Are You Playing Small?
There’s a lot of talk out there about hustling and creating your own life. Becoming an entrepreneur. Designing your life the way you want it. It’s almost like everyone is chasing a dream and making it happen. 2019 is the year of change. Oh but wait, the next decade is around the corner…and you haven’t reached your goals yet. So, now what?
Stressful right?
Ok, so let’s just throw all that out the window for a sec. Doesn’t matter what year it is, doesn’t matter what year is coming next or where you are in your career/life journey. Let’s just say none of that exists right now. You are just you. Your future is unwritten. What would you be doing right now, given that time is not a thing anymore?
Here are some questions I want you to ask yourself. It may help to record your thoughts on paper and see what you come up with.
If none of that stuff mattered right now:
What would you be doing?
Would you still be doing what you are doing now? If so, which parts would you still be doing?
Would you still be the same person you are now? In what ways?
Where would your focus be?
What would be different about the way you live your life?
What would your typical day look like?
What would be bringing you joy?
Who would be a big part of your daily life?
Take your time answering these questions and don’t hold back. Write down whatever comes up for you. Once you have written out everything that you can think of, take a second and look at it. And then ask yourself: What is holding me back right now? What is holding me back from doing the things I want and from living the way I want to? In what ways am I playing small?
Why is this important?
This post is not meant to make you feel like you aren’t doing enough. It’s actually the opposite. I think we are all doing enough, but perhaps we are giving our energy towards things that aren’t really filling us up. Sometimes I think that we don’t do what we really want to because we are afraid of really showing up. We play small because it’s safe. We don’t put ourselves out there, even though we know we want more and deserve more out of our lives. We hide our true desires because they might seem outrageous or impossible. We end up creating a version of ourselves that fit the mould of what is we think is expected of us. Only to end up living a life we aren’t really happy with. And you deserve so much more than that.
the new year
This idea of a new year, new decade, etc. It can be so overwhelming. I want to remind you that you don’t have to buy into it. I’ve stopped making the end of the year or the beginning of a new year something I stress about. Because it’s just not worth it. Instead I think of it as another opportunity to start again. Just as any day is a new beginning. Any month is a new beginning and any second is a new beginning. We always have the chance to start again. To reinvent. To change course. A new year or a new decade is just another one of those opportunities. You get to choose how you want to approach it. If you want to read more about my thoughts on new years and how to shift your perspective on it, check out this post.
a reminder
You are not small. You are magnificent. You are glorious. You are amazing. You have everything in you already. Even if you feel like you are small right now, know that you won’t always feel that way. Slowly, but surely, you will show all that you are to the world. And we will be right there with you.
Lots of love, xo.
“Though she be but little, she is fierce”