Real talk: I think we all have a gift inside us. Or rather, that we ourselves are the gift. Nobody has lived or experienced life quite the same way we have. That gives us a unique perspective. Sometimes we mistake our uniqueness with imperfection. We compare who we are to something that seems better, and feel less about ourselves in the process. But that’s only because we’re focused on the things we aren’t, rather than the things we are.
I realized yesterday that the reason I wasn’t reaching out to more people was because I was trying to find the perfect way to present myself first. I wanted to create words that were so touching that people would be moved just by reading them. And present concepts so powerful that people would audibly yell “Yes! Yes! Yes!” as the heard me present them. That seems a little silly as I’m writing it out. I can’t control how someone will react, and the more I try, the more I’d be diluting the purity of my message in an attempt to elicit my desired response.
Sometimes you just have to let go, and be yourself, and let the cards fall where they may. And that’s where I am right now. I want to stop trying to be who I think I’m supposed to be, and just love myself as I am. So I’m going to start writing with a focus on “being real” rather than “being likable.” Some people will like it, others may not. But at least I’ll get to practice loving myself in the process, instead of reinforcing the idea that I need to become something better to deserve being seen.