Tameka AndersonBehavior Coach | Creator of the THRIVE™ Framework & CALM Method™ at Cultivate Potential Strategies

Are You Playing Small? Pt. 2 #selfimprovement

23 Aug 2024 · 1 min

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In this concise motivational monologue, the speaker clarifies what it truly means to "not play small." She distinguishes genuine self‑expression from being obnoxiously loud, emphasizing that not playing small is about refusing to hide one’s gifts out of fear of offending others. The speaker links this tendency to shrink to intergenerational trauma, especially within Black communities, noting that ancestors were killed for taking up space and that contemporary Black people still face violence for the same reason. She shares her personal resolve not to shrink despite these pressures and challenges listeners to reflect on who taught them to play small, urging a conscious decision to occupy space unapologetically.

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Okay, so what does it mean to not play small? Does it mean to be loud and proud? If your idea of loud and proud is being a butthole to people, then no. Not playing small means not hiding your gifts because others are intimidated or offended by your use of them. It's about taking up space in the world and making your difference in the world. Oftentimes, people who were wounded by their family were taught to shrink, mostly because the people who are forcing us to shrink were afraid of the repercussions of taking up space. As a Black woman, my ancestors were wounded and killed for taking up space, and still today, 2024, Black people are still killed for taking up space. So I understand being taught to shrink. However, I refuse to shrink in hopes that someone else maybe, possibly, hopefully might not be offended by my presence. So ask yourself this question: Who taught you to play small?