“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.’ We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we’re liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

(Marianne Williamson, A Return to Love)

I love, love, LOVE this quote! Your playing small doesn’t serve the world – and it definitely doesn’t serve you. Here are some small steps to help you play BIG:

• Smile first
• Hug generously
• Say “yes”… even if you’re not feeling confident
• Show up… even if you don’t feel your best
• Stake your claim – speak your views
• Wear something extraordinary and STAND OUT
• Have the courage to say what you want in your relationships and in your life
• Don’t take yourself too seriously – be willing to look like a fool
• Look people in the eyes, and linger
• Practice sincere appreciation – often, and even with people who annoy you
• Offer to display your skills or products, or give a free talk – even before your new business is official
• Share what you know
• Smile with your eyes
• Tell people what you’ve accomplished. Own up to your incredible-ness!

You see, playing big isn’t about setting huge goals or breaking the Guinness Book of Records. It’s in all the little things. It’s about doing what you love, being more expansive, putting more of yourself into what you do, experiencing life more fully, being more engaged with other people, and being more present – in spite of your fears. What are you doing to be fully self-expressed and to give other people permission to play BIG?

If you enjoyed this post, you might like to subscribe to this blog’s RSS feed or hang out with me on Twitter. All commenters on this blog are entered into a monthly draw to stand a chance to win a 60min Resource Mining Session. The draw takes place at the end of each month.

Photo by jphillipson

Tweet This Post