When did we start believing we were too much? That our dreams needed to be smaller, our voices softer, our light dimmer? I remember the exact moment - sitting in a room full of people, holding back tears because someone said I was "intense," watching my fire turn to ember, trying to be a softer, quieter, more palatable version of myself.
Here's what they don't tell you about confidence: it's not about never being afraid. It's about being terrified and still taking up space. It's about shaking inside but standing firm. It's about feeling like an imposter but showing up anyway. It's about all those moments when you wanted to shrink but chose to expand instead.
I've learned that every time you silence yourself, a piece of your soul falls asleep. Every time you swallow your truth to make others comfortable, your spirit loses its sparkle. And one day, if you're not careful, you wake up as a stranger in your own life, living someone else's version of your story.
But here's the beautiful truth - you can wake up. You can reclaim every piece of yourself you've ever hidden away. Your intensity? It's your passion. Your sensitivity? It's your superpower. Your ambition? It's your birthright. All those parts of you that others called too much? They're exactly what the world needs.
Remember when you were little? Before the world told you to be less, before you learned to apologize for your existence? That child knew something we forgot - that we were born complete, born worthy, born with a crown of stardust that no one could take away unless we handed it over ourselves.
This mark I wear isn't just ink - it's a declaration. A reminder that I'm done dimming my light to make others comfortable. I'm done apologizing for the space I take up in the world. I'm done trying to fold my infiniteness into someone else's box.
Because here's what I know now: Confidence isn't something you acquire - it's something you remember. It's remembering that you were born with everything you need. That your existence itself is a miracle. That you don't need permission to be magnificent.
So wear your crown of confidence. Let it be crooked. Let it be bold. Let it be uniquely yours. And when the world tries to tell you you're too much, smile and say "Thank you." Because being too much is infinitely better than being too little of who you were meant to be.
