True courage

By Jacqueline Camacho

Throughout my life, I have been a master in the art of invisibility. On countless occasions, I have turned off my own glow as if it were an annoying light in the midst of the darkness accepted by all. I have chosen to make myself small, molded myself to the expectations of others, and idealized the version of myself that I believed would be more accepted by society.

But at what cost? By hiding my essence, my magic, I have discovered that the only wound that really persists is the one inflicted by myself. I prefer to cloud myself and hide, even though every step in that direction goes against my true nature and distances me from the authenticity I so long for.

In my constant quest for growth, I have stumbled upon the fact that I cannot fulfill the dreams of others in a life where I am the main writer. Every time I turn off my shine to fit into a predefined mold, I am sacrificing my authenticity on the altar of superficial acceptance.