The Courage to Be Authentically You

This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine!

I often open my emails by sending you "love and light". And I regularly close them by encouraging you to "keep shining your beautiful light". That's not accidental. And it's definitely not fluff. I'm inviting you to share the unique gifts, qualities, passions, and purpose that are yours to bring into this world.

See, I believe each of us has a light that God created within us—one with its own brilliance, warmth, and energy. Much like the stars in the night sky, each is different. But too often, we dim our light. We cover parts of it because we're afraid they're too bright, too colorful, too energetic, too awkward, too opinionated, too... much. Or maybe we look around and decide our light isn't enough. So, little by little, we replace pieces of ourselves with versions we believe will be more acceptable to everyone else.

Okay, enough with the metaphors… Let's get real.

We diminish our voice and presence, choosing not to speak up because we're worried about how our boss might react or what our peers might think (or say to each other... GASP!). When was the last time you didn't say what was really on your mind? Why?

We wear the "appropriate" clothes, adopt the expected appearance, and present ourselves in ways that communicate that we belong. Have you ever worn, said, or done something not because it felt like you, but because it was the unspoken norm?

We say the "right" things and play the part in leadership, parenting, relationships, and life because heaven forbid we go against the herd. Did you really choose that because you wanted it... or because that's what all the other ______ were doing?

Y'all, the high school drama is REAL in workplaces, neighborhood cliques, social circles, and communities. A lot of us never stopped trying to fit in. And I don't think that means we're fake. I think that we're human.

Belonging matters to us. Acceptance matters to us. There are also times when adapting to the people and environment around us is thoughtful, generous, and wise. The problem comes when belonging requires us to abandon ourselves. That's when we start dimming our light.

And isn't it interesting that so many of the stories we love most are about people who refused to do that?

They chose a different path.
They let their awkward out.
They said the thing.
They tried something nobody around them understood.
They made us think.
They couldn't find a path that felt like theirs… so they made one by walking it.

They didn't become extraordinary by trying to be different. They simply had the courage to become more fully themselves. And maybe that's the invitation for you this week. Not to reinvent yourself or prove how different you are.

Just to notice… What part of yourself have you been hiding or dimming? And what would it look like to take one small step closer to being fully, authentically you?

Your light doesn't need to look like anyone else's.

That's kind of the point.

One Brave Act of Being You

I don't want you to simply think about authenticity. I want you to practice it. Each day, choose one small thing that feels authentically like you, but that you might normally edit, hide, dismiss, or talk yourself out of.

Maybe you...

• Wear the thing that's a little more "you".

• Say what you actually think in the meeting.

• Tell someone what you really want.

• Share the idea you normally would have kept to yourself.

• Listen to the music you love and sing WAY too loudly.

• Try the hobby you've secretly been curious about.

• Say no without creating an elaborate justification.

• Say yes to something that lights you up.

• Let your awkward out…even a little.

It doesn't need to be dramatic. In fact, I'd rather it wasn't. This isn't about blowing up your life in the name of authenticity. It's about noticing all the tiny places where you've learned to edit yourself and experimenting with what happens when you don't. At the end of each day, simply ask: Did I feel a little more like myself today?

Then tomorrow... Do it again. One tiny act. One little bit more courage. One shade brighter. Because the world doesn't need another acceptable version of you. It needs your light.