The Relay Is the Rhythm
Let’s talk about the baton.
Today I named the sacredness of the relay race—and it wasn’t just a metaphor. It was a model. A map.
In a relay, every runner is essential.
But no one runs the whole race alone.
You carry your part. Then you pass it.
You rest. You breathe. You cheer for the next person.
You don’t disappear—you just shift.
Liberation requires that same rhythm.
Because if you try to carry the baton from start to finish, you’ll collapse before the handoff even comes.
Too many of us are holding the weight of a whole movement.
A household.
A classroom.
A community.
All without ever pausing to ask:
Who else can carry this with me?
And I get it. You’ve been trained to run until your legs give out.
But what if the win doesn’t come from how long you run…
but from how well we pass what matters?
This is the season for:
Letting someone else take a lap
Trusting your pace and your pause
Knowing that even in rest, you’re still on the team
Let’s carry that energy into how we relate to ourselves, our homes, and our communities.
Because you don’t need to run the whole race to be revolutionary.
You just need to carry your part—and know when to pass the baton.
🎧 Free Preview Clip
In this clip, I talk about what it means to rest without guilt, pause without shame, and still name the momentum we carry in the quiet.
Because here’s the thing:
You’re not failing if you need a break.
You’re not broken if you’re tired.
You’re not weak if you ask for help.
Rest isn’t what stops the movement. Rest is what sustains it.
And learning to listen to your body, your child, your soul when they whisper enough—that’s leadership too.
Share this with your people and ask:
Where are you holding more than you need to, and who can help carry it?
What We’re Learning Today
Momentum requires rest and reflection
Action without pause is a trauma response. Sustainable progress is built on breath, not burnout.Community support prevents isolation and over-functioning
Your liberation is collective. Your leadership should be too.Celebration fuels resilience and motivation
Joy is not frivolous. It’s strategy. Small wins matter. Name them. Feel them. Share them.
Let’s Sit in This for a Moment
Today wasn’t polished. It wasn’t strategic.
It was real. Tender. Raw. Unplanned. And holy.
We let life be what it was. And instead of powering through, we paused.
We let the lesson unfold in the fatigue, in the parenting moment, in the quiet grief of “I don’t have it in me today.”
And that, too, is part of the movement.
That is the movement.
We are not only here to lead in strength—we are here to lead in truth.
To show up messy and still meaningful.
To rest without guilt.
To say, “I need help,” and still feel held in community.
So before we move into the how, let’s honor this truth:
You don’t have to perform wellness to be worthy of care.
You don’t have to pretend to be fine in order to still be powerful.
You can be tired and still transformative.
Now let’s talk about what it looks like to carry that energy into your self, your home, and your community—with integrity, rhythm, and a whole lot more rest.
Ready to Go Deeper With Me?
If this reflection spoke to you—don’t just nod and scroll. Let’s integrate it. Let’s move it. If you’ve made it this far, you already know: This isn’t surface-level work. It’s soul work.
And behind the paywall, we’re taking it further—because that’s where the real application lives.
We’ll explore:
What self-accountability and grace look like when you’re burnt out but still showing up
How to build sustainable rhythms in your home that don’t rely on you doing everything
What it takes to let your community hold you—even when you’re used to holding it all
This space isn’t locked up to exclude you. It’s here to protect the depth of the work.
And if you’ve been feeling like you’re in the work but not quite supported by it—this is your invitation to let the container hold you for once.
If finances are a barrier please reach out to Scholarships@DesireeBStephens.com
Now let’s talk rest, rhythm, and resilience. I’ll meet you inside.
