As part of the Draft Drops, this is the first audio episode I’m finally letting out. To catch up on the written posts from last week’s Draft Drops, click here.
You know, y’all, it’s so beautiful how much we can learn about ourselves just by being in community. I think a lot of us have been conditioned to believe that healing requires isolation—like we need to go off on our own, do the work, and come back fully transformed. But the reality? Healing happens in community. It happens in those moments of vulnerability, reflection, and connection with others.
We’ve got some incredible episodes coming up on The Mediocre Black Woman podcast, diving deep into this very topic. One conversation I’m especially excited for is with Ashley Boyd of Brujas to Blunts, where we’ll be talking about the power of community in our healing journeys. Because let’s be real—if healing were just about working through our stuff alone, life would be a lot easier. But true growth? True healing? It requires discomfort. It requires showing up, even when we don’t want to. It requires us to be vulnerable and open to learning, especially when something in us reacts to what others say or do.
I’ve been thinking a lot about how we define self-care, too. Somewhere along the way, self-care became a commodity—something we have to buy to feel like we’re doing it right. But self-care isn’t just spa days, facials, and retail therapy. It’s drinking water. It’s taking a bath. It’s moving your body. It’s slowing down, cleaning your space, paying off a bill, or giving yourself permission to rest. Self-care is long-term care. It’s the intentional things we do to support our well-being, even when they don’t look pretty on the surface.
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I had a friend tell me, “I’m not really good at self-care,” and then proceeded to list all these ways she was actually taking care of herself. And it hit me—so many of us are doing the work without even realizing it. Because we’ve been told that self-care only looks like luxury. But self-care is also discipline. It’s also boundaries. It’s also small, everyday acts of care that keep us grounded.
And listen, I know slowing down feels radical in a world that’s always telling us to do more, spend more, hustle harder. But when we slow down, when we truly rest, we become dangerous. We start thinking critically. We start breaking cycles. And that’s exactly why rest, reflection, and healing in community are so important.
Let’s keep these conversations going, because we’re not meant to do this alone.
See y’all Sunday. Be there… or be something better than square (I’m still working on that part, but you get the idea).
P.S. — If you haven’t grabbed it yet, my juiciest Love Spell Guide is still available for free! ✨ This guide is all about putting a love spell on yourself—falling deeper in love with who you are, embracing your magic, and pouring into yourself the way you deserve. Because real love starts with you. 💖
Download it now and let me know how it resonates! 💌
xoxo,
Goddess Thea