The Fear of Being Seen
One of the greatest fears that we all have in common is the fear of being seen.
For whatever reason, having the realest and deepest parts of us exposed to the world feels terrifying.
It’s scary to be seen trying, failing, and admitting that you want more.
Especially in an age where everything we do is online. We’re always being seen.
And even though I know I’m not alone in my feelings, being seen still feels terrifying to me sometimes.
I think so many of us walk around carrying beautiful dreams inside of us that we never fully dare to touch because visibility feels too vulnerable.
Sometimes the fear isn’t even about the dream itself. Sometimes it’s about what comes with it.
So instead of focusing on the beauty of the dream… we focus on all of the fears instead:
“What if people judge me?”
“What if I embarrass myself?”
“What if I change?”
“What if people think I’m cringe?”
“What if I’m not as good as the girls I compare myself to?”
“What if I put my whole heart into this and nobody cares?”
So instead of going for it and living a wildly magical life, we stay living in the “almost.”
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been on the edge of almost starting, almost posting, and almost creating.
We tell ourselves we’ll wait until we feel more confident, more healed, more beautiful, more talented, more organized, more sure of our direction.
But why does it seem to never come?
The truth is, confidence rarely comes before being seen.
It comes because we showed up, did what we said we were going to do, and survived being seen.
I think one of the enemy’s greatest tactics is convincing people to bury what God placed inside of them by making them overly aware of other people’s opinions.
Because if he can keep you self-conscious, he can keep you silent.
And silence keeps people stuck.
It keeps the writer from writing.
The creator from creating.
The leader from leading.
The person with a beautiful testimony to share to from ever opening their mouth.
And then comes the procrastination, overthinking, and perfectionism.
Constantly rebranding yourself before anyone gets too close to the real you.
Sometimes it looks like endlessly consuming other people’s lives & dreams while neglecting your own.
You want to know something I’ve been realizing lately?
A lot of us are waiting to magically become fearless before we start showing up.
But courage is not the absence of fear. It’s movement despite it.
The people we admire most are not necessarily people who never doubted themselves.
They’re usually the people who decided their purpose mattered more than their fear.
I think there comes a point where hiding starts hurting more than being seen ever could.
Because deep down, you know there’s more in you.
You know there’s a version of you that creates more freely, dresses how she actually wants to, speaks honestly, starts the business, writes the blog, posts the video, applies for the opportunity, shares the art, moves to the city, changes her life.
But she can’t fully exist if you keep filtering yourself through the fear of how everyone else might respond.
One of the saddest things comparison and fear do is disconnect us from our truest selves.
When I look around at the world, it’s obvious that we’ve stopped daring to ask questions like:
“What do I actually love?”
“What feels true to me?”
“What kind of life do I genuinely want?”
And instead, we become more concerned with the question that kills us all…
“What will people approve of?”
That is such a painful way to live.
Especially because the people you’re afraid of disappointing are usually too busy worrying about themselves anyway. And those people have deep dreams and desires too. We all do.
I really believe God did not create us to spend our entire lives hiding.
I believe our personality, creativity, voice, and dreams matter much more than we realize.
They are a part of our purpose.
There are people who will be drawn to your honesty.
There are people who need your story, your perspective, your art, and your obedience.
And sometimes the breakthrough you’re praying for is waiting on the other side of being willing to be fully seen as yourself.
Nobody is looking for perfection anymore.
They’re looking for authenticity because it gives them the courage to embrace their own humanity.
It reminds them that they can stop hiding too.
Maybe this is your reminder that your life is not meant to be spent sitting safely on the sidelines of your own dreams.
Post something.
Share the story.
Wear the outfit.
Start before you feel fully ready.
Let yourself be seen.
The world needs your magic.
And maybe the life you dream of is on the other side of courage.
P.S… Just as I’m about to hit publish on this post…there is a man sitting behind me talking to his family and saying : there is something about the saying, “let your light shine.” be YOU and be that well. do what you have to do. His hat also says “be uncommon.”
Could it be any more clear? God made you for a purpose. And He’s here encouraging you in these words today.
I dare you to be all you were created to be.
