Tara Mohr

Well, I think above all, playing small is a feeling.

So you could have actually a big career, a big title.

You could look like you are thriving, but you know inside, if you feel like you're playing small,

Relative to what you feel called to do, what you really want to do, who you think you really are.

And that's what I found very early in my work is that most of the women that I was meeting had this kind of sinking sense inside.

I'm playing small.

I really don't like it.

And I also am stuck.

I don't know how to change it.

So the biggest thing is being stuck in self-doubt and being stuck in listening to the voice of the inner critic.

And I often say brilliant women have brilliant inner critics.

So our inner critics do not say, you know, sometimes on their most abusive days, that inner critic might say, you are a total fool.

But it's more likely to say, you know, if that was a good idea, surely someone else would have done it.

Or you can totally pursue that dream, but in five years, not today.

Or do a little more homework before you pitch that idea in the meeting.

So listening to that voice of self-doubt is a huge one because at its root, that voice of self-doubt has underneath it fear.

And I'll sometimes say that that voice of self-doubt is actually a strategy that your safety instinct is using to try and get that feeling back.

of I'm in my comfort zone.

I'm safe.

I'm not going to have failure or too much rejection.