Ctrl+Alt+Delete - Delete the narrative that tells you you have to shrink.

There was a time in my life when I thought shrinking was the only way to survive. Whether it was in meetings, in friendships, in relationships, or even in front of the mirror. I dimmed my lights, spoke a little softer, apologized more often, and took up less space.

Why?

Because somewhere along the way, I was told that to be accepted, I had to become less.

Less loud.

Less proud.

Less opinionated.

Less emotional.

Less me.

And I obeyed. I shrank. Like a shrunken image on a computer screen, I silently hovered in the background of my life—until one day, I couldn’t do it anymore.

One day, I hit Ctrl + Alt + Delete — not just on my laptop, but on the entire script I was given.

The programming we inherit. It starts young, doesn’t it?

“Don’t be too bossy.”

“Don’t talk back.”

“You’re too sensitive.”

“Tune it down.”

“Know your place.”

Whether you’re a woman, a minority, an introvert, a dreamer, or simply someone who feels very deeply — this unspoken system is designed to shrink you. It teaches you that your authenticity is too much for the world to handle, and fitting in is safer than standing out.

This was my reality.

I became a master at being who people wanted me to be. At work, I didn’t share bold ideas. In relationships, I tolerated being ignored. In friendships, I said “yes” when I wanted to say “no.” And in front of the mirror, I criticized every curve and crease instead of celebrating the person staring back.

I traded my truth for approval.

But approval is a currency that never pays in full. The more you give of yourself, the more people will expect and the less you will feel.

Until something breaks.

The crash

Mine came during a Zoom call.

I was silent — ironically, literally and metaphorically. I had a valuable suggestion, a reasonable voice that could have solved the problem at hand. But I didn’t speak up.

Then someone else did. And guess what? It was praised. Celebrated. Implemented.

I sat there staring at my reflection in the corner of the screen, wondering why I had let fear silence me again.

That night I cried. Not because of the call, but because I felt like I was living a life that wasn’t mine. I was exhausted. I don’t get tired of doing too much — but I get tired of holding myself back.

Then I whispered these words out loud:

“Ctrl + Alt + Delete.”

Ctrl - Control.

The first step was Ctrl-Control.

Taking control of my life didn’t mean bulldozing others or shouting to be heard. It meant finally listening to myself. What did I really want? Who was I when no one else was looking?

I started journaling. Not about productivity, but about my feelings, dreams, and frustrations. I wrote letters I never sent. I set boundaries. I said “no” without guilt and “yes” without permission.

Control isn’t about dominance. It’s about direction. And I made my choice.

Alt - Choose an alternative path.

Alt is for alternative.

The life I was living was a path—safe, familiar, but soul-crushing. So I chose an alternative reality. One where I took a place unapologetically.

I started speaking up in meetings—even when my voice shook.

I wore bold lipstick.

I said what I felt.

I stopped apologizing for the present.

I didn’t just pivot—I thrived. And slowly, I attracted people who respected me, opportunities that fulfilled me, and energy that lifted me up.

The alternative path wasn’t easy. But it was real. And I felt alive walking it.

Delete – Let the narrative go.

The final step was delete.

Delete the narrative that tells you:

You have to be quiet to be loved.

You have to be small to be accepted.

You have to be perfect to be enough.

I deleted those lies.

I rewrote my code:

I am enough.

I am capable.

I am powerful.

I don’t need to shrink to fit someone else’s story. I am writing my own.

Rebuilding my life

These days, I still have moments of doubt. Sometimes I am tempted to hit the old commandments—minimize, silence, mask.

But then I remind myself: I am not a problem to solve. I am a person to celebrate.

Ctrl + Alt + Delete saved my life. Not just on the screen, but in my soul.

You are not “too much.”

You are not “too sensitive.”

You are not “too loud.”

You are absolutely enough.

So if the world ever tries to shrink you—take a deep breath, press those keys in your heart, and start again.