Why Belinda from White Lotus Feels So Familiar
This week, we’re talking about self-prioritization, soft life, and the end of overgiving at work.
April 13, 2025
🌟 Welcome back to the Dreaming + Doing Sunday Digest, where we gather to restore, reflect, and prepare for the week ahead. Here’s the TL;DR (Too Long; Didn’t Read)
A story about Belinda’s arc in The White Lotus and what it teaches us about choosing ourselves over performance
A poll on where you are in your Belinda Era journey.
Hiring Trends to Know & Workplace Wins and Woes
Ask Ariane: How to correct someone who mispronounces your name—without shrinking yourself
A Throwback
This week’s Messy Mantra
There is something painfully familiar about Belinda in Season 1 of The White Lotus. She’s the quietly brilliant spa manager, overbooked and underappreciated, doing world-class emotional labor while wealthy white guests unload their baggage—literal and emotional—on her massage table. When Tanya promises to fund her dream wellness business, you can feel Belinda holding her breath. She’s not hopeful; she’s just used to being disappointed with a smile on her face. She’s every Black woman who’s ever been sold a vague promise in exchange for her calm, her competence, and her silence.
Fast forward to Season 3, Belinda and baybee- now her situation has changed.
When Greg tries it with hush money, she’s ready to walk—until her son Zion leans in with that Gen-Z finesse, flips the negotiation, and they walk away with $5 million. Did she help cover up a murder? Possibly. She’s in her villain era. Belinda takes her bag, her son, and gets to be rich for more than five minutes. She gets to do it on her terms with no effs given. She even breaks things off with Pornchai—not out of coldness, but because she finally chooses herself. And I felt that in my chest.
This is the arc. From self-sacrifice to self-prioritization. From being a vessel for other people’s healing to finally becoming her own damn sanctuary. No more waiting for approval. No more apologizing for choosing herself.
So what do you think? Are you prioritizing your peace this season? Or does your cup runneth over with more effs to give?
Work Culture and Hiring Trends You Should Know
Phylicia Rashad knows her purpose; career advice from this Tony-award winning actress.
Talk to Me Nice pre-order Minda Hart's latest book on the seven trust languages in the workplace!
My voice note on working with unstable managers and the quiet exit plans we don’t talk about enough.
A Throwback:
Nas dropped “If I Ruled the World” in 1996, and even as a teen, I felt that anthem in my soul.
It was revolutionary, aspirational—a Black future vision with Lauryn Hill on the hook (perfection). It also marked Nas' first big crossover hit, taking his message from the streets of Queensbridge to MTV and mainstream charts.
If I ruled the workplace? More autonomy. Real PTO. Setting boundaries is a thing. We wouldn’t have to worry about work stress on our mental health. And the freedom to show up fully.
If you ruled the workplace, what’s the first thing you’d change?
Ask Ariane: Unsolicited Career Advice
How Do I Correct Someone Who Mispronounces My Name (Without It Getting Weird)?
Short answer: you just do. You don’t have to shrink or twist yourself up to protect someone else’s comfort.
If it’s public, say: “Actually, it’s pronounced []. Just wanted to make sure you had it right.”
If it’s private, a quick, “Hey—just so you know, my name’s pronounced []” works just fine.
Also, you do not have to shorten your name to make it “easier” for others. That’s a personal choice, not a requirement. You deserve to have your name spoken in full, with respect and integrity.
And for the folks doing the butchering? Let’s normalize asking someone how to pronounce their name before you mangle it and make them do the emotional labor of correcting you.
Pro tip: Add the pronunciation to your email signature or LinkedIn profile with a quick audio recording. Tools like NameCoach, LinkedIn’s name recording feature, and even Loom work great for this.
Messy Mantra for the Week (because healing is not linear)
That’s it for this week! If you enjoyed this, hit subscribe, and I’ll see you next week. Until then: you are enough. Always. ✨
Ariane
Book Me to Speak:
My talks challenge how we define work, urging us to unhook our worth from our jobs, question the “normal” work culture habits that keep us stuck, and expand our vision beyond corporate limits. I bring an informed, no-nonsense perspective rooted in 15 years of experience in career consulting, social impact and advocacy. As the author of Dreaming on Purpose, the Black woman’s career guide to building a liberated career without sacrificing her soul, I help audiences navigate career transitions with clarity, confidence, and ease. Hire me for keynotes, to facilitate powerful conversations and/or host fireside chats. To book me for your next event, reply to this email or visit:https://www.arianehunter.com/speaking.