle/VsfFMjNjMt6eVLJp7
Come back every weekday for a new Support Pause — short, soul-soothing reflections made just for you.
About Shades of Strong®
Shades of Strong® is a space where Black women come to breathe, reflect, and reclaim strength without the struggle. Support Pauses are short, soulful reminders that you don’t have to carry it all alone. New episodes drop every weekday.
- Black Women Storytelling Series
- Schedule a 1:1 Support Session
- Get the Guide: “You Know Your Support Language™—Now What?”
- Take the Support Language™ Quiz. and learn how you actually receive support best.
- Get Support Right in Your Inbox: Gentle words, real-life reflection, and soft reminders every week
Let’s Stay Connected:
- Subscribe to Shades of Strong on Apple Podcasts or your favorite platform
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- www.shadesofstrong.com
Shirl is the creator of Support Languages™ and host of Shades of Strong® — a movement shifting the narrative from Strong Black Woman to Supported Black Woman™ through language, rest, and real support.
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