Being ourselves isn’t always easy. It’s something we want most and often find hard to embrace. Because we’re afraid of what others might think.

I’m often afraid of being too much. Too intense or laughing too loud. That last bit I happily blame on my mother. She’s extremely sensitive to sound and I apparently have a very loud laugh. So I was often told to tone it down. As a result, I’ve gotten careful with being ‘too present’. Though it doesn’t always stop the loud laugh—which tends to simply bub...