Stop Shrinking: How to Take Up Space Without Selling Your Soul to Hustle Culture

Let’s get one thing straight:You’re not playing small because you lack ambition.

You’re playing small because the version of success you were sold feels like a slow, soul-sucking death trap.

And you’re not lazy.

You’re tired.

You’re not stuck. You’re scared (and honestly? You have every right to be).

Because somewhere along the way, we got tricked into believing that the only way to “make it big” was to grind ourselves into burnout and pretend that coffee was a personality trait.

Here’s the truth they don’t put on vision boards:

You can be powerful, wildly successful, and deeply well — at the same time.

You don’t have to self-abandon to self-actualize.

But first, we’ve gotta talk about what’s really going on underneath the “playing small” epidemic.

😬 Why You’re Playing Small (Even If You’re Killing It on Paper)

You’re overachieving while under-living.

You check boxes like it’s your job (oh wait, it is), but somewhere deep down, you’re still dimming your light so you don’t overwhelm the people around you.

Let’s call it what it is:Fear in a productivity costume.

• Fear of being too much.

• Fear of failing publicly.

• Fear of succeeding and then still not feeling whole (oof).

• Fear of what will happen when you finally stop managing everyone else’s expectations and just do what lights your soul on fire.

  
  

But here’s the kicker:

The more you betray your truth to keep the peace, the more exhausted you become.

Not because you're doing too much — but because you're doing the wrong things.

☕ Hustle Culture is a Scam. Here’s What Actually Works:

Let’s break down how to actually stop playing small without ending up in a puddle of burnout and existential dread.

1. Redefine “Big” for Yourself

Big doesn’t have to mean loud.

It doesn’t have to mean seven streams of income and waking up at 5AM and having a color-coded Notion dashboard.

Big means aligned.

Big means honest.

Big means living in a way that makes your nervous system say “hell yes.”

Ask yourself:

• What would it mean to play big on your terms?

• What would your life look like if you stopped performing and started living?

  
  

2. Rest Like It’s a Revolution (Because It Is)

Rest is not a reward.

It’s not the prize you get after you’ve hustled hard enough.

It’s a requirement for sustainable greatness.

Normalize taking naps like a boss.

Normalize saying no without guilt.

Normalize going slower so you can go longer.

If the vision requires a version of you that’s dead inside — it’s not your vision.

It’s conditioning.

3. Create Before You Consume

You’ve got ideas in you that could change the damn world.

But if you keep numbing out on TikTok and doomscrolling because you’re afraid of not being perfect… you’re robbing us.

Not because you’re lazy.

Because creating feels vulnerable.

Because it’s safer to scroll than to show up messy and human.

But here’s the thing: messy is magnetic.

People don’t want your perfection.They want your presence.

4. Let Guilt Be Boring

Feeling guilty for resting? For not doing enough? For wanting more?

Cool. Let guilt ride in the backseat. But don’t hand it the aux cord.

You're allowed to not feel guilty and still not let guilt run your life.

Let it be there, like a weird background noise — and keep going anyway.

5. Build a Life You Don’t Want to Escape From

This isn’t about getting more productive. It’s about getting more intentional.

You’re allowed to:

• Work less and earn more.

• Say no without explaining.

• Take up space without shrinking to fit inside someone else's comfort zone.

  
  

You’re not here to survive.

You’re here to build a life that feels like freedom.

💥 Real Talk: You’re Allowed to Want More Without Burning Out

You can be wildly ambitious and wildly rested.

You can achieve your wildest dreams without burning out.

You can be a high-achiever who’s also soft, silly, sacred, and slow when she needs to be.

You can dream big, play big, still sleep 8 hours, and say no to sh*t that drains you.

You don’t need to be smaller, tougher, or busier.

You just need to be braver.

Brave enough to stop waiting for permission.

Brave enough to start living like you’re already enough (because you are).

Brave enough to expand without exploding.

🛠️ Try This:

• Write down one way you’ve been playing small in your life or business.

• Now ask yourself: “If I actually believed I was worthy of ease, what would I do differently?”

• Then go do that. Imperfectly. With shaky hands and a strong heart.

  
  

Final Word, Babe:

You’re not here to fit in.You’re here to light it up.

Let’s stop shrinking so others feel comfortable and start expanding because we finally freaking believe we’re allowed to.

You’ve got a whole universe inside you. It’s time to stop tucking it in.

If this hit you in the soul, share it with someone who needs the reminder: You can be big, bold, and well-rested — all at once.

💛

Sarah