Stop Small Up Yuhself

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I saw this tweet and after having a fit of laughter and re-posting, I felt inspired to write. I don’t know the owner of the tweet. I hope I am not sued for infringing on any copyrights or anything like that. So, I’m gonna give him his credit by keeping the post in its original format. Big up Kev_9876.

As long as you were born anytime at least before the early 1990s in Jamaica you would have experienced a taxi driver or a bus conductor telling you to “small up yourself” just so another passenger can fit in the already too crowded public passenger vehicle. We experienced losing sensation in our legs or one side of our bodies just so that another person, or two, or three could fit beside you. When you got out of that vehicle you had to stand for an extra five minutes just so the blood could start circulating in that oh so numb leg. Why did we do it? There wasn’t a flood of taxis and buses on the road back then and so we felt as if we didn’t have a choice but to small up ourselves.

But many of us are still doing it.  Too many times we small up weself to accommodate people. In other words, we put ourselves down. We minimize and discount ourselves just for the benefit of others. We reduce our dreams and downplay our needs just to fit somebody or others in. It’s time to spread out. Take up space. Yuh have yuh fare. Nobody is more valuable than you are.

Do you know how you small up yourself? 1.By apologizing when you speak honestly. You tell somebody the truth, not in a disrespectful manner and because they don’t like it, you say sorry. We think we have no right to speak the truth. 2. We small up ourselves when we discount our own abilities. We say things like … I am no expert but…. or we say I am not sure but…. Stop it! If you didn’t think there was credit or validity in what you were saying, you would not have said it. 3. You put others needs before yours. You cannot give of yourself if you have nothing in you to give. Start looking out for you.

Stop small up yuhself. Spread out. Go large

You are special. You have worthy.

You are deserving. You can do this.  

Big up yuhself!

-eS

Comments

  1. Chev.RicFebruary 9, 2021 at 8:23 AM

    Right on point there. "Smalling" up ourselves have led to several other mental and emotional issues...both conscious and subconscious. We are children of the universe, we should take up as much space as we need. We are deserving.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. WardFebruary 9, 2021 at 9:26 PM

      Keep doing what you're doing. Positive move in the direction of not "smalling up youself."

      Delete
  2. UnknownFebruary 10, 2021 at 9:35 PM

    I can totally relate. I remember being in a taxi's front seat when a plus size lady was about to enter the taxi with three persons already in the back, I immediately suggested that I go in the back and let her sit in the front. The driver told me to sit where I am because it's the same fare I'm paying. I was so used to being asked to sit out or go in the back just to accommodate someone else until it became a part of me. I felt like I didn't need to be continually asked. I started volunteering. I truly think it's about time to stop small up mi self. Thanks Sherine.

    ReplyDelete
  3. eSFebruary 10, 2021 at 9:54 PM

    We get so accustomed to smalling up ourselves that we do it voluntarily and unconsciously. The end result is that people take us for granted and have little confidence in us. We have it within us to be great. We just need to open our wings and begin soaring to new heights.

    ReplyDelete

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