It takes time to truly realize how amazing you are. We are so used to performing as a certain type of person, individual, or expert, that we forget aspects of who we are that got us to our current point. I would say recently, but that does not feel to capture what I want to say about how coming to terms with who I am has allowed for me to just let go of the reins and embrace myself.
We want to be recognized, it is a part of who we are as social creatures. We crave acknowledgment to know that we are being seen and heard. Though the truth is that it is not about being a thought leader or specific expert as the go-to resource. It is about being you, just you, and sharing what you know and love with others out of selflessness.
Online Presence & the Power of Social Media
Social media has allowed so many of us to share ourselves with the world. We all got on the various platforms and navigated algorithm changes that would allow us to create a following. Though some of us were and still are weary, we know that there is an importance of engaging in this dimension because it lends credibility. I know so many people who are nervous when they cannot find someone or something on social, they end up having even more questions. Yes, privacy is important and you do not need to share your entire life with the world, I have private accounts and public accounts for a reason. However, if your profile pops up in a search as a private account, the amount of uncertainty about you reduces because it provides a sense of you being real to others.
The actions you take leave lasting impressions. There is so much time spent about being present in the room and contributing that we forget that it is just as important to know that you are being spoken about when out of the room. How you are perceived by others is reflected when you are not present.
Just recently, I engaged with someone on Twitter about their post. I thought it was interesting and wanted to say something. I put my phone down and walked away. My focus was on others things that I deemed important and knew social media would still be there later.
When I came back, I had a text from that friend who mentioned someone was tweeting about me. I was baffled, but logged in and saw that I had a lot of notifications and no idea what had happened.
Someone, who many people respect as a figure of authority said something nice about me. That message was then restated by others. I was touched, I had been on and off the platform for years but recently started engaging more and being open. So many people saw me, believed in me, and someone just decided to highlight me which led to others hyping me up.
Being myself has reminded me how much fun it is to be me and that there is no one else like me.
Judy Garland said it best, and I knew it in high school when I quoted her as my senior quote, “Always be a first-rate version of yourself, not a second-rate version of someone else.”