disowning the gift too soon

Most of us don’t abandon our gifts on purpose.
We disown them to survive.

You were probably told, directly or subtly:
✧ “You’re too much.”
✧ “You’re too quiet.”
✧ “You take things too seriously.”
✧ “You overthink everything.”
✧ “You feel too deeply.”
✧ “You should be more like...”

And because belonging matters more than expression —
especially when we’re young —
you adapted.

You made yourself digestible.
Pleasant. Efficient.
You traded power for acceptance.

And over time…
that brilliant part of you?
You didn’t just hide it.
You forgot it was even yours.

The trait didn’t leave.
It got buried in shame.
And now, even when you’re finally in the right room —
you can’t bring it forward.

Because the association isn’t gift.
It’s threat.

But here’s the truth:
You were never too much.
They were just not the ones who could hold what you carried.

And now —
you get to remember what you were always meant to bring.

✧ quiet prompt:

What part of you have you outgrown hiding?

🌒 go deeper:

→ read: trait shame, identity exile, and context mismatch → chapter: decoding