And the award goes to... YOU!

When I was a kid, I had a box filled with letters from teachers. Notes about how bright I was. How kind. How full of potential. They told my parents what a good kid I was.

But no one ever read them.

There was no parent around to show them to. No refrigerator I could stick them to.

I grew up in a house where staying hidden was a survival mechanism. Talk too loudly, and my father might not like it, which could be a very dangerous thing.

In my early teens, I was at my friend’s house when my mother brought a bag of my clothes and told me to stay there. I believed in my bones that it was because I had talked back. Raised my voice. Made my wants, needs and desires known. I got the message loud and clear. Speaking up was BAD.

Over time, I tied being seen with danger. Being noticed meant exposure. And being exposed meant I could be hurt or abandoned.

Fast forward to now and I’ve just come back from an incredible event. Life-changing conversations, new opportunities, and moments I’ll never forget. But when it came time to share about it publicly… I froze.

My old fears surfaced: If I let myself be seen, will it hurt me? Will they think I’m arrogant? Is it my ego that wants to show this off?

And then it hit me—being seen does mean being exposed. It is vulnerability.

But exposure isn’t always a wound. Sometimes, exposure is the very thing that allows for impact.

Because when we show who we are—our truth, our brilliance, our scars—people can finally connect with us, be moved by us, and maybe even be changed because of us.

Being seen is not arrogance. It is service.

I’m learning that my silence helps no one. My light hidden under a box of old letters helps no one.

So today, I made a choice to be seen. Not just exposed. Vulnerable. Because that’s where transformation happens. My discomfort is irrelevant when it comes to how I’m here to serve.

And I wonder—

Is there a place in your life are you still hiding? What gifts haven’t you shown to the world? And what if your courage to be visible is the permission someone else needs to step into their own potential?

Here are some pictures of the event with the amazing Lisa Nichols who has become like a sister to me and always keeps me playing big and to live my highest potential, Jack Canfield who has shown me that you can live a life deeply rooted in your purpose, Kathy Ireland who has shown me that the world’s perception of you does not define your limits, Bruce and Rhonda Deel who’s work with “City of Refuge” is both humbling and inspirational, and a dear friend that keeps me accountable when I question my own commitment Maria Conceicao, who’s work as a humanitarian with children in Bangladesh has shown me that ANYTHING is possible.

That boy who was abused and abandoned would never in a million years have pictured himself on this red carpet. And maybe that’s the point. When we choose to be seen, we rewrite the ending to a story.

It’s not ego. It’s healing.