Outliving the Lie: Redefining Truth, Success, and Self

Have you ever had one of those Mondays where your coffee needs coffee? Where your to-do list is already overbooked before the day even starts? When you wake up feeling like you’re already behind? Yeah, I get it.

And then, just when you think you’ve got a handle on things, here comes a reminder that today is National Rest Day for Black Women. And if you’re anything like me, your first reaction might be something like: Rest? On a Monday? In this economy?

But that reaction? That’s part of the problem.

Because somewhere along the way, we internalized a lie.

Not just about rest, but about a lot of things. About success, about identity, about what it means to be enough. About what we should be doing, who we should be, and how much we should endure before we feel worthy.

We learned that exhaustion is a badge of honor. That being overbooked means being valuable. That our worth is tied to what we produce, how much we achieve, and how well we meet expectations—whether they are set by workplaces, families, or society at large.

But here’s the truth: You don’t outlive a lie by waiting for it to be corrected. You outlive it by moving forward. By building. By growing. By becoming.

The Lies We Have to Outlive

Maybe you’ve spent years trying to prove yourself in environments that never saw your full potential. Maybe you’ve learned to shrink yourself to fit into spaces that were never meant to hold you. Maybe you’ve been conditioned to believe that you have to work twice as hard just to be seen, let alone respected.

And maybe, just maybe, you’ve accepted that as the cost of success.

But what if that’s a lie, too?

Because the truth is:

• You don’t have to overextend yourself to be valuable.

• You don’t have to justify your boundaries to be respected.

• You don’t have to wait for validation to know you are already enough.

The lies we inherit—about work, about worth, about success—can shape entire careers, entire lives. But they don’t have to define them.

How to Start Outliving the Lies

1. Rest Anyway.

Not resting is a lie we tell ourselves—that we’ll slow down after we finish the next project, after the next deadline, after we reach some imaginary threshold of accomplishment. But rest is not a reward; it’s a right.

2. Relearn Who You Are.

Strip away the labels, the expectations, the noise. Who are you outside of what you do for others? Outside of your title, your job, your obligations? Who are you when you are simply being?

3. Move in Truth, Not Perception.

Just because something has been said about you—or even believed about you—doesn’t make it true. Don’t let outdated narratives shape your future.

4. Let Your Growth Speak for You.

You don’t have to defend your evolution. The best way to silence doubt (yours or anyone else’s) is to become undeniable.

5. Live on Purpose.

Every day is an opportunity to align with your purpose. To choose authenticity over approval. To walk in the truth of who you are, not who you were told to be.

This Week, Challenge the Lies.

• Take a break without guilt.

• Say no to something that drains you.

• Speak truth where silence has been expected.

• Choose yourself, fully and without apology.

Because the best way to outlive the lie? Live. Fully. Freely. On purpose.