I’ll bet you can relate…
Growing up, you had big dreams.
You looked to the future and knew nothing could stand in your way.
Without a single doubt, you were excited.
This energy was something you just “had.”
You didn’t know where it came from, but you knew it was there.
Maybe you didn’t know then what your life would look like 20 years down the road, but you knew it mattered.
Some days, you didn’t feel very special.
You were uncomfortable in the spotlight.
In your opinion, other people worked harder to be as good as they were.
Somewhere, you told yourself, “I’m not good enough.”
Then, you believed it.
The hiding we all do
Growing up confident is one thing; carrying a huge ego is another.
Never wanting to come off as “better than anyone else,” we hide.
We crave the darkness.
Staking claim to the cave or prison we’ve created, we find comfort in the hollowness we have carved out for ourselves.
We believe we are meant to be there.
Because it’s safe.
In the tiny glimpses of light we catch now and again, we see the faces of the masses staring straight back at us.
You are all thinking the same thing…
Masking your fear whenever possible.
Covering up what you desperately don’t want known.
The reasons for avoiding your true potential are found here:
You could make a mistake
If we cower in the shadows and do nothing, we cannot make a mistake. No one wants to make a mistake. We certainly wouldn’t want someone to witness that mistake either. We have this mindset centered around perfection, creating a false impression of reality. Failure is always found on the way to success and without experimenting and trying new things, we never learn what works and what doesn’t. Greatness isn’t just found in the moments when everything turns out the way we expected it to, but also in the moments when we picked ourselves back up too.
You could get noticed
As you creep away from your hiding spot, you become nervous when someone notices your work. Being noticed means not being able to hide anymore. It means you are recognized or your name sounds familiar when shared. When we don’t seek the attention, it can be very intimidating to hear how others might perceive your work. People take notice to the different — the ones who stand apart from everyone else. Our mind and society tell us to resemble one another and to elude trappings of uniqueness and rarity.
You could have more to do
With the craziness life already brings, we shun from doing more. Time does not err in your favor and finding the time to squeeze something more just doesn’t seem plausible. The responsibility of not doing something comes with another setback only beholden to ourselves — one covered in guilt. For years now, we have been groomed to do everything we possibly can, never allowing the choice to be ours. We must come to the realization that no matter how much we do (or don’t do), we will all leave things left undone.
You are convinced you are not good enough
Looking around, you find yourself comparing yourself to the person standing next to you. Even if they don’t bring your same skill sets to the table, you believe you “don’t have what it takes.” You don’t want to be mediocre, but are not so sure you have something better to offer. You are so afraid of believing in who you can be that you can’t ready yourself to let go of who you are now. You never give yourself a chance to see how good you are. It’s one thing to love what you do, but to be really good at it too?
You are convinced no one cares
Your mindset is centered around the thought that this world is too big for anyone to even care about what you were doing…so if no one cares, why do it? Without giving the people around you chance to decide for themselves, you believe it wouldn’t matter. Immediately, you take something from us when you could have at least offered to us. People are connected through simple moments and the world only gets better when those moments include connections through humanity not found anywhere else.
You are afraid of your TRUE self
For many of us, we are afraid of who we really are and showing our greatness exposes some of that to the outside world. Showing compassion and generosity towards others might damage the hard-core reputation you have shown everyone else. Letting someone see you for who you truly are is frightening — not because you question who you are, but because it scares you a little too. To look so deep within our own soul and to find our purpose and passion can influence change and inspire others in ways we couldn’t do otherwise.
You are afraid of your potential
Nothing can make some run for the hills than being told, “You have so much potential.” Because you know if you ever put your greatness together with that potential, that can great something amazing. Something extraordinary. You become limitless and nothing seems out of reach. The dark doesn’t offer you that protection. Your abilities are evidence of not only the person you are now, but the person you can become. Being on the verge of the person you were born to be, with everything you have inside of you, can be a little intimidating.
Avoidance isn’t the answer
Our greatness wasn’t given to us to be lost in a life never fully lived.
It wasn’t meant to be discovered and not shared.
Look back at history and you tell me one person’s name that you recall you did everything like everyone else…You can’t. But we can recall the names of the trailblazers, the pioneers, the innovators, and the dreamers. People remember their names and their accomplishments stand out.
Every time we ignore our greatness, we do this world (and the people in it) a disservice.
We become selfish in our quest to remain “a secret” when the most unselfish thing we could ever do is to gift away our talents and skills to aid others.
Drawn to the light seen in others, we never stop to think that we might be that light.
Excellence is found in you.
You can run and you can hide.
But only for so long.
There will be a time when you are called to act, motioned to say something, or inspire an idea that otherwise would have remained dormant without your intervention.
Time may not show you this interaction for some time, but it’s there.
The journey of becoming is found in the purpose for each person….where our greatness resides.
Michelle A. Homme 2017 ©
