Tell your own story

You ever watch a TV show or movie and suddenly feel like parts of it are resonating a little too much?

There’s one episode — “I’m With Stupid” — where SpongeBob does a favor for his best friend Patrick. Patrick’s parents are visiting, and he wants to impress them. So in an act of kindness, he agrees to play dumb so Patrick can appear smarter and more competent than he really is.

SpongeBob plays the role so convincingly fumbling with words, acting clueless, and downplaying his intelligence that Patrick starts to not only believe the act, but mock and even bully him for it. He joins in on the teasing, forgetting it was all an act. What started as a favor becomes a public performance of humiliation. SpongeBob, tired of being humiliated and exploited pulls Patrick aside privately and tells him how much this is hurting him, but Patrick continues. So, SpongeBob finally breaks 'character' and shows who he really is intelligent, articulate, capable and of sound mind.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0SCYFOtefU

And you’d think that would be the moment the parents realize the truth. But no. the parents turn to Patrick and praise him for “teaching” SpongeBob how to speak and think. They gave him the credit and the glory for the growth, the same growth he never contributed to and actually tried to stifle... in fact, he tore his so called friend down while trying to bask in the glow of a light he didn’t ignite.

Now, here’s the real-world version because this is just a cartoon but can act as a lesson.

Many of us, out of love, humility, grief, insecurities, past pain, wounds and trauma, walk into rooms dimming our light. Playing small and downplaying our gifts to make others comfortable. We pretend we don’t know, can’t lead, or shouldn’t shine and in doing so, create space for others to rewrite our story. Sometimes they position themselves as saviors in your journey, despite having doubted or demeaned and in some cases intentionally sabotaged or created new wounds in you.

And if you're not careful, they’ll try to take the glory or credit for your growth and glow-up the same glow and growth they once mocked and doubted.

The lesson here is simple, but it’s not always easy: when you don’t own your brilliance someone else will try to or try to call it something else.

If you don’t speak up in truth and tell your own story someone else might write their own version of your story. And guess what character you'll play? Not the hero! You'll play the fool, the sidekick, or worse, the villain.

Let this be a reminder: You don’t have to shrink to be kind. You don’t have to play small to keep the peace.

Show up in every room as yourself. Fully. Authentically. Brilliantly.

Because the ones who truly love you won’t feel threatened by your light they’ll reflect it back.

And if someone does try to take credit for your shine, your glow up, your ascension...

Remind them respectfully or loudly "All Glory goes to Thee Most High"...and that you’ve been glowing. They just couldn’t see it behind the favor you did by dimming yourself.

Own your light. Own your story. Or someone else will try to write it for you.

Which brings me to my last point:

When someone enters a space carrying trauma, their presence might initially read as fragmented perhaps shy, uncertain, or even naive. Those first impressions often stick like glue, especially in environments that aren’t trained to recognize the silent echoes of survival. What looks like incompetence might actually be hypervigilance. What seems like insecurity may be someone assessing safety before they dare to be fully seen.

This can lead to unfair conclusions that follow a person long after they’ve begun to heal and evolve. Growth becomes invisible to those clinging to outdated versions of who they first met.

But the opposite is also true—some show up polished and seem perfectly trustworthy. And only later do their masks slip, revealing manipulation or deception that was hidden. Something like wolf in sheep's clothing!

The takeaway? First impressions are snapshots, not documentaries. They capture a moment, not the whole story. We need to see people as evolving, not fixed, to recognize that how someone shows up at first might be a survival strategy, not their true self. Still, because the world often judges quickly, if you’re someone who needs time to feel safe before revealing your whole self, be sure to show enough in those first moments to reflect who you truly are.

But let's not forget....

Sometimes the Most High places you exactly where you’re meant to be—not to break you, but to open your eyes to what’s around you. While you’re quietly evolving, others may be unknowingly revealing their true nature. What feels like hardship may actually be revelation.

The Divine doesn’t always protect us by removing us from situations. Sometimes we are shielded in plain sight, growing quietly, learning deeply, and witnessing the hearts of others as well as the hearts of ourselves because you also have work to do on self. People may mistake your stillness for weakness or your humility for lack of value, not realizing there’s strength in divine concealment. The soil may be dry, the environment challenging, yet you continue to rise—not because of anyone’s approval, but because that’s who you are.

The truth? The test was never yours alone—it also revealed the intentions and the hearts of those around you.

And when your season to bloom arrives, some may suddenly want to be part of your light—even if they once overlooked it. That’s human nature. But your journey isn’t about proving anyone wrong—becoming bitter over it or telling your story from a victim standpoint. The journey is taking what you've learned to become a better version of yourself and others.

So keep showing up as the lighthouse you are. Don’t shrink to make others comfortable. Stand tall, shine bright, and write your own story or someone else will.