Tag: Playing Small

There was a time in my life when I mastered the art of shrinking.

Not physically, of course—but emotionally, energetically, and spiritually. I made myself smaller in conversations so I wouldn’t be “too much.” I muted my opinions so I wouldn’t come off as “difficult.” I accepted crumbs, thinking I didn’t deserve the full meal. I apologized for taking up space. For having needs. For wanting more.

And I didn’t even realize how loud my silence had become.

The Subtle Ways We Shrink

Playing small doesn’t always look like failure—it often looks like “being easy to deal with.” It looks like:

• Agreeing when your spirit disagrees

• Smiling when you’re hurting

• Minimizing your accomplishments so no one feels “less than”

• Staying in rooms that no longer value your presence

• Shrinking your dreams because someone else can’t see your vision

And it chips away at you. Quietly.

Until one day, you don’t recognize the woman you’ve become.

The Breaking Point Wasn’t Loud—It Was a Whisper

It didn’t happen all at once. It was subtle. Soft. A conversation where I felt invisible. A job where my voice didn’t matter. A relationship where I poured and poured until I had nothing left. I remember sitting in my car thinking: I don’t think I’ve ever truly chosen myself.

I had been making peace offerings with my power.

Every time I stayed quiet, every time I settled—I was negotiating my worth.

The Lie We’re Told: That Power Makes Us Unlovable

They tell women to be humble, soft-spoken, agreeable. To let others lead.

But I’ve learned that real love never asks you to be less of yourself.

And any space that requires your silence is not a safe space—it’s a cage.

The truth is:

You’re not intimidating. They’re just not used to a woman who doesn’t apologize for being whole.

You’re not “too much.” You’re simply more than they’re ready to receive.

You’re not dramatic. You’re just finally being honest.

Taking Up Space is a Power Move—Not a Personality Flaw

When I stopped playing small, I didn’t become aggressive—I became honest. I started asking for what I needed. I raised my standards. I said no without guilt. I stopped watering myself down and started blooming where I was planted—even if no one clapped for me.

Taking up space means:

• Walking into a room and knowing you belong without needing permission

• Reclaiming your time, your energy, your voice

• Owning your power without fear of rejection

• Allowing yourself to be fully expressed—soft and strong, bold and kind

And that’s what scares people.

Not your flaws. Not your past.

But the fact that you’re no longer afraid to own your light.

To the Woman Who’s Been Playing Small: It’s Time

You weren’t born to dim.

You weren’t made to shrink.

And you were never meant to blend in.

I know it’s scary to take up space when the world teaches you to disappear.

But every time you choose yourself, you show another woman what’s possible.

And that’s how we rise—together.

A Soft Power Affirmation

I am no longer available for spaces that silence me.

I do not dim. I do not shrink.

I rise. I radiate. I take up space with grace.

You are not asking for too much.

You are finally asking from a place that knows her worth.

And that, my love, changes everything.