If I Stay Small, I Might Be Safe (Vulnerable) Limited Edition Giclee Print

About This Piece

The world can feel like a chaotic and threatening place, and as we grow up we devise strategies to stay safe. We puff up, we shrink down, we run away.

My default when I feel scared or vulnerable is to make my world as small and simple as possible. I like to fly under the radar to avoid pain, and for a long time, that worked for me.

But over the past couple years, I started to feel the pain of “under-being.” I was shrinking from challenges, forgoing opportunities, and playing it safe even when it meant sacrificing who I really was and what I really wanted.

It’s said that we only change when the status quo becomes more uncomfortable than growth. We reach a tipping point that propels us into transformation.

My transformation is learning to tolerate messiness and awkward growth. It’s learning to step into the unknown of a new opportunity, knowing that even if I fail, I won’t die (and I’ll probably learn something). It’s being courageous enough to be seen as I am.

What growth are you being invited to? What safety strategies and control patterns would you need to let go of to experience more joy, fulfillment, or authenticity?