As I am moving in my flow, something interesting starts to happen. I feel like a horse when it canters. One moment flows effortlessly into the next as my body comes back into a brisk walk. What is now different about me is the energy that I am exuding. I am feeling powerful, and it shows! My hips get some swagger, my back straightens, my chin lifts and I am now walking to that beat that says “Yeah..Imma bad ass.” My energy is projecting out far and clear as a bell. I am taking up space in the world, and I do not care who knows it. When I can project my true essence in this way I am a magnet to all of the good things in life that I want to experience. The people I am meant to work with and the relationships I am supposed to nurture are all attracted to me like a moth to a flame.

The expression “playing small” is typically used when we downplay our own attributes in an effort to be accepted by others. This can be self-deprecating behavior that could be used to manipulate others into paying us compliments or sympathizing with our plight in order to get something from us. It can also come from an insecure place that volunteers us to be ‘less than’ so that others (we deem to be more deserving) can be more. We think its pretty much harmless, but it actually has bigger implications than we realize.

Our physical body has an energy field surrounding it. We refer to this as our aura. There are actually seven layers of energy extending out from the body. The layers that are closest to the body are the ones where we store our emotional and mental wounds from others and the wounds that are self-inflicted whenever we internalize our heavy emotions including feeling inferior to others. These wounds can restrict the flow of our energy, keeping our energy small around our body. Just as in my example above the energy is now in a place that attracts situations, only this time they are of a lower, or denser frequency. This is when we are most likely to attract people that attempt to usurp our power.

When we know we are more yet claim to be less… we give our power away. We become the magician that says look over here, so you don’t see a larger aspect from over there. We essentially are playing a role in which the people that join us are attracted to that archetype, not us. That translates big time in relationships, because eventually you might be bebopping along on a run and your essence will shine. You will arrive home to a person that does not understand this high vibe emanating from you. They don’t like the places you want to explore, or the new ideas inspired during your workout. It ends up causing a power struggle. You might pretend to be offended or confused, but the truth, your truth, is that you did not honor your essence when you could have. So, the next time you are tempted to play small… choose to play big instead.