What I'm referring to here is when we shrink ourselves, because we are so concerned with approval or judgment from others that we hinder ourselves from creating a life that aligns with our own wishes and our own values.
/wʌt aɪm rɪˈfɜrɪŋ tu hɪr ɪz wɛn wi ʃrɪŋk aʊrˈsɛlvz, bɪˈkɔz wi ɑr soʊ kənˈsɜrnd wɪð əˈpruvəl ɔr ˈdʒʌdʒmənt frʌm ˈʌðərz ðæt wi ˈhɪndər aʊrˈsɛlvz frʌm kriˈeɪtɪŋ ə laɪf ðæt əˈlaɪnz wɪð ˈaʊər oʊn ˈwɪʃɪz ænd ˈaʊər oʊn ˈvæljuz/
And this can range anywhere from deciding where to go to school, the job we pick, where we live, a trip we want to take, our hobbies, or a new business endeavor.
/ænd ðɪs kæn reɪndʒ ˈɛniˌwɛr frʌm dɪˈsaɪdɪŋ wɛr tu ɡoʊ tu skul, ðə dʒɑb wi pɪk, wɛr wi lɪv, ə trɪp wi wɑnt tu teɪk, ˈaʊər ˈhɑbiz, ɔr ə nu ˈbɪznɪs ɛnˈdɛvər/