Shine On

Kelly started her working life in a pretty standard office environment.  She wanted to succeed and so she did her best to fit in.  In reality, there’s nothing standard about Kelly. So fitting in meant trying to hide her true self.

She felt she was good at her job and sought to climb the corporate ladder.  When a role opened up that seemed like a natural next step for her, Kelly was hopeful.  Those hopes were quickly squashed when she didn’t even get an interview.  The rejection causes Kelly to look at herself critically. 

“I thought it was about my whole package -- the way I look, the way I dress,” she remembers.  “I felt like I had to hide myself even more.”

At the time, it was hard for Kelly to see the effect that hiding herself was having.  She thought she was doing what everyone does.  Now she’s in a better place, things look different.

Kelly leaves that job.  She starts a pair of side hustles that fuel her more creative desires. Those creative endeavours mean that Kelly is surrounding herself with people who get her.  There’s no need for hiding.

Having that outlet might seem like a small thing.  Those side hustles haven’t yet developed into full-time business, though she may very well be on her way.  And yet the effect on her sense of self and her overall well-being is pretty apparent to her now. 

“I feel like I’m exuding a different light now,” says Kelly. “I’m shining a different way. Maybe I’m just shining where I wasn’t shining before.”

If you feel like you have to hide yourself to fit into a company or a role, that’s probably a sign you’re in the wrong place.  Sounds pretty obvious, I know.  But how many times do let ourselves adapt to fit the expectations of others.  Either at work, home or socially, we often conform to the roles that other expect us to play.   

Just because you know the script and the costume fits, doesn’t mean that you have to play that part.  Choose to shine instead.