Don’t Be Afraid to be Seen Trying

The new year is in full swing, and I know it sounds like a cliché to say this, but I feel like 2022 is my year. For the first time in a while, I feel good and optimistic about where I see things going in my life. The fruits of my labor are starting to flourish, and I couldn’t be more excited. I attribute this new optimism and growth to the fact that I did not set a resolution this year. Instead, I decided to go by a mantra for 2022; “Do not be afraid to be seen trying.” I heard this gem a couple of years ago while watching Evelyn from the Internets YouTube channel. However, it was last December that I was reminded of it again. Its impact felt different this time, because I was tired of repeating the same cycle. Year after year, I had so many goals set and barely accomplished any of them. One reason being, I was always afraid to put myself out there. I have always been the one to tell everybody else what they should do and push them to pursue those things. However, I would sit back and wish I had the courage to put myself out there like that. This year, I decided to no longer sit on my potential. This year, I will be going after all the things I want. It may be a lot of trial and error, and it won’t always look pretty, but I will be more satisfied to say that at least I tried in the end.

What Does it Mean to ‘Not be afraid to be Seen Trying’

You may wonder, what does ‘not being afraid to be seen trying’ mean? Well, I interpret it as no longer trying to overproduce our lives. We get so caught up in the idea of perfection that we will wait and wait to put our work out there until it is just right. While there is nothing with wanting your work to be good, sometimes this fixation on perfection can be more of a crutch. Trust me, for years I’ve been guilty of saying, “I’ll do it when the time is right, or I’ll put my work out there when everything is perfect”. All I did in that time span was sit on my goals and waste my potential. Now, I sit back and think about what it would be like if I had started years ago. I suddenly realized there will never be a perfect time. The perfect time is now.

I understand that it may be difficult to put yourself out there and allow people to see you in a vulnerable space. However, we all have to start somewhere. For example, I always found it to be enduring when I looked at the early careers of some YouTubers. They always had humble beginnings. Most of them were filming with their phones, and they didn’t have high quality lighting and all the glitz and glamor. However, they continued to produce content, and their growth became more apparent. Right before our eyes, they were becoming more confident and polished with their content. I think that is a beautiful thing, and it’s a great example of what it means to not be afraid of being seen trying. These YouTubers could have easily chosen to give up and stop sharing their gifts with the world, but they chose to share themselves in the rawest and most authentic form. If we are honest, it is not the perfection that people crave, but rather the ability to simply be ourselves. You are the only person who is like you, and that is your power. Don’t get caught up in the comparisons or try to mimic what someone else is doing. Just simply show up as yourself, and those who gravitate towards you will keep coming back, and they will continue to support you in all phases of your life.

How Can You Adopt This Mantra Into Your Life

So by this point, you may ask, what are the steps to living your life in a way where you’re not afraid to be seen trying? Well, there is only one step, and that is to do the thing you are scared of or have been putting off the most, and do it unapologetically. A good percentage of the things we put off the most are the things we know we should be doing. If you want to start that business, do it. If you want to go back to school, do it. If you want to become a Youtuber, do it. Whatever that thing is that sparks joy in your heart, do it. Do it on your terms, by your rules, and for yourself. It doesn’t matter who is or isn’t watching; keep showing up for yourself. These are your goals and dreams. You owe it to yourself to see that these come into fruition. As a matter of fact, my best advice when starting this new way of thinking is to start looking at these parts of your life through a childlike lens. I often think about how fearless I was when I was a child. I was willing to try new things and didn’t think twice about it. Even watching my son now at one years old stumbling and getting into new things. That has inspired me to develop this perception about life, because when you try anything new, you will be confused. You may even stumble, but you’re doing it fearlessly. And that is the beauty in not being afraid to be seen trying.

As always, thanks for reading, and in the comments below, let me know what your goals are for the new year? Have you accomplished any already?