YOUR SPARKLE BY SARAH STRACK
I had this shirt as a child, it was black, flowy, off-the shoulders and read, in pink sparkly letters, “Don’t let anyone ever dull your sparkle.” It was my absolute favorite shirt to wear because it was 100% me.
At 11 years-old I already knew my brand and the type of person I wanted to be. Whenever I wore this shirt, I felt empowered, I felt seen, I felt as if I could do anything. That is until one day a classmate of mine pointed and said, “I dull your sparkle.”
I know he was joking but reality is there will always be someone out there who will dull your sparkle and they might do it without you knowing.
The teachers who criticize you for drawing outside the lines dull your sparkle. They dull you by training you to unlearn creativity. They train you to not live your brand. They train you to fit in because when you fit in, they no longer need to pay attention to you.
The fact is there will always be someone out there that will try to dull your sparkle but it is up to you to persevere and let your sparkle shine as bright as ever. This is when you go out and live your brand. This is when you shine and leave a little sparkle wherever you go.
