Don’t Water It Down!
I was writing something a few days ago, and I got to a point where I needed to describe an object that wasn’t quite stable. The word that came to mind was ‘wobbly’; it was the perfect fit. But guess what? I hesitated.
Instead of using wobbly, I swapped it for shaky.
Why? Because I didn’t want my work to sound strange or too unfamiliar. I didn’t want to risk throwing off my readers with a word they might not be used to. I wanted to keep it simple and relatable. But in doing so, I watered it down.
Wobbly isn’t a complicated word. It’s not even one of those deep, dictionary-digging kinds of words. But it captured what I meant far better than shaky ever could. Still, I let the fear of being ‘too much’ win.
And that’s what many of us do every single day.
We shrink our brilliance so we don’t ‘intimidate’ others. We second-guess our expressions, our ideas, our creativity just to blend in. Just to make others comfortable. Just to avoid standing out.
But here’s the thing: when you keep editing yourself to fit in, you rob people of the chance to grow. You rob them of discovery, of new words, new experiences, new perspectives.
You rob yourself, too, of the joy that comes from showing up as your full self, not a diluted version.
Don’t water it down, friend. Don’t tone it down just because you want to be ‘understood’ or liked or accepted.
Say what you mean. Express your truth. Use your words.
There’s a quiet satisfaction that comes from giving your best. From holding nothing back. From pouring it all out, even if not everyone gets it at first.
You were not made to be small or feeble. Be bold. Be vibrant. Be you. Don't shrink yourself into general opinions.
This is my message to you this month. Happy New Month, Scholars.
Blessed Paul #WASP #KSOC #AccountabilityChallenge 010825