You need to shut the f*ck up
This was the lovely phrase a guy sitting right behind me in a Poli Sci class my junior year in college stage whispered loud enough for me to hear.
Evidently, my opinion on the current (at the time) political race was not to his liking. I turned around to glare at him, while simultaneously doing the uniquely female thing of having to size the guy up – could he potentially physically hurt me if I said something that really offended him? He appeared to be about 6’3 and looked like he spent a significant amount of his free time at a gym.
There were a couple hundred people in the class and I made the calculated decision to continue with my thoughts. My professor actually gave me a “high 5” and some other students came up to me after class to share their thoughts as well. Mr. Meathead behind me was nowhere to be found.
Taking up space, letting your true self be seen, sharing your opinion… you’re not always met with such vitriol, but man, it can be hard. When you take up space, there might be someone who doesn’t like it. That’s a potential risk.
But, when you don’t, you are not being your true, authentic self. And to me, that’s a much bigger risk. In a work context, you have been hired for your knowledge, skills, and talent. When you don’t let it shine through, you are playing small.
On this week's podcast, Sherry and I celebrate some of our guests who bravely take up space, even in the face of difficult odds. We also share some thoughts on how you can begin to practice a little more space-taking in your own life, and I share what is most important to me right now.
How have you practiced taking up space?
