The Power Society Shop

Tag: Taking Up Space

  • Dear Former Me-Is It Okay to Take Up Space?

    Dear Former Me-Is It Okay to Take Up Space?

    Dear Former Me,

    You’ve spent most of your life feeling like you were too much.

    Too loud.

    Too emotional.

    Too dramatic.

    Too sensitive.

    Too ambitious.

    Too expressive.

    At least, that’s what people told you.

    You were told that nobody cared about your feelings.

    That nobody wanted to hear what you had to say.

    That the world didn’t revolve around you.

    And maybe they’re right.

    Maybe the world doesn’t revolve around you.

    But does that mean you’re not allowed to exist in it?

    Does that mean your voice doesn’t matter?

    Does that mean your dreams should be ignored?

    Somewhere along the way, you started shrinking yourself.

    You stopped speaking up.

    You stopped sharing your thoughts.

    You stopped believing that what you had to say was important.

    You learned how to make yourself smaller so other people would feel more comfortable.

    You learned how to dim your light.

    And the saddest part is that after a while, you started doing it to yourself.

    You became your own critic.

    Your own bully.

    Your own limitation.

    But lately, something has been waking up inside of you.

    A desire to create.

    To write.

    To perform.

    To express yourself.

    To be seen.

    And every time you get close, that old voice comes back.

    Who do you think you are?

    Why do you need attention?

    Why can’t you just be normal?

    But maybe wanting to be seen isn’t the same thing as wanting attention.

    Maybe wanting to share your gifts isn’t selfish.

    Maybe wanting a little corner of the world where you can fully be yourself isn’t arrogance.

    Maybe it’s human.

    Because if we’re being honest, you’ve spent enough of your life making yourself smaller.

    You’ve spent enough of your life asking permission.

    You’ve spent enough of your life waiting for someone else to tell you that you’re worthy.

    I think I’m going to do something crazy.

    I think I’m going to do something radical.

    I think I’m going to say yes to myself.

    I think I’m going to stop waiting for permission.

    I think I’m going to stop asking whether I’m allowed to take up space.

    I think I’m going to get back into music.

    And honestly?

    That terrifies me.

    Because what if I fail?

    What if nobody listens?

    What if nobody cares?

    What if they’re right about me?

    But what if they’re wrong?

    What if there’s more waiting for me on the other side of fear?

    What if there’s a version of me I’ve never met because I’ve spent so much time trying to stay small?

    What if, for once, I choose myself?

    Not over my children.

    Not over my responsibilities.

    Not over the people I love.

    But alongside them.

    What if I finally give myself permission to dream again?

    We tell our children every day that they can become anything they want to be.

    We tell them to believe in themselves.

    To use their voice.

    To follow their dreams.

    To never give up.

    So why don’t we offer ourselves the same advice?

    Why do we stop believing?

    Why do we stop trying?

    Maybe believing there’s more out there for you isn’t delusional.

    Maybe it’s hope.

    Maybe it’s faith.

    Or maybe it’s the part of you that remembers who you were before the world convinced you to shrink.

    Maybe this next chapter isn’t about becoming someone new.

    Maybe it’s about becoming who you’ve been all along.

    And maybe it’s finally time to take up space.

    Love,
    Evelyn

  • Unapologetic Woman: The Cost of Playing Small and the Power in Taking Up Space

    Unapologetic Woman: The Cost of Playing Small and the Power in Taking Up Space

    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.