I can’t even lie. I have spent the last few months going through it, y’all. From waking up some mornings and only having enough strength to say, “Thank you, God,” to days where I just stayed in bed and scrolled on my phone because I felt hopeless.

Saying I’ve been incredibly exhausted and burnt out is an understatement. I feel like I let myself down, because I’d been praying for opportunity and productivity but still felt indolent. I couldn’t even understand why I’d been feeling this way. If y’all know me well, y’all would know I love going to the gym. And the crazy thing is . . . I couldn’t even muster up the strength to go on a simple walk. I was at a stand still and my brain completely shut down.

On the regular, I pour and pour into my self development. But, lately, I haven’t been able to see the results of my hard work. How can a woman who uplifts herself, sits with herself, works on her weaknesses, and is close to God even feel this way? I wondered if I was being ungrateful for all God has done for me. I felt stuck with no where to turn to, almost like I lost my sense of direction. I have always been a woman who knows what she wants but, in all of this, I just wanted to throw in the towel in so many small ways.

Anytime I’m feeling this low, I check my relationship with God. And, yup, of course. I found just what I suspected. My interactions with God had started to dwindle. The more hopeless I felt, the more I would cut me and God’s conversations short. But, one thing about me is I am a natural-born fighter. If I can identify a problem, I instantly search for a remedy. So, I called one of the closest people to me — my best friend, Kia.

Now, Kia has been my best friend since high school. When I say I have thee best BFF ever, I mean just that. I’ve never had to question her motives with me, and she has been there through every single up and down. I promise if you were to look up “best friend” in the dictionary, her name would automatically pop up.

Anyway, I can be extremely private at times, especially in times when I’m feeling vulnerable — but Kia has always been a safe space for me. As I called Kia, feeling unaccomplished and unmotivated to do anything, it’s almost as if God automatically used her energy to raise my frequency. I told her how much I haven’t done and she instantly reminded me of how far I have come. I told her I felt uninspired and she sat on the phone and laughed.

I asked her what was funny and she told me how I inspire her everyday. She also told me how I motivated her to have a closer walk with Christ. At that moment, it was like a switch went off in my head. That, I am not only who I say I am, but I am also where I am supposed to be.

Depending on the season you are in, sometimes God needs you to be still. There is a lot of noise going on around us and there are moments where God just needs us to focus on Him. Thanks to my sista, Kia, I realized: I was focused on the resource when I should’ve been fixated on The Source.

Now, I am writing to you all in a stronger state of mind, and I want to encourage each of you to find powerful women. Sometimes, we believe that life is a solo journey, not realizing the folks in our tribe add to our story. To be able to call on my best friend in my time of hopelessness and receive the push I needed to get back on track was necessary. No matter the stereotypes about Black women, I know for a fact there is unity and power in the sisterhoods we have created — and I’m so blessed to be able to experience it first hand.

Who is a woman, sister, or friend who you can call on that you know has your back?