STOP Playing Small: How to Overcome Guilt and Unlock Your Full Potential

In the music industry, there's a belief that wanting more is synonymous with greed. Musicians are often encouraged to be satisfied with what they have and not to push for more. But what if this mindset is actually holding you back? What if the internal conflict—between wanting more and feeling guilty about it—is keeping you stuck?

The Guilt Trap: Why Wanting More Doesn’t Mean You’re Ungrateful

Guilt can make you feel that striving for more somehow diminishes your appreciation for what you already have. Fabiana reflects on her own experience: “I’m all for gratitude, but there’s a difference between thinking you need to settle in your gratefulness and allowing yourself to ask, what else can I do? How else can I grow?”

Society, upbringing, and even personal fears can make us feel greedy for wanting to expand our lives and careers. This feeling is especially strong for musicians, whose value is often tied to their artistry, rather than their financial success. The key is to realize that true ambition isn’t about greed—it’s about expanding your potential to serve others through your unique talents and experiences.

Ambition Isn’t Greed—It’s a Positive Force

Rather than viewing ambition as a selfish desire, Fabiana suggests seeing it as “putting on your oxygen mask first so that you can help others later.” The desire for growth can actually be a sign that you have more to give. When channeled correctly, ambition helps you build a thriving career that brings personal satisfaction while allowing you to impact more lives.

Fabiana realized that staying small and safe was not serving her or the musicians she was meant to help. “Everything we go through is for a reason,” she says. “It’s so that eventually, we can turn around and help others avoid the pitfalls we faced.” If you have a nagging feeling that you are meant for more, it’s because you are. And that’s not a bad thing.

The High Cost of Playing Small

The fear of appearing greedy often leads to self-preservation. You might think you’re protecting yourself by staying where you are—comfortable, but not truly fulfilled. Fabiana warns against this trap: “There is a fine line between self-preservation and self-sabotage.” By holding yourself back from pursuing bigger opportunities, you’re not just maintaining the status quo; you’re actually sabotaging your chances for growth.

Consider the tangible cost of staying small. If you’re making $50,000 a year but could be making $100,000 with a few strategic changes, you’re essentially paying a $50,000 penalty every year for staying where you are. Now, apply this logic to your time, energy, and creative potential. What opportunities are slipping through your fingers because you’re too afraid to embrace your ambition?

Reframe Ambition as Service, Not Shame

One of the biggest takeaways from Fabiana’s podcast is that ambition should be seen as a way to expand your impact and serve others, rather than as a selfish desire. “When you capitalize on that desire for more and take the necessary steps to grow it,” she says, “the benefits will extend not only to you but to the people you’re here to serve.”

For many musicians, the goal isn’t just personal success—it’s creating something meaningful that touches others. Reframing ambition as a means of expanding your ability to contribute shifts it from being a source of shame to a powerful force for good. This mindset change can transform the guilt you may feel about wanting more into fuel for your growth.

What’s the Real Price of Staying Small?

When we think about change, it’s easy to focus on the potential costs—whether it’s time, money, or energy. Fabiana invites you to flip the question and ask: What’s the cost of staying where I am? If you’re currently sacrificing time with your family or trading precious hours for gigs that drain your energy, the price you’re paying for not growing is far higher than the investment required to move forward.

Fabiana emphasizes: “If you’re not making changes to reclaim your time and scale your business, you’re leaving opportunities on the table every single day.” This can mean losing money, sacrificing quality time, and delaying your dreams. By not embracing your ambition, you may be paying an invisible tax on your future success and fulfillment.

Embrace a Prosperous Mindset: Ambition Isn’t Your Enemy

The final step in overcoming guilt is embracing a mindset of prosperity and abundance. This doesn’t mean ignoring gratitude or dismissing the things you have accomplished. Instead, it means recognizing that there’s more out there for you and that wanting it is okay. In fact, it’s necessary.

Ask yourself: Where am I playing small because I feel guilty? What narratives am I telling myself to justify why I should stay where I am? By reprogramming these thoughts, you can start setting bigger goals and truly begin to design the life you envision.

It’s Time to Stop Playing Small

Fabiana leaves her listeners with a powerful call to action: “Where in your life are you playing small, and are you justifying it with guilt, shame, or fear? What can you do to start reframing those stories?” If you’re ready to shift from survival mode to thriving, it’s time to embrace your ambition as a force for good and step fully into your potential.

Remember, wanting more doesn’t mean you’re ungrateful or greedy. It means you’re growing. And growth, when aligned with purpose and service, is one of the most powerful forces in life.

If this resonates with you, take a moment to reflect on your own ambitions and how they could serve not just you, but also those around you.

If you're ready to explore how to bring these lessons into your life and business join our upcoming 5-day masterclass starting on October 14th to learn how to run your music business on autopilot! In this experiential immersive masterclass, you'll learn how to identify the root causes of your challenges and create a roadmap for success. Click here to reserve your seat!