You Were Not Built to Shrink: A Letter to the Called

There’s nothing wrong with you. You are just too big for the box they put you in.
For too long, I questioned whether I was “too much.” Too vocal. Too visible. Too visionary. I tried to dim the light, shrink the gift, and dilute the message—just to make other people comfortable.
But purpose won’t let you play small.
I have learned that when you are called to disrupt, to build, to lead with fire and faith—you will never be able to blend in. You are not built to. You were built to break chains. To shift culture. To carry oil.

The Truth About Shrinking

Shrinking doesn’t keep you safe—it keeps you stuck.
It keeps you hidden in rooms you’ve outgrown.
It keeps you asking for permission in spaces that couldn’t handle your fullness even if you gave them a manual. When we shrink, we teach others how to see us small. But when we walk in our calling, we remind the world that brilliance cannot be boxed.

What I Know Now

I now know that I was never meant to fit in. I was designed to stand out, to challenge the system, and to make space for others to rise. That does not mean that I always felt ready. It just means that I was willing to show up anyway. And if you are reading this…If you have ever questioned your voice, your presence, your path—let me remind you: You were not built to shrink. You were born to shift.

A Charge to the Called

Stop asking if you’re too much. Start asking what happens when you show up fully.
Because somebody is waiting on your “yes” to find their own.
Let your voice be loud. Let your vision be unapologetically bold.
You don’t owe smallness to anyone.

Let’s Reflect:

– In what ways are you shrinking right now?
– What gifts have you been hiding that need to breathe?
– What would happen if you stopped editing yourself and started expanding?

You were not built to shrink. You were built to rebuild. To reclaim. To rise.
Walk boldly. The world needs what’s in you.