Learning to Hold Yourself When No One Else Does

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Shades of Strong® | From “Strong Black Woman” to Supported Black Woman

Shirl

232 episodes

3 days ago

The Shades of Strong® podcast is your weekly invitation to stop carrying it all alone.
Hosted by Shirl — the friend who sees through your “I’m fine” mask and gently says, “Let’s talk about it” — this space is for Black women ready to redefine what strength looks like and finally feel supported.
Through honest storytelling, soul-stirring conversations, and the Support Languages™ framework, we unpack what the “Strong Black Woman” trope has cost us, and explore what support can actually look like in real life.
If you’ve been doing the most, feeling unseen, and wondering when it’s your turn to exhale… you’re in the right place.
This is where every shade of strong is welcome — and every Black woman is seen, heard, and held.

All content for Shades of Strong® | From “Strong Black Woman” to Supported Black Woman is the property of Shirl and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.

Learning to Hold Yourself When No One Else Does

Shades of Strong® | From “Strong Black Woman” to Supported Black Woman

7 minutes 28 seconds

2 months ago

Learning to Hold Yourself When No One Else Does

What do you do when you need to fall apart… but there’s no one there to hold you?
This Support Snippet is me sitting with that exact question — and remembering what emotional care looked like back when I didn’t have to ask for it
I’m reflecting on what emotional care looked like before life got complicated — and what it means to create that kind of care for yourself now.
I’m taking you back to peanut butter and jelly sandwiches made with intention, quiet afternoons that felt like exhaling, and the kind of support that didn’t require me to be okay first. No fixing. No pressure. Just presence.
These days, I’m the one everyone leans on — and maybe you are too. So I’m also naming what it feels like to carry that weight quietly, especially as a Black woman, and what it means to admit you still need to be held.
If you’ve been moving through your days on autopilot, missing the kind of care you didn’t have to ask for, this episode is for you.
Because emotional care for Black women isn’t optional. It’s necessary.And we shouldn’t have to hold it all in just because nobody’s offering to hold us.

Resources to Support You:

* 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
* Join Shades of Strong on Substack for deeper convos that don’t always make it to the mic
* Be a Guest on the Show
* www.shadesofstrong.com