Do Not Dim Your Light

My daughter will not leave the house without being in full costume for the day. Her authenticity flows freely. Her inner voice clears the way for courage. She does not have inner chatter wondering what others might think of her creativity.

She wakes up each day ready to embrace the hero she chooses to be. One morning, she’s Cinderella, moving through the world with kindness. The next, she’s Queen Elsa—powerful and playful—calling her little brother Olaf and freezing my wife and I in place with her imaginary superpowers.

What strikes me most is that she’s not held captive to the “resistance.” There’s no inner chatter holding her back, no social norms tying her down. She leads with her heart—unafraid, unfiltered, and fully herself.  

She’s shown me how often I hold back—how that voice in my head convinces me to stay small, to stay quiet for fear of judgment, to shrink behind what’s expected instead of letting my true self shine.  

She’s showing me that it’s beautiful to be authentic. Hiding behind our talents deprives the world of our gifts. Playing small doesn’t serve anyone!

Lately, I’ve been returning to the words of Anthony de Mello:

“Don’t change. Don’t change. I love you just the way you are.”

When we embrace ourselves—flaws, gifts, and all—we unlock our superpowers. And this world needs our light. It needs our leadership.

Wear your cape this week even if that is as simple as a smile in a room of strangers. Be bold enough to be you.

Next week, I’m going to reflect on what we’re doing at Century and what can be improved to cultivate fertile soil for our teammates to wear their cape like my daughter does so well.

Onward,

Matt