Stand tall

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As a young person, I was never really short for my age. As an older, but not yet wiser person, I did the 4-inch heels thing for a short while. Unfortunately, even as a short-timer, it was long enough to get an injured right foot from spending too much time in heels.

So why would a never-wear-even-2-inch-heels-again person want to write about standing tall?

The thing is, standing tall doesn’t matter how tall you really are. It’s a mindset. Even a fleeting not-good-enough thought can cause a person to shrink in size—regardless of their height. I know. I’ve been one of those people.

Taking a look at nature, the smallest of trees aspires to stand tall–obstacles or not. Spend enough time in a forest and you’ll most likely see at least one trunk that’s made a nearly 90-degree turn to eventually find a free space to straighten and reach for the sunlight.

As humans, what we reach for is up to us. We also don’t need to grow crooked to get there. Don’t let another human cause you to feel small, even if you’re a short person.

For those of you thinking that ignoring what others say about you is easier said than done, I get it. I still have people in my life who push my not-good-enough button—even in remote interactions.  And I don’t always even need another person to be involved. Self-doubt can do all kinds of things to my head and self image.

But now I recognize it’s happening and I can choose to spend my energy thinking stand-tall thoughts instead. In fact, it can’t hurt to also send them to the person pushing your not-tall-enough button. Chances are he or she is also needing to feel taller.

Maybe the need to stand tall is one of the many reasons I’m drawn to giraffes and spending time in the presence of trees.