We've all done it at some point or another—made ourselves smaller for the comfort of those around us or for the convenience it provides. Often times it's to try and fit in with a group of people, or to mold to someone else's opinion of how you should be. The worst case is when you make yourself small because the person that is supposed to love you and care about you, makes you feel as though you can't be yourself around them. This can be a close friend, a significant other or even relatives and parents.
What do I mean about making yourself smaller? I mean when you really, really wanted to dye your hair bright blue or get a tattoo, and then you didn't because your boyfriend thinks unnatural hair colors and tattoos look unattractive on women. I mean how you've been a passionate piano player your whole life and you get accepted to Berklee College of Music, but you go to state school and major in pre-law studies because your dad thinks that law is an acceptable career path and playing the piano is not. Making yourself small is when you always do things the polite and proper way, even when you don't want to—even when you don't think it's the right thing, because that's the way you were raised and doing anything else might offend someone.
Making yourself smaller is offensive to you. It's saying that who you are, and what you want, is not good enough for everyone else. Since when did being you, become something that had to be good enough? It's one thing to restrict your behavior in social situations to blend in with your peers, it's another thing to try and change yourself because your friends, your boyfriend or your family think that you need to be changed, over something as simple as hair dye. So go for blue hair, get that tattoo, go play piano—be loud and be crazy and be you; forget them.
