449 | Why are You Playing Small? It’s Time to Embrace Your Boldness: Why You Deserve to Take Up Space, Feel Seen, and Be Heard

Affirmations for Black Girls

Tyra The Creative

Education, Health & Fitness, Religion & Spirituality, Society & Culture, Self-improvement, Mental Health

5 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 29 December 2025

⏱️ 41 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Playing small is costly, and this episode is your permission slip to stop shrinking, stop apologizing for your brilliance, and step fully into your boldness. Tyra breaks down what it means to take up space, trust your value, and carry Big Deal Energy into 2026. If you’re ready to step fully into your life, show up unapologetically, and leave behind hesitation and self-doubt, this episode serves as your roadmap.

This week’s Affirmation is: “I am the main character in my story.”

3 Biggest Takeaways

Taking up space starts with YOU: You can’t expect the world to see your worth if you don’t first honor your own presence.
Boldness isn’t always loud: Sometimes it’s internal, quiet, and about choosing yourself even when no one is clapping.
Imposter syndrome can’t stop you: Name it, document your wins, reframe failure, and visualize yourself confidently taking up space.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	What if I told you that playing small is the most expensive mistake you made all year?
0:08.0	I really want you to sit with that for a second.
0:11.0	Think about all the times that you watered yourself down, the moments you swallowed your ideas in a room full of people who needed to hear them,
0:20.0	the opportunities that you
0:21.8	convinced yourself you weren't ready enough for, the times that you chose silence instead
0:27.9	of advocating for your talents, for your experience, for your value. Think about the version of
0:33.4	you who hesitated to speak up in that meeting because you didn't want to sound too confident.
0:38.5	The version of you who closed the job application tab because you thought maybe next time.
0:45.2	The version of you who bit your tongue, dimmed your light and shrank just so you could keep
0:51.6	the peace. Now ask yourself, what did that cost you? How many doors
0:58.1	didn't open because you never knocked? How many rooms never shifted because you never stood in
1:03.9	your full and complete power? The truth is, y'all, when you show up fully and take space, things move.
1:13.3	When you play small, nothing changes.
1:16.1	Playing small has never protected you.
1:18.7	If you really want to call a spade a spade, all playing small has ever done for you is delay everything that you're capable of becoming.
1:27.3	Well, in 2026, this will be the year that you will stop asking for approval and start showing up like somebody who knows who she is.
1:36.7	Powerful.
1:39.7	You things are as powerful.
1:53.0	You things are as powerful. What is going on beautiful. What is going on, beautiful people? You are going on, beautiful people.
1:54.3	You are listening to the Affirmations for Black Girls podcast, where we focus on personal growth and cultivating a healthy relationship with ourselves.
2:02.4	I'm your host, Tyra the creative, actress, content creator, and mental health enthusiast.
2:07.4	And this year's overarching theme was big deal energy. Being bold, audacious, and unapologetically
	...

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