Awaken Your Brilliance: It's Time

While walking through a rainforest, the local guide pointed to something on the underside of a leaf and asked, “Do you know what that is?” I looked, snapped a picture, and said, “No,” while quickly putting distance between me and the creature. We had already seen some creepy-crawly things, and this looked like another one that I wanted to avoid.   

Isn’t that like life? Times when people may misjudge, fear, or avoid you because they do not recognize who you truly are. 

I stood still on the path looking around and taking pictures while the guide backtracked.  I wanted to avoid bumping into any additional creepy-crawly things, so I patiently waited for the guide to return to the front of our group.  A few moments later, I heard excited voices from other members in our small group who were standing behind me.   

Red-Eyed Tree Frog

The guide asked for my phone and when he returned it, a beautiful, red-eyed tree frog was staring back at me in all its glorious splendor. Since it was reportedly challenging to spot these in the daytime, another guide gently woke it up and placed it on the plant for us to see in its awakened state.  

What began as fear on my part turned to pure delight!  That green blob on the underside of the leaf turned out to be a red-eyed tree frog.

The frog looked completely different in its resting state than it did while fully awake.  While resting, it was in protection mode to keep it safe while it slept, camouflaged on the leaf and almost invisible to the untrained eye.  Yet when awakened, the frog was truly amazing to behold, simply by being its authentic self. 

Like this little frog, we are sometimes misjudged when we are in a difficult, resting, protective, or misunderstood season of life.  Others may undervalue our worth based on their own assumptions, while some immediately recognize our brilliance and strive to “wake us up” to our maximum potential.  Recognize and embrace those who see your brilliance and genuinely challenge you to own it, even if their prodding feels uncomfortable. 

It will be worth it. 

Sometimes the person to “wake you up” is you loving yourself enough to pop out and show what you’re truly made of, displaying your brilliance to the world.  Who you are in one season does not define or diminish the brilliance that’s within you every day. 

The frog’s bright eyes and colorful feet may serve as a defense mechanism against potential predators, especially in the daytime.  When the frog suddenly opens its eyes and spreads its feet, the bright colors can startle or slow down predators, allowing enough time for the frog to escape.  

In a similar way, one of the greatest forms of protection that we have against being misjudged, misunderstood, or psychologically preyed upon is practicing self-love, cultivating self-awareness, building self-efficacy, and choosing to show up authentically as ourselves. 

Let my encounter with the red-eye tree frog be a gentle nudge for you get to poppin’, displaying your brilliance to the world, as I plan to do the same.  It’s time.  The world is waiting for what you have to offer. 

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And Empowered Legacy is designed to support you in this journey. 

Empowered Legacy partners with people committed to strengthening environments where others feel valued, seen, and heard. Through self-paced courses and resources shaped by everyday experiences and evidence, we provide practical tools that help people lead with purpose, cultivate humanity, and empower others to thrive. Our goal is to support lasting legacies built through daily actions and intentional leadership. 

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