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Your friend calls, and instead of being glad to hear from her, you think, "Lord, what now?" Then you feel guilty for thinking it.

If you're the strong friend, the one everybody leans on, that irritation doesn't make you a bad friend. It usually means you've been giving more than you actually have.

In this solo episode, Rho gets honest about strong friend burnout, people pleasing, and why "I'm good" might be the most exhausting sentence you say all week. She shares the season when she lost her job, kept it to herself, and still showed up for a family member in an abusive marriage like nothing had changed. And she asks the uncomfortable question: what part of this pattern did I help create?

You'll walk away with four small shifts:

• Pause before the automatic yes
• Ask "Do you want me to listen, or help you figure it out?" and decide what's actually yours to carry
• Feel the guilt after saying no without taking the no back
• Let people help you without turning it into a trade

This episode answers:

• Why do I feel resentful when friends lean on me?
• How do I set boundaries without feeling guilty?
• How do I stop people pleasing without becoming less loving?
• Why is it so hard to ask for help or receive it?

Journal question: Where have I confused being needed with being loved?

Your challenge: In the next 24 hours, catch yourself in one moment where you'd normally leave yourself. Just notice. Then choose again.

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More episodes at www.hold-my-purse.com

If this one made you think of your strong friend, send it to her. Then check on her. Really check.

Hold My Purse is a self-care and self-love podcast for women who are done pretending. Conversations on relationships, boundaries, identity, purpose and starting over, hosted by Rho.

Stay aligned, stay unbothered, and hold your own damn purse.

Email address: rho@hold-my-purse.com

Website: https://www.hold-my-purse.com/

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