“Friends…rest assured some will not jive with who you are and what you have to say. Some will misunderstand you, while others may understand you perfectly well and simply not like you, for whatever reason. Please remember that all of this has nothing to do with you, not really. We can never own another person’s response to our truth. We can only own our willingness to express ourselves honestly, and to do so with as much courage and love as possible.

Please try not to limit yourself – your authentic expression – because of fear of being judged or criticized or made fun of. We are judged and criticized and made fun of no matter how we choose to present ourselves to the world. That’s one of the less fun parts of being human. And yes, it’s true that if you keep quiet and blend in or hide yourself completely, you won’t attract as much attention or judgment from others. (People are always more comfortable with those who stay silent.) But…and this is a big BUT…when you hide yourself behind your fears, when you live in a whisper when you were born to sing, you don’t begin to invite the same kinds of possibilities, or the same incredible wonders that come with living your life out loud. Not fearless, but brave just the same. So committed to being yourself that you forget how to be anyone else. More than anything, Free.” -Scott Stabile