Why Playing Small is Deadly: Stop Shrinking, Start Owning It
Let’s Get Real: Playing Small is as serious Rat Trap
From the time we’re little girls, we’re told to:
• Sit down.
• Stay quiet.
• Don’t take up too much space.
• Act like a lady, and be nice.
That conditioning doesn’t just disappear when we grow up—it shows up in the way we apologize too much, doubt our worth, and settle for less than we deserve. Playing small isn’t harmless. It’s deadly. As deadly as a rat trap, splattered guts oozing out and all the other insides. It kills opportunities. It kills confidence. It kills the version of you that was meant to own the damn room. As much as it kills that once cute appearance of that furry rat.
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Why Shrinking Hurts You (and Everyone Around You)
1. You leave money on the table.
Playing small keeps you underpaid and overlooked. Confidence opens doors, hesitation shuts them. No one notices the small skinny rat in the corner, at least not until she starts making chaos, eating through cereal boxes, taking bites out of the fruit. And, she don’t care she’s seriously not leaving anything for grabs unbitten out on the table.
2. You silence your own voice.
Every time you bite your tongue, you reinforce the idea that what you have to say doesn’t matter. Spoil alert: it does. We’ve got to remember that people are always going to talk, someone is always going to disagree. But, at the end of the day all that matters is how we feel about any situation. This is the time, to come with that RAW voice, and be loud and proud, address all your issues, and who cares if others leave them on the table, at least you fed them the feast, and you don’t have to go home with the leftovers.
3. You teach others how to treat you.
If you shrink, others will happily box you in that cage, leaving your thoughts forever lost on the rat wheel. If you rise, you set the standard. Make yourself unapologetically the leader of you. Live your life, treat yourself in the manner you want to be treated. Those who are meant to be there will follow your lead, you’re the boss. But, those who aren’t will lay out those Rat Traps. But, that’s ok we’ve learned to avoid them. 
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How to Stop Shrinking and Start Owning It
🔥 Take up space PHYSICALLY!
Uncross those arms. Plant your feet. Look people in the eye. Your body speaks before your words do. Lead with the confidence, you’re living life lawlessly, and you are a conquerer of everything. You deserve the space you want to take up.
🔥 Say “NO” without an essay.
You don’t owe a TED Talk every time you decline. A simple, “No, that doesn’t work for me” is a full sentence. Or, just flat out “NO”. Or, even a “No, fuck that”!
🔥 Brag differently.
This isn’t arrogance—it’s self-respect. Start listing your wins out loud. Practice owning your success like it’s your favorite leather jacket. covered in all those badass patches. You are a conquerer of everything!
🔥 Invest in your bold self.
That course, that side hustle, that dream project, those tattoos, or roller-skates? Do it. Money flows back. Confidence compounds. And so do all those cool toys, and One Bad Maa Gear!
🔥 Call yourself out on your shit!
Catch yourself when you start apologizing for existing, this is nonsense. Replace “sorry” with “thanks for waiting” or “glad we got as chance to connect.” Own your shit, and don’t apologize for being you.
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You’re Bigger Than Their Box, That Little Cage That Want To Place You In!
The world benefits when women step into their full, unapologetic selves. Shrinking doesn’t keep you safe—it just keeps you silent. Playing small is deadly, but playing bold? That’s electric and magnetic.
So next time you feel yourself shrinking, remember:
You’re not here to live in the cage they want you to live in.
No nuts, and corn, and annoying water bottles for you.
Because you’re here to burn it down and build your own stage.
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👉 Ready to stop shrinking? Join the One Bad Maa movement—gear up with tools, trackers, and unapologetic vibes to keep you bold.