What Happens When You Stop Playing It Small

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Disappointment has a way of reshaping us.

You take a risk, give your best, and hope for the outcome you imagined. When it does not happen, it hurts. And sometimes, without even realizing it, you begin to shrink the dream to something safer.

You start playing small because small feels manageable. Small feels like something you can control, but that does not protect you. It limits you. It keeps you from stepping into the fullness of who you are and what you are capable of.

After a letdown, you can convince yourself, “Keep the vision smaller. This way, it won’t hurt as much if it fails.” However, that is fear, not wisdom. Fear’s favorite trick is to make perceived safety look like strength.

Control feels comforting. But comfort zones quickly become cages if you use them beyond what they are for: opportunity for rest, a chance to refill, etc.

Stewardship multiplies what has been entrusted to you. Control reduces it to what feels predictable. And predictability is not the same as progress.

There’s a story from the Bible known as the Parable of the Talents. It describes a master who gives three workers money to manage while he’s away. Two of them put the money to work and double it. The third, worried about losing it, buries his share in the ground.

When the master returns, he praises the first two for their effort and growth, but he criticizes the one who played it safe.

Fear says, “Stay small. Stay safe.”
Faith says, “Stretch. Risk. Believe again.”

When you choose stewardship, you stop managing outcomes and start multiplying opportunities. You take what is in your hands and trust that more can come from it.

This week, notice where you may have “buried” your gift in order to keep it safe.

Then ask yourself: If my role is to multiply, not just to manage, what bold step would I take?

The world does not need your smaller, safer version. It needs the full weight of your voice, your vision, and your courage.

If you’re reading this far…

I hope this message finds you well. I’m sharing from my heart in hopes that you will be inspired to unearth and live out your God-given purpose. Hopefully, something I said resonated. I would love to hear from you if so. Please feel free to reach out to me on social media. FYI: I’m mostly active on Instagram these days. If you were forwarded this message, you can subscribe here to receive thoughts like this directly in your inbox. And don’t forget to check out the latest episode of my podcast, ConvoRoom with Mark Allen Patterson.

See you next week,