Do you ever try to mask your height?
Do you ever wish you were shorter than you really are?
Do you wish you wouldn’t stand out so much and attract attention everywhere you go?
I hope you answered NO to each of those questions!
Love it or hate it, you are tall. How you develop your mindset and attitude with regards to your height is going to impact you and your life! You need to treat yourself like you would a treasured and trusted friend. Negative thinking and negative self-talk will send you down into a spiral of regret, sadness and frustration. That is no way to live life. In the words of Tony Robbins, “what you focus on is what you will feel”. There is nothing you can do about your height so why fight it?
With that in mind, here are 4 rules I believe you should try to follow every day so that you will never feel like masking your height again!
Never tell someone you are shorter than you really are
This is flat out lying about something very visible about yourself (which can be easily verified if the other person is determined) and it gives a strong impression to the other person that you are not confident and comfortable with yourself. How can you build rapport with someone if you can’t even be at peace with yourself!
Never let comments or questions about your height bother you
Height is a desirable trait that comes with a lot of associated advantages. Many people know this and it makes them jealous to the point that sometimes they will try to bring you down to their ‘level’ with their comments – do not give them the satisfaction. Stand proud and show them that you are comfortable in your body and with your height, implying that perhaps it is they that are uncomfortable with themselves. I’ve listed numerous great responses you can use when faced with tall related comments or questions you might get asked in the series Questions Tall People Get Asked. You can check out Part 1 here, Part 2 here and Part 3 here. If you learn to turn these encounters around into a fun and positive experience, not only will you begin to feel better about yourself but your confidence will start to soar.
Never let the stares you get from people make you feel self conscious
Staring is a human trait that you cannot avoid. From a young age we stare at things that we aren’t used to seeing on a regular basis – height is no exception to this. When you catch people staring at you, use it as an opportunity to show them how confident and in control you are. Make them envious of your height. Don’t curl up and try to mask your height by slouching, stand tall and develop good posture.
Never believe that because you are tall you cannot do something
Your height may put you at a disadvantage for some activities (e.g. gymnastics or body building to name a few) but it doesn’t mean it’s impossible for you to do them or get good at them. You are simply making excuses if you tell yourself you cannot do it. If you put in the required hard work, believe in yourself and never give up you will succeed. It might take you longer to achieve the same goal as a shorter person but when you finally do you will prove to yourself (and everyone around you) that your height is not a barrier to your success. Look at Dolph Lundgren (chemical engineer, action movie star and martial artist), standing at 6’5″, I guarantee you he achieved his success by believing in himself and not letting his height stop him from achieving his dreams.
Despite what you may believe, countless studies (some of which I’ve already addressed here and here) show that being tall is an advantage for both your personal and professional life. Never compare yourself to others and never try to be someone else. Your height is a huge part of what makes you who you are – why would you mask such a large part of yourself!?
Enjoy your height, learn how to handle life a head above everyone else and be proud to stand tall. There may be people trying to bring you down (or testing your confidence based on your height), don’t automatically let them win by giving up on yourself from the start, show them what you are made of and make them look up to you!
Stand tall and be proud.
- Image credit for beach masks (cover image): here
