Have you ever been told to "just be grateful" when you actually felt exhausted, unseen, or overwhelmed? For high-achievers, creatives, and entrepreneurs, especially those managing perfectionism, gratitude can feel less like a comfort and more like a "muzzle"—a performance that silences the real story of your struggle and hard work.

In this powerful session, host and therapist Burgundy Holiday introduces the concept of the "Gratitude Trap" and the "Muzzled Win": when your biggest public success feels like it costs you your private truth. This episode is a permission slip to stop performing gratitude and start using it as a private, radical tool for self-preservation and a powerful antidote to your inner critic.

• What is the "Gratitude Trap"? How the pressure to be grateful can become a tool of perfectionism and a way to silence your valid frustrations.

• The "Muzzled in" Phenomenon: Why your biggest public wins can sometimes feel like a trap that stops you from speaking your truth.

• A Radical Reframe: How to shift gratitude from a public performance for others into a private "evidence log" for yourself.

• Gratitude as Data: Learn how to use gratitude as a strategic tool to build a "success file" against your inner critic, perfectionism, and imposter syndrome.

• Anti-Perfectionist Gratitude: Discover the power of "messy gratitude"—the practice of being grateful for your anger, your tears, and the difficult emotions that provide valuable information.

• Building Your Own Throne: Stop seeking external validation and instead build a powerful, internal sense of self-worth.

This isn't about feeling grateful; it's about collecting evidence.

1. Start Your Evidence Log: In a journal or a note on your phone, write down one thing you are truly grateful for. Then, add this specific sentence: "This evidence is for me and me alone."

2. Honor Your "Negative" Emotions: Identify one difficult emotion you felt this week (anger, sadness, frustration). Write down one reason you are grateful for the information that emotion gave you. What boundary did it reveal? What truth did it signal?

• Read the Blog: Dive deeper into this topic with the accompanying post: The Gratitude Trap: Why 'Be Grateful' Is the Last Thing a Black Woman Needs to Hear

• Join the Challenge: Burgandy is launching a 30-day Authentic Gratitude Challenge. Follow along on social media and join us in this experiment of data collection.

Ready to Stop Performing and Start Healing?

If you’re a high-achiever tired of managing perfectionism and feeling trapped by the pressure to "have it all together," you don't have to do it alone. Be True Counseling offers a confidential, culturally competent space to be seen, honored, and empowered in your full truth.

We invite you to schedule a free consultation with our team. Visit betruecounseling.com to learn more.