The Big S Self

Big S Self vs. little s self: Why So Many Gifted People Self-Destruct
By Coach Michael Taylor

There’s a silent battle happening inside some of the most brilliant, gifted, and visionary people on the planet. You’ve seen it before. The artist with divine talent who spirals into addiction. The entrepreneur with world-changing ideas who crumbles under the pressure. The charismatic leader who sabotages their own success. From the outside, it looks like mystery or madness. But at its core, it’s a spiritual identity crisis.

It’s the tension between the Big S Self and the little s self.

The Big S Self is your highest essence. It is the divine spark within you—what some call Soul, Source, Spirit, or Higher Self. It is eternal, infinite, and unwavering in its desire to express love, beauty, truth, and wisdom through you. This Self is not interested in applause or performance. It simply longs to be. To radiate. To create as an act of divine flow.

The little s self, by contrast, is the ego identity you’ve developed over a lifetime of cultural programming, pain, and survival. It’s the voice in your head that says, “Who do you think you are?” It measures, compares, judges, and fears. It’s not evil—it’s just limited. And when you don’t know who you really are, it will try to carry the weight of your brilliance on its own shoulders. But it was never meant to.

That’s where the breakdown begins.

When a person doesn’t recognize the Source of their gifts, the gifts themselves can become a burden. The divine energy surging through them has nowhere safe to land, so it short-circuits. The Big S Self is always seeking expression—it is the very pulse of creation—but if the little s self is running the show, it can’t handle the voltage. It collapses under the pressure. And what was meant to be a blessing can start to feel like a curse.

This is why so many gifted people suffer silently. They feel like impostors. They feel misunderstood. They try to control or contain their genius instead of surrendering to it. Some even believe they’re broken because they can’t sustain their brilliance. But the truth is—they’re not broken. They’re disconnected.

Disconnected from Source.
Disconnected from Truth.
Disconnected from their Big S Self.

The path to healing and wholeness isn’t found in hustling harder or performing better. It’s found in the sacred work of remembrance. Remembering that your gifts are not random. They’re not earned. They’re not proof of your superiority—or your worth. They are expressions of the Divine, flowing through you, as you, for the benefit of the world.

When you begin to do your inner work—when you meditate, reflect, and reconnect—you start to awaken to the truth of who you are. You begin to recognize that you are not just a person with talent. You are a vessel for something higher. And when you acknowledge the Source of your gifts, something powerful happens: you stop trying to be the light, and you simply let the light shine through you.

That’s when everything changes.

The inner chaos dissolves into clarity.
The insecurity gives way to deep peace.
The pressure turns into purpose.

You no longer feel the need to prove yourself or protect your image. You know that your gifts are not your own to hoard or hide—they’re meant to be shared. You’re not here to be perfect. You’re here to be a portal for divine expression. And when the Big S Self is leading the way, your life becomes a masterpiece of meaning and love.

So if you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by your own potential...
If you’ve ever wondered why your brilliance sometimes feels like a burden...
If you’ve struggled with fear, shame, or self-sabotage...

Let this be your invitation.

Reconnect.
Recenter.
Remember.

You are more than your story.
More than your wounds.
More than your resume or reputation.

You are a divine expression of love itself—infinitely guided, powerfully gifted, and here on purpose.

The Big S Self is always whispering.

Are you ready to listen?