“Don’t let someone dim your light because it is shining in their eyes”-David Roads
There’s a quiet moment we’ve all felt…. when our excitement softens, our truth tightens, or our energy shrinks just a little because we’re afraid of being “too much.” Maybe it’s in a conversation where you sense someone’s discomfort with your joy. Maybe it’s when you start downplaying your dreams because others seem stuck in theirs. Or maybe that you are like me and have major ADHD lol and can’t help to have too much energy. I literally get asked on the daily if I am drunk??? Like no, I am just positive, energetic and uplifting???
But here’s the truth I’ve been learning: dimming your light doesn’t help anyone else shine. It just makes the world a little dimmer.
In Life: Your Light Is Permission, Not Competition
For years, I used to think that standing in my light, being fully myself, fully expressive, might make others feel left out or less than. Especially as an empath, a Reflector, and someone who feels the room before I even walk into it, I’d adjust my brightness to match everyone else’s. I would make sure to be quiet and calm when I felt like the room wasn’t ready for my energy…
But what I’ve realized is this: our light isn’t meant to overpower. It’s meant to inspire.
When you allow yourself to be seen, to live your truth out loud, you silently give permission for others to do the same! You say, “It’s safe to shine here.” You can help others come out of their shell and uplift the energy in any room!
Haven’t you walked into somewhere and the space feels off to you??? Look around, notice the surroundings. Are people being friendly, talking, laughing? Can you tell if others are being quiet and reserved? Well lucky for them, when I walk into a room I change that negative energy quickly… and so can you.
That’s leadership in its purest form. It doesn’t require a title or a platform. Just presence.
Replace the negative with conversations with strangers, smiles that others needed that day, energy that bounces off the walls. Because you know what? I can promise you, you will change that atmosphere.
In Real Estate: Authentic Energy Sells Every Time
Real estate isn’t just about houses. It’s about energy. People don’t buy walls; they buy the feeling of a space. And they don’t trust a façade. They trust authenticity.
When I first started in real estate, I thought professionalism meant perfection. Polished, guarded, untouchable. But the moments my clients connected deepest were the ones where I was just me — messy bun, coffee in hand, talking about life as much as listings. I show up with my loud music, energetic heart and warm vibes.
When I stopped dimming my light to “fit in” with the industry and started leading with my heart, the right clients started finding me. The ones who weren’t just buying homes, but building lives. The ones who wanted to feel seen and understood.
Your energy sells more than your strategy ever will. Because people can feel when your light is on and they’ll follow it home.
In Relationships: Don’t Shrink to Be Loved
If you’ve ever watered yourself down to make someone comfortable. I see you, because I’ve been there. For a long time (10 years to be exact), I let my light dim so someone else’s could feel brighter. In my marriage, I softened my edges, tucked away my dreams, and carried the weight of his ambitions while quietly setting mine aside. I thought that’s what love was, giving until I disappeared.
But real love doesn’t ask you to shrink so someone else can stand taller. It asks you to grow together, side by side, each bringing your own glow to the fire. Sometimes they only care about their own light and to make sure you ignite theirs for them…..
The right relationships: romantic, friendship, business, or otherwise. Will celebrate your shine, not compete with it. They’ll stand beside you, not in front of you. They’ll reflect your light back to you when you forget how radiant you are.
And if someone can’t meet you there, if they only see your light as a threat instead of a gift, that’s not your cue to dim. It’s your invitation to step into spaces where your glow can finally breathe.
In Spirit: Protecting Your Light
Being a Reflector, I’ve learned that my energy is a mirror. I absorb everything! Joy, fear, excitement, doubt. So protecting my light isn’t selfish; it’s sacred.
That means cleansing my aura after long days, journaling when emotions feel heavy, stepping outside under the Charleston sky when I need to breathe again.
It means saying “no” without guilt, taking quiet mornings before big showings, and remembering that not every room deserves all of me.
You can’t pour light from an empty soul. Refill, recharge, and return to the world glowing from the inside out.
The Truth
When you choose to shine, authentically, vulnerably, unapologetically, you don’t take light from others. You amplify it!!!! The world doesn’t need more quiet souls playing small; it needs real ones, glowing boldly in their truth. So we can help others shine their truth as well!!!!
So let yourself be seen. Speak with conviction. Laugh loud. Post the photo you love. Tell your story, even if your voice shakes. Walk into every room like your light belongs there. Because it does.
And if anyone’s afraid of your shine, bless them and keep glowing anyway. 🌹
Because the moon doesn’t apologize for rising at night?? It just shows up, every day, and reminds us all that we can, too. In darkness we can be the light!
xoxo, Alli ❤
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