This Christmas, Protect Your Gifts

Charmaine Shettlesworth
Nov 30
2 min read

As the holidays approach, we’re surrounded by talk of gifts—wrapped in ribbons, tucked under trees, exchanged with love. But I want to talk about a different kind of gift. The ones inside you.

Your talent. Your passion. Your natural strengths. These are the gifts you were born with. We all get them—just not the same ones.

But here’s the truth no one tells you: the moment you start using your gifts, not everyone will clap for you. Envy sneaks in. Not because you're doing anything wrong, but because your light reminds others of their darkness. Your gift reminds them that they haven’t unwrapped theirs.

When Your Shine Makes Others Uncomfortable

Let’s stay with the Christmas metaphor.

Imagine this: You receive a powerful, beautiful gift—and someone next to you feels like they got nothing. Or maybe they just don’t like what they received. Instead of celebrating with you, they roll their eyes. They throw shade. They downplay your success, chalking it up to luck.

You’ll be tempted to shrink.

To downplay your gift to make them comfortable. To pretend it’s not that special. To stoop down and argue on their level. Don’t.

Because their reaction? It’s not about you. It’s about where they are in their own journey. When someone is stuck, they’ll try to keep others from moving forward. But you don’t help anyone by shrinking. You don’t lift anyone up by dimming your light.

Shine Anyway

This season, give yourself permission to shine.

There is nothing humble about hiding your greatness. There is nothing noble about making yourself smaller so others don’t feel insecure.

The truth is: people only throw stones at things that shine. If you’re catching shade, take it as a compliment. It means you’re doing something right.

And shining doesn’t mean arrogance. It means quiet confidence. You don’t need to explain. You don’t need to prove. Let your results speak.