The real transformation isn't that you start "speaking your truth"—it's that you stop editing it down for optics. You stop running simultaneous translations of everything you say, wondering how it might land, what it might reveal, whether it needs to be softened or clarified or apologized for. This isn't rebellion; it's ease. Not needing to prove... See more

I realize now that I want to be real. I don’t want to be harmless, I want to be human, I want to say things that bother people and move people and confuse people; I want to start sentences that can’t be autocompleted because even I don’t know where they’re going. I want to learn and offend and regret and grow. I want to be interesting, irritating,... See more

You develop an internal algorithm that constantly calculates: What version of myself will be most palatable here? How can I package this truth so it doesn't threaten anyone's comfort?