Many women move through life carrying responsibilities that were handed to them early.
Be helpful.
Be quiet.
Be strong.
Be useful.
Over time, these expectations become so familiar that identity is replaced by duty. We learn who we are by what we do for others — and eventually forget who we were before the world needed us.
In the Peppersoup Journey, we begin with a simple truth:
Identity is the pot.
Before ingredients.
Before fire.
Before purpose.
A pot holds everything. And when it is cracked, neglected, or ignored, no matter how rich the ingredients are, something always leaks.
When Roles Replace Self
Many women are praised for endurance. For carrying everything. For holding it all together. But strength without self-awareness quietly erodes identity.
You can be functional and still fragmented.
You can be successful and still disconnected.
This week invited us to notice where roles have replaced self — and where silence has been mistaken for maturity.
Honoring the Pot
Honoring your pot does not mean abandoning responsibility. It means remembering that your presence has value beyond productivity.
You existed before service.
You mattered before usefulness.
Identity work is slow, gentle, and deeply personal. It is not loud. It is not performative. It begins with awareness.
This week, we are not fixing.
We are noticing.
Because before anything else can be tended, the pot must be honored.
Next, we will begin to name the cracks without shame.