To be seen

You want to be seen. You want people to see that you are important. You want to matter. Do you see yourself? Or are you just trying to fit in by being like everybody else? If you are like everybody else, people won’t be able to see you, that’s why you need to be yourself. But to be yourself, you must first know what that means.

Stop copying other people in an attempt to be what you consider successful. Who you are is good enough to accomplish everything that you desire, but you need to follow a path that is not yet defined.

The task ahead of you is to discover what is the path you need to follow, and in the process, discover who you are. Go to the places that scare you, stand your ground when all you want to do is run and learn to use the bad things that happen to you to build a better you.

If you want to be seen, you need to stop hiding behind masks and excuses. Nobody can be a better you than you can, and this is the only advantage you need in this life. Be yourself in every situation, unconditionally and unapologetically. Learn from every interaction, learn every moment, and improve yourself constantly.

The purpose of continuous learning and self improvement is not to guarantee your success but rather to give you a chance at happiness and get you to a point where the person you see in the mirror looks like you, and you are fine with that.

What is the value you provide to the world? Do you have any idea? When you look at yourself, do you see anything of value? Probably not as much as there is. Why is that? Why do you keep finding flaws in yourself? Why do you sell yourself short every time?

People are coming to you for help, and that’s because what you provide is valuable to them. If you fail to see the true value that you are adding, you will soon work yourself to death, with nothing to show for it.

You know that money is what you need to allow you to keep doing what you like, and what you are good at, but if you feel guilty asking for it, sooner or later you’ll have to give up what makes you happy. What you have is of real value to the people you are helping, and it might feel strange to ask for money from people who might be hurting.

Deep down inside, you are willing to do this for free, but you understand this way is not sustainable, because, in truth, you are doing it at a loss. You are giving your time, your knowledge, and your skills, so you need to get something back.

Put your work on display, let everyone know about it, ask three times more than you think is worth, and see what happens. People that find value in your work now, will still find value in it when you give it a price. As long as you are not forcing anyone into buying something they do not need, there is no reason to feel guilty.

Keep this a win-win transaction, and everything will work out just fine.