Here’s something I love about fireworks. The second they start, everybody stops. Conversations pause, phones tilt upward, and a whole crowd of strangers leans their heads back to watch something burn as bright as it possibly can. Nobody in that crowd mutters, “well, that one’s a bit much, isn’t it?” We just watch, and we love it.

All over the world, people light up the sky on purpose. Diwali, Lunar New Year, weddings, festivals, the stroke of a new year. Different countries, different reasons, the same instinct underneath. When something matters, when something is worth celebrating, we send light into the dark and we let everyone see it.

So here’s my honest question. When did we decide that rule applies to fireworks but not to us?

The slow art of dimming yourself…part II

Most of us didn’t turn our own light down in one big dramatic moment. It happened slowly, in tiny edits we barely noticed. A teacher who preferred us quieter. An offhand comment about being “a lot” or “too extra.” A job where the safe move was to go along and blend in. Over time we absorbed the lesson the world kept repeating: be impressive, but not too impressive. Have dreams, but keep them reasonable. Shine, but politely.

And we got good at it. So good that dimming our brilliance stopped feeling like a choice and started feeling like our personality. I want to name a few of the quiet ways this shows up, because honestly, half the work is just catching ourselves in the act.

•       You finish a real accomplishment and immediately wave it off with “oh, it was nothing.”

•       You open a good idea in a meeting with “this is probably nothing, but…”

•       You keep the dream filed under “someday hobby” so nobody can ask how it’s going.

•       You skip the opportunity because you only meet eight of the ten requirements.

•       You wait to be picked, hoping someone hands you the permission you could give yourself.

•       You shrink a bold plan into a smaller one so it fits the room you happen to be standing in.

•       You apologize for taking up time, space, or attention that was honestly yours to take.

Read that list slowly. If a couple of them landed a little too well, you are in very good company. I have done most of them, and a few of them this month.

Your light was never the problem

Here’s the reframe I keep coming back to: the brilliant spark in you is not a flaw to manage. It’s the whole point.

You came into this life with a specific set of gifts. Call them God-given, call them your nature, call them whatever rings true for you. Either way, they were given to you for a reason, and they do not become more valuable by staying hidden. A talent you keep apologizing for is still a talent. A dream you keep minimizing is still your dream. The light never went anywhere. It’s been sitting patiently under all those polite little edits, waiting for you to stop being embarrassed by it.

And the people who needed you to stay small, by the way, usually weren’t villains. Often they were just more comfortable with a version of you that didn’t ask them to grow too. That’s worth a little compassion. It’s also not a good enough reason to spend your one life set to half brightness.

If this resonates with you, you feel deep down you have dreams that feel “fleeting” or “I could never be capable of that” or “how would/could I even begin that?” let’s chat. Your gifts are unique to you and the world needs you now more than ever. You have to decide to take that first step and I am here to help you do just that. Put your fear on the back burner… What if it could be easy to have the life you would love? Connect with me here: https://soulstepstlc.com/schedule-your-discovery-session/ As Goethe said “Whatever you think you can do, begin it. Boldness has Genius, Power, & Magic in it!!” I look forward to connecting with you!

Nicole