I am originally from Atlanta, Ga. For so many years, I found myself shrinking and dimming my light to make others comfortable. I became so caught up in meeting the expectations of those around me that I lost sight of the woman God created me to be. I thought that to belong, I had to be liked, and so I poured myself into people-pleasing, always striving to fit in, even if it meant hiding parts of who I really was. I didn’t want to be labeled that "Jesus girl".

So, I let fear and perfectionism convince me if I didn’t check every box or have it all figured out, then maybe I wasn’t good enough. Deep down, I felt stuck, trapped in a cycle of overthinking, trying to control everything, and constantly striving, but never arriving.

But here’s what God taught me: He didn’t call me to blend in. He didn’t call me to fit into anyone else’s mold. He called me to flourish. As I began to surrender and let go of perfectionism and fear, I experienced something beautiful: FREEDOM! AND BOY DOES IT FEEL GOOD!

One of the most profound revelations I had was this: every time I dimmed my light, I wasn’t just holding myself back. I was robbing the world of the unique impact God designed me to have. Living small isn’t humility; it’s disobedience to His call to shine.