Why Unscripted

Last year, during an IEP meeting for my youngest daughter, a word was used that stuck with me: compliant. It wasn’t inaccurate; she followed directions, completed tasks, did what was expected. But hearing it described so plainly felt heavier than I anticipated. It made me think about how much of my own life had looked the same.

Compliant. Performing. Doing what’s expected. My world had always been a stage, and I knew my role well. My birth announcement even said it: A Star Is Born. From early on, I understood what was required—be excellent, be strong, keep it together.

And that worked. Until it didn’t.

As I moved through my 40s, I started feeling off. Not burned out exactly, but disconnected from the rhythm I had always kept. Details slipped through the cracks. Focus became harder to maintain. I felt like I was slowly unraveling but didn’t know why.

Then came the ADHD diagnosis. And the realization that perimenopause was making those symptoms even more intense.

Everything started to make sense. I hadn’t lost control, I’d outgrown the script. Or, maybe it had never really fit.

The version of success I was performing didn’t feel like freedom. It felt like pressure. It felt like exhaustion. It felt like disappearing into a role I never fully chose.

So I started making different decisions. I let go of titles that no longer served me. I said no to people and opportunities that didn’t align with my values. I gave myself permission to walk away—not because I was quitting, but because the season had changed and so had I.

I began to tell the truth. About what it costs to look like you're thriving when you're really just surviving.

And that’s where Unscripted comes in.

This space is where I bring all the parts of my life—nonprofit leadership, financial coaching, operations strategy, parenting, personal growth—and lay them down without polish or performance. It’s where I say what I’m really learning about money, time, identity, and the systems that either support us or drain us.

Some weeks will be strategic. Some, reflective. Some might just be messy. But every edition will be honest.

Because I’m done performing. And if you’re ready to be done too, I hope you’ll stay.

~Rasheeda