Reclaiming your Light
The Courage to Be Fully Yourself
How much of yourself have you edited to be more palatable to others? To your family? Society? Or perhaps to make your relationships smoother and more comfortable? In many ways, we are all sculptors of our own identities, constantly adjusting our light to fit into the molds we believe will make us accepted. But, in doing so, how much of your authentic self have you dimmed? How small have you made yourself to avoid being seen as “too much”?
The act of dimming ourselves often comes with a significant cost, one that may take years to recognize but runs deeply through our lives.
The Cost of Dimming
When we suppress parts of ourselves to make others comfortable, the consequences are often quiet but profound. It may feel like:
A feeling of disconnection from your true self: Over time, we can lose sight of who we are at our core. The person we present to the world becomes so different from who we truly are that it can feel like we're living someone else's life.
Chronic exhaustion: Constantly suppressing your natural energy and rhythms takes a significant toll. Whether it’s holding back your enthusiasm, your opinions, or your emotions, the effort of not being yourself can lead to a deep fatigue that never seems to lift.
A sense of being unseen or unfulfilled: When we limit ourselves to fit into other people's expectations, we can often feel invisible—like no one is truly seeing the essence of who we are. It’s as if the real, vibrant you is hiding behind a mask.
Resentment or grief: Those parts of yourself that have been silenced or ignored often stir up feelings of anger or sadness. The unexpressed parts of who you are can lead to deep grief, or worse, resentment towards those who, knowingly or unknowingly, have encouraged you to diminish yourself.
These costs aren’t abstract—they manifest in our lives as a subtle but constant undercurrent of dissatisfaction. But it doesn’t have to be this way.
The Courage to Reclaim Your Light
Reclaiming your light is an act of profound courage. It’s a return to your true self, not a pursuit of something new. It’s remembering the parts of you that have been hidden, silenced, or ignored—and bringing them back into the light with compassion and care.
It begins with curiosity—understanding when and why you started to dim your light. Ask yourself: Whose comfort was prioritized over your truth? Was it a parent, a friend, society at large? Dive into these moments with curiosity, kindness, and compassion for the version of you that made those decisions.
This exploration doesn’t come with judgment; it’s about recognizing the ways we have been conditioned to shrink, and doing so without shame. By looking back with love, we begin to soften the narrative that we are “too much” or “too loud,” or that we need to shrink in order to be accepted.
The Process of Reawakening
Reawakening to your full, radiant self is a journey that involves expression, embodiment, and self-remembering.
Expression: Start by giving yourself permission to express what’s inside, whether that’s through creativity, speaking your truth, or simply being more open about your feelings. Let yourself be seen, heard, and felt by the world.
Embodiment: Reconnect with your body, with the way it moves, feels, and responds to the world. Often, our physical bodies hold the memory of who we are before society told us who to be. Take the time to listen to what your body needs and how it wants to move.
Sacred Self-Remembering: This is the deep and holy act of reclaiming those parts of you that have been forgotten. The person you were before the world told you to play small. It’s about shedding the conditioning, fear, and external expectations that have kept you from fully embodying the radiant being you’ve always been.
What if "Too Much" Is Actually Your Brilliance?
What if all those times you’ve been told you were “too much” were really just a reflection of your brilliance? What if being “too much” isn’t a flaw, but your deep, untapped aliveness? Your passion, your depth, your energy—these are the things that make you who you are. Perhaps they are the very qualities that the world needs most.
What if your radiance—the very essence of who you are—has the potential to light up the world, in ways that only you can?
There’s a reason why we’re all so uniquely different. The world doesn’t need you to shrink. It needs you to step into your full, unapologetic self.
The Return Home
Reclaiming your light isn’t about becoming someone new or trying to fit into a mold—it’s about returning to the truth of who you’ve always been. It’s about shedding the expectations that have held you back and stepping into the fullest expression of yourself.
So, ask yourself: How much of your light have you dimmed for the comfort of others? And what would it take to let it shine once more, unapologetically and boldly?
Your radiance is needed, not just for your own fulfillment, but for the greater good of the world. You are not too much. You are exactly what the world has been waiting for.
