What Comes Next: Success on Your Own Terms

I remember getting the call—and feeling that knot in my stomach. More money, a bigger title—the kind of offer that’s supposed to be a dream. But as I listened, I already knew: This wasn’t it.

Turning it down felt like failing. Like I was saying no to success. Like I was wasting all the hard work that got me here. Like I was letting someone—everyone—down.

But that offer wasn’t the first time. I’ve chased the milestones—the ones that made others clap. The ones that looked like success but left me empty.

This month, we’ve talked about Black excellence, resilience, and the weight we carry. We’ve honored those who paved the way. We’ve acknowledged the exhaustion that can come with being “twice as good.” And we’ve reminded ourselves that even standing still is sometimes an act of excellence.

But now, as we close out Black History Month, I want to talk about what comes next.

Survival is the foundation. But we deserve more than just surviving. We deserve to build lives that work for us—on our terms, at our own pace.

What does excellence look like when it’s not tied to proving our worth to others? What if it looked like freedom? Joy? Balance?

Because excellence doesn’t have to be loud. It doesn’t have to be exhausting. And it doesn’t have to be a constant race.

Excellence can be:

• Pursuing a career goal—but on your own schedule.

• Saying no to what drains you—without guilt.

• Building a soft, joyful life—without needing to justify it.

• Showing up for your family—and resting when you need it.

It can be any version of success that works for you. Because the path is yours. The pace is yours. And the life you build—it can be full, free, and yours alone.

Excellence is yours to define.

'Cause wah fi yuh, cyaan un fi yuh.

~Meisha