I Implore You: Do Not Dumb Down

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By Danielle LaPorte

Two weeks ago on our Beautiful Writers Group call, Linda Sivertsen and I got a really great question:

“I’m caught in this trap between people saying, ‘You’ve gotta meet people where they’re at’ versus, ‘You have to show people what you know and then drop the bread crumbs and let the ants find you.’ What do you think?”

Linda jumped in: “I only have one line, and then Danielle can take it,” she said.

“Don’t dumb down. Don’t dumb down… Write what you know and what you believe and your audience will find you. Assume that the intelligent ones are out there and they’ll find you.”

I’ve been asked to dumb down. More than once. By bosses. By advisors. By magazine editors. And I have one line for that: Fuck, no.

STAY SMART. HERE’S WHY:

It’s painful to dumb down. It hurts your heart, and it chomps at your integrity.

Every time you play dumb your muse decides to make herself a little less available to you. Don’t f*** off your muse. Those creative types are sensitive.

You have a gift. It’s your truth. Honour it and it will honour you — with every kind of fulfillment.

You want to work with people who resonate and get you. (Right? Go for ideal.) Resonate is the magic word here. If you don’t emote — you’re remote. You must give people access to your truth if you want to be dynamic, creative, vital.

Here comes a rant: This is the time of “Kali Yuga” — the time of false prophets. There are lot of people with visibility platforms — small and huge, who are just regurgitating other people’s wisdom into tinny information — they are not coming from lived experience and contemplation. It’s bullshit, really. Now, is this cause to be pissed? Well, maybe — because it’s dangerous and low vibration and who needs it. But… This is just part of how awareness evolves. There are always snake-oil salesmen at the Fair. Buyer beware. And, this is all the more reason to be out about your smarts.

I implore you — do not dumb down.

Tell your whole story. Use your own words. BE DEEP. BE SHALLOW — just be you. Get cosmic, articulate, annunciate. Let it rip. Keep your spine straight and your heart open. Speak to the people you want to hear you.

The world needs you — unfiltered, purified, rarified and straight UP.

How do you cut through dogma, illusion, and apathy? With your genuine brilliance. But you knew that.

Danielle LaPorte is many things, not the least of which are: an author, truth speaker and most recently the creator of the Desire Map program. Get to know her better at daniellelaporte.com.