Being Humble Or Hiding?
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Do you minimize your talents and abilities for fear of not being accepted or of being perceived as “too much”? Do you play small and avoid taking up space to keep others comfortable, telling yourself, “I’m just being humble. I’m being noble.”
For most of my life, I believed the same thing.
Every time I heard, “Dianne, you’re doing too much,” or “You’re being annoying,” I internalized it. I didn’t want to be rejected by the spaces I longed to belong to. I didn’t want to irritate people or invite opinions I wasn’t ready to face. The fear of rejection—combined with the fear of man—produced a deep desire to not be seen. And I convinced myself that hiding was humility.
I began molding myself into a version I believed would be accepted in the rooms I wanted access to. I stripped away a little uniqueness here, a little difference there. I even started speaking more softly so my voice wouldn’t draw too much attention. I told myself I was doing everyone a favor by presenting a version of me they could handle.
But the truth is, even while trying to appear “more normal,” my difference was still evident. My perspectives didn’t align. My words rarely resonated with those whose approval I was chasing. And eventually, I began to feel out of place—this time at the expense of my authenticity.
Then something unexpected happened.
Opportunities connected to my skills and abilities started showing up. I entered rooms where people did resonate with my voice. Yet because I had spent so long minimizing myself, I felt like I didn’t belong. In those spaces, insecurity crept in. I had rooted my identity in others’ opinions for so long that I no longer had a firm sense of self grounded in truth.
It took being in the right rooms—surrounded by people who reflected back who I truly was. Most importantly, it required agreeing with what the Lord says about me: that I am accepted, loved, called, and worthy.
The weight of being authentically yourself does come with some rejection. But it also comes with being received by those who are graced for you—and who desperately need what you carry.
The same is true for you.
The longer you remain in false humility—hiding from who you really are—the longer you stay trapped in self-doubt. Take your identity out of others’ hands and place it back with the One who created you—on purpose, for a purpose.
You can’t afford to move into this year living as someone else. There is more in store for you.
And that “more” is tied to the REAL you.
Unapologetically,
Dianne
Tired of downplaying your giftings and talents? Fed up with playing small? Take the Uprooting False Humility Masterclass and begin to recognize and own your worth.