You Are Not “Too Much”

I used to tone myself down.

I’d quiet my opinions in conversations.
I’d dim my excitement so I wouldn’t seem “dramatic.”
I’d shrink my presence so I wouldn’t make anyone uncomfortable.

I became less of myself so I could be more accepted.

And you know what? It didn’t work.

No matter how small I made myself, someone always had something to say. I was still “too loud,” “too sensitive,” or “too ambitious.” And after years of trying to fit into a version of myself that pleased everyone else, I asked the only question that mattered:

What if I stopped trying to be less… and just let myself be?

Because here’s the truth: You are not “too much.” You have just been around people who could not hold the fullness of you.

You don’t need to dilute your energy to be lovable.
You don’t need to water yourself down to fit in.
You don’t need to apologize for being the bold, vibrant, passionate person that you are.

You were never meant to be small.

So this is your permission slip: Take up space. Own your energy. Be every bit of YOU. Because the right people—the ones who see your magic—will never ask you to be less of yourself.

Rooting for you, always,
Joanna