Learning That I’m Not for Everyone — and That’s Okay

There was a line in that Substack essay that lingered in me longer than I expected:

“You’re not for everyone, and that’s a beautiful thing.”

At first, it sounded simple — almost cliché. But the more I sat with it, the more I realised how much of my life had been built around the silent hope of being liked by everyone. I’ve bent myself in ways that weren’t mine. Smiled when I was breaking. Softened my edges just to be understood. And yet, no matter how much I tried, there were still people who didn’t see me — not really.

I used to take that as a sign that something was wrong with me.

Maybe I wasn’t kind enough. Maybe I talked too much. Maybe I should’ve been quieter, simpler, easier to love.

But lately, I’ve started asking a different question: What if being misunderstood is part of being real?

There’s a kind of peace that comes when you stop auditioning for everyone’s approval. When you realise you’re not supposed to be everyone’s favourite person. You’re supposed to be yours.

And maybe, the right people — the ones meant to walk with you — will find you not because you were perfect, but because you were true.

It’s not always easy. There are still days when I feel that familiar pull to shrink myself just to fit in. But each time I choose to stay true — even quietly, even imperfectly — I feel something soften inside me. Like I’m finally home within my own skin.

So here’s to the ones who stopped chasing universal approval.

Here’s to the quiet acceptance that we don’t need to be for everyone — just for ourselves, and for the few who truly see us.

And that, somehow, is enough.

— Love, Chits.