NEVER FLATTEN ANYTHING ABOUT YOURSELF
Dazzle Digest | 05.10.22My sweet girl’s birthday is this week, so I’m sharing a throwback post in her honor. I wrote this when she was in third grade and started sharing it on stage a couple of years later. “Never flatten anything about yourself” quickly became the most quoted phrase from my keynotes and inspired my latest talk. May you never forget your differences are your strengths.
One night P asked me to braid her hair before bed so she could go to school with wavy hair. The bounce in her step was as big as the bounce in her curls as she hopped out of the car the next morning. But a classmate’s harsh words left her completely deflated by the time I picked her up.
I wrote this letter the following weekend so she’ll remember to always be true to herself, even when it’s hard. I go back to it from time to time when I need the reminder myself and am sharing it here in case you ever need it too:
Dear precious P,
Your excitement was contagious Friday morning as I let out the braids you slept in to reveal tight curls in your normally straight hair. You couldn’t wait to show your friends.
My heart broke in half when you later told me another child said that “you aren’t pretty with curly hair,” and it shattered in a million pieces when you tearfully confessed you went to the restroom and wet your hair to try to “flatten” your curls.
Please don’t ever flatten anything about yourself.
Not your hair. Not your personality. Not your ambition or your effervescent spirit. Not a single thing.
Never give someone else the power to turn your excitement into embarrassment again.
You are beautiful with curls. You are beautiful without curls. You are beautiful from the inside out.
To year, dear reader,
Never flatten anything about yourself because of someone else either. Be as curly as you want to be.
LIKE WHAT YOU JUST READ?
SIGN UP FOR FREE WEEKLY EMAILS LIKE THIS TO GET
THE TOOLS AND INSPIRATION YOU NEED TO:
use your unique talents to tackle tasks, no matter how big or how small
—
solve problems and innovate new ideas by using your distinct point of view
—
combat limiting obstacles through courageous action
—
confidently lead and empower others to perform at their best too
LAUREN PASQUALONE, LLC
Copyright © 2023