Kids are the perfect example of what it looks like when you allow space for your existence. They play, they laugh, they ask for what they want, they show their emotions, they say what they mean, they have fewer — or no — filters at all, and they’re not afraid to be vulnerable. They don’t overthink every move. They don’t shrink to make other people comfortable. They live fully in the moment without worrying if it’s the “right” way to be.
As we age, we’re constantly being morphed into contained human beings. Don’t do this. Don’t do that. Don’t feel this. Don’t feel that. You must adhere to these rules. That’s not a realistic dream. You’re too much. Tone it down. That’s weird. You’re weird. Adjust. Conform. Every “should” we swallow chips away at our natural expression until we start asking for permission to be ourselves.
How much of yourself have you toned down to appease people or meet others’ expectations — including your own? How often do you keep your thoughts, ideas, or emotions to yourself just to maintain the peace, even when it costs you something inside?
If more people allowed space and created space for their existence, we’d have a massive transition into an era of authenticity. Imagine a world where everyone lived from a place of truth — where there was no need to decode who someone “really” is because you could see it in how they spoke, moved, created, and connected.
The most beautiful part of allowing space for your existence doesn’t stop with you — it extends to others. It creates an energy field where people feel safe to breathe, to express, to take up space without being judged. It allows space for them to peacefully exist as they are — without change — around you.
What does allowing space for your existence look like?
Asking for what you want the first time — without waiting for “the right moment” or hoping someone will read your mind.
Looking like a fool, silly, or out of place — and loving yourself anyway, even if others don’t get it.
Doing things differently in a way that only makes sense to you. For example, choosing a career path that no one in your family understands but that lights you up inside.
Refusing to conform just because everyone says one way is the “best” way. Sometimes the “best” way is simply your way.
Saying “no” when your soul, body, and mind don’t agree — without guilt or overexplaining.
Showing vulnerability without seeing yourself as less. Understanding that softness is not weakness — it’s power in another form.
Not aspiring for more just because everyone else is. You can opt out of the race entirely.
Tuning in to your mind, body, and heart. Asking, Is this good for me? If it’s not, allowing that truth to exist without shrinking or judging yourself — and being open to changes that honor your existence.
Not following through on what no longer serves you. Many commitments are worth breaking. Many are worth never making in the first place.
Not attaining your self-value and identity from others’ opinions.
Following threads of curiosity — never denying them, but exploring them, even if they lead nowhere.
Not taking it personally when people aren’t as warm or friendly as you’d like — it’s often about them, not you.
Not taking criticism as a personal attack or equating it with failure. Feedback is just information, not a verdict on your worth.
Asking the same question multiple times until you truly understand — and not apologizing for needing clarity.
Not punishing yourself for healthy doses of indulgence (which is subjective for everyone). Rest and pleasure are fuel, not sins.
Allowing space for others’ existence. Not judging. Not criticizing them for not being like you — simply accepting who they are and letting them be.
The only way you can fully accept, appreciate, and love others is by doing these things for yourself first — by allowing space for your existence. When you stop editing yourself for approval, you naturally stop editing others in your mind.
Once you do that, you can allow for the full expression of others’ existence — their differences, quirks, fallacies, and uniqueness. That’s where real connection begins.
Excellent on accepting my space and others space of where they currently are.