You started as the competent one. The adaptable one. The one who could handle anything. Until somewhere along the way, you stopped recognising yourself. You softened your opinions, over-explained your ideas, second-guessed instincts you used to trust. You became so good at being “professional” that authentic started to feel foreign. It’s not that you dislike working. You actually thrive when you’re building, solving, creating. You just hate that the structure you’re in requires you to shrink to