Hey Sis,

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I’m still riding the high of the Revive Retreat, and I wanted to share this with you.

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At this retreat, we were reminded that thriving beyond medicine means that roles and titles don’t define you; they’re just your launchpad to live fully as yourself.

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And while we were doing the work, I had this moment of clarity. There we were, a circle of black women physicians. Similar job titles. Similar degrees. Some might even say similar lifestyles.
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On the surface, you’d think that’s what made it easy for us to connect.

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But that wasn’t it.

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What actually bonded us—deeper than our demographics, our upbringing, or our achievements—were our values.

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When we signed up for this retreat, we were saying yes to dedicating time for the self-work: to share fully, to be vulnerable. That process included naming our values, reflecting on how we’ve been living them, and imagining what life could look like if we expressed them more fully. And through that journey, I could see why our connection felt so natural.

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Because real talk: our backgrounds, upbringings, and lifestyles aren’t nearly as similar as they might appear to an outsider. You don’t need to share job titles, roles, or even interests to feel deeply connected to someone. When you share values, the connection flows.

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Honestly, this kind of self-work isn’t easy to do alone. It takes facilitation, guidance, and a safe space to really go there. That’s the gift of retreats, sister circles, and communities that allow you to show up as your true self… not just as a title, role, or identity imposed on you.

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Our facilitator said it best:

✨ “Values are your direction in life. If you’re always taking action but not living in your values, you might be going the wrong way.”

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So here’s what I’m urging you to do this week:

Pause and ask yourself.
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• What are my values?
• If your list has more than ten, narrow it down.
• Once you have your ten, put them in order from first to last.
• Then sit with them. Reflect.
• Are you truly living these values—or just staying busy despite them?
• And even more importantly, what would life look like if you fully lived in them and let them guide your actions?

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Because Sis, when your actions are anchored in your values, that’s when you move in alignment. That’s when you create freedom.

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With love & fire,

Nikia

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