There’s a moment in communication that feels like standing barefoot on a razor’s edge.
You’re trying to say something beautiful.
Something true.
Something that lifts.
“You are more.”
More than your doubt.
More than what the world told you.
More than even you can see.
But somehow, the words come out wrong.
They land not like an offering…
but a judgment.
They hear:
“You’re not enough.”
“You should be further.”
“You’ve disappointed me.”
And you didn’t mean that.
Not even close.
It happens when love rushes ahead of gentleness.
When your belief in someone’s potential starts speaking louder than your acceptance of their current state.
When your hope sounds like pressure.
When your encouragement feels like expectation.
When your words reach toward the future but forget to hold the present.
It’s a thin line.
A breath too long.
A phrase too sharp.
A tone too clipped.
And the person you love most
suddenly feels small
in the space you were trying to make them bigger.
So what do you do?
You slow down.
You breathe.
You say it again, differently.
This time with less urgency.
This time with more presence.
“I love who you are.
And… I believe there’s even more beauty waiting to unfold in you.”
Not because you’re lacking.
But because you’re still becoming.
Sometimes, the most healing words aren’t declarations.
They’re invitations.
Not: “Be more.”
But: “You already are — and I can’t wait to meet the next version of you.”
This is the Cushy way.
Soft truth.
Full presence.
No pressure.
There is a line between pushing someone and pulling them into their light.
You don’t have to choose one or the other.
You just have to speak from both your heart and theirs.
