Written from the heart by Ruchi Rathor
Life Coach | Helping You Lead From Within
“You were never meant to shrink. You were meant to exist fully, loudly, freely.”
From a young age, many of us were taught to be small.
To lower our voice.
To soften our opinions.
To hide our needs.
To take up as little space as possible physically, emotionally, and even spiritually.
But here’s the truth we forget:
Your presence is not a burden. Your feelings are not an inconvenience. Your existence is not “too much.”
You are allowed to take up space.
The Silent Ways We Shrink Ourselves
Without even realizing it, we make ourselves smaller:
- We apologize before speaking.
- We hold back tears because we don’t want to be “dramatic.”
- We stay quiet even when something feels wrong.
- We say yes so we don’t “cause trouble.”
- We dim our light so no one feels uncomfortable.
And slowly, we begin to disappear from our own lives.
Not because we aren’t capable.
But because we’ve been conditioned to believe our needs, feelings, dreams, and energy should always fit into someone else’s comfort zone.
The Truth: You Deserve to Exist Fully
Taking up space doesn’t make you selfish.
It makes you human.
Taking up space means:
✨ Sitting without curling into yourself.
✨ Saying what you actually mean.
✨ Allowing your emotions to be seen.
✨ Taking time to heal, rest, and breathe.
✨ Owning your dreams without apology.
✨ Occupying your life with courage instead of guilt.
Your very being is permission.
Taking Up Emotional Space
You’re allowed to say, “This hurt me.”
You’re allowed to ask for support.
You’re allowed to express what you feel without shrinking it into something smaller, safer, or easier for others to digest.
Your emotions deserve a room of their own—not a corner.
Taking Up Spiritual Space
You’re allowed to seek meaning.
To explore who you are becoming.
To ask questions.
To believe in something bigger your healing, your strength, your intuition.
Your inner world is allowed to expand as widely as it needs.
A Personal Reflection
There was a time I said “I’m fine” so often it became a script.
I made myself convenient. Manageable. Predictable.
And the world applauded my “strength,” not realizing it was silence disguised as courage.
But the day I let myself take up space when I spoke honestly, felt fully, rested unapologetically, everything shifted.
People didn’t turn away.
Life didn’t fall apart.
Instead, I finally felt at home in myself.
Your Gentle Practice This Week
Choose one place where you’ve been shrinking.
- Your voice?
- Your needs?
- Your boundaries?
- Your dreams?
- Your emotional truth?
And then ask yourself:
“What would it feel like to take up a little more space here?”
Take one simple step.
Speak up.
Say the real thing.
Stand straighter.
Breathe deeper.
Rest longer.
Let your presence stretch into its full shape.
Your Call to Rise
This week, dare to expand.
Dare to exist without apology.
Dare to take up the space life carved for you, a space no one else can fill.
Because you were never meant to fit into small places.
You were meant to grow into the fullness of who you already are.
Take up space, dear one.
The world is better when you do.
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