5 Signs That You Are Playing Small in Life & Business
As a mindset & manifestation coach, my mission is to encourage you to go after your dreams and have the life you’ve always wanted. If you’ve been feeling like you might be standing in the way of your own success, stuck in a situation that doesn’t truly fulfil you, or if you’ve had a hard time putting yourself first, I gotta break it to you — you’re probably playing small.
I know that sometimes putting yourself first can feel a little bit unsettling. It’s sooo easy to let other people affect you and your energy. But at the same time, it’s 111% possible to take control of your life if you are committed to putting in the work and making it real.
It’s up to you to make changes in your life. If you’re ready to create a life that lights you up, the first step is awareness of your patterns. If you are ready to dive in, here are 5 signs that you could be playing small in your life and in business…
#1 You try to please others before making yourself happy
Being nice to people, helping them out and trying to make them happy doesn’t sound all bad, right? But when you put them before yourself, the story changes.
There comes a point where you attempt to please others so much that you go out of your way to do things for them. And let me tell you — if you haven’t recognised your people-pleasing patterns yet, it’s likely you’ve been sacrificing your time and energy simply because you want others to like you.
And honestly, there’s nothing wrong or weird about that, most people-pleasing tendencies stem from unhealed wounds + unmet needs.
But in order to create the life you’ve always wanted you have to meet your own needs first. Maybe you’ve heard the saying that if you want to have anything to offer to others, you first have to give these things to yourself, right?
This means prioritising yourself: taking care of your body and your mental health, investing into your growth, setting boundaries, and making time for joy and pleasure.
#2 You say yes too often because you are afraid of rejection
As humans, we want to feel part of something. We crave connection and community, we want to fit in and be accepted, especially by those that we care about the most. That’s why we fear rejection so much, especially if we do something that we believe is different from what they want. If this is something that’s affecting you, let me tell ya, I feel you.
The problem is, if you’re not willing to face it, this fear will hold you back from taking risks and achieving your biggest dreams.
Only you can make the life that you want to have become your physical reality. And to do this, you gotta stay true to yourself by saying no to the things that don’t feel right to you.
It’s up to you to choose to let go or solve any toxic or misaligned situations. It’s up to you to say no to the things that don’t serve your highest expansion. You have the choice and you have the strength to make these decisions. And trust me — by doing so, you’ll create much more space for the things that fill your heart with joy.
#3 You hold back because you don’t want to be judged as “too much”
Holding yourself back is a true way to hurt the world. Why? Because you’re denying your greatness and your true self. Oftentimes, we think that by sharing our ambitions and our goals, we will make other people feel uncomfortable.
And yup — maybe some of them will feel like that. But that’s only because they haven’t recognized their own potential yet.
You see, if you want to live a lit life, you need to stop worrying about making others feel uncomfortable. Because thanks to your voice, you actually open an opportunity for THEIR growth and expansion, too.
So, if you are holding back, you’re giving up the ability to transform the lives around you. You have to come into your own power, stand up for your own needs, and live up to your full potential. You have to empower yourself as well as others. And believe me — we all deserve to know about the abundance that the universe has to offer.
#4 You agree on what doesn’t feel aligned
The way you choose to spend your time reflects what really matters to you. Fact. So, if you’re living a life doing things that don’t light you up, you have to learn to start doing your own thing.
Maybe you are constantly trying to please people (see point #1), or saying yes when in reality you want to say no (point #2). Well, let me tell you again, YOU have to start doing your own thing in life, and you can do this by prioritising your core values.
Don’t be afraid to say no to what doesn’t feel right for you, because that way you will be open to receive everything that the universe has been working on for you.
When you live in alignment, you become a match to all your wildest dreams and desires.
It’s when you show up as your authentic self that your life will completely change.
#5 You don’t trust yourself enough to go for what you truly want
I know that this is a big one for many people. Deeply trusting yourself is a skill that you have to develop over time, with patience and effort. Trusting yourself, sadly enough, is something that we don’t really get taught by society while growing up, although it is vital to be able to create a life on your own terms.
Because the thing is; the only person who has the power to create your dream reality is you. So, if you cannot trust and support yourself, it will be more difficult for you to take risks and allow changes into your life.
And lemme tell you — you definitely don’t have to be like everyone else.
As a life coach, I’m all for empowering women to write their own story, and I’m here to help them step into the versions of themselves that go after what they truly want.
However, while I’m here to support you on that journey, YOU are the one that has full responsibility for what you create, attract, and how you react to the things that life throws at you.
When you learn to trust yourself, you are able to tune inwards and see what it is that you actually want from life. This is why self-empowerment is one of my favorite skills to teach my clients and community because it really is that powerful.
When you have this attitude to life, you are able to show up in the way that best serves you. And it all begins when you start loving and accepting yourself. When you are able to speak your truth & when you stand up for yourself and your needs.
I gotta tell you, when you start living up to your full potential every day, you’ll start feeling stronger inside, you will be able to trust in yourself, and you will be able to create massive shifts in your external reality.
If you want to change your life, you have to decide where you’re focusing your energy.
Stop playing small. Stop holding back. Stop shrinking into places that you have outgrown. And stop hiding parts of yourself because you want to please others.
So, let me ask you something:
What do you think would happen if you put yourself first? If you learnt to fully trust yourself & go after all your desires?
What if after these words you stop hiding and you start living up to your true potential?
That’s what I want for you.
Sending lots of love & light!
Laura
Laura Herde is a Master Mindset & Success Coach, as well as a certified NLP, Hypnosis, Time Techniques, EFT and Life Coaching Trainer. She is also the founder + CEO of the expanding lifestyle brand Laura Herde LLC. Her mission is to help ambitious females go from burnout & overwhelm to balance & alignment.
