How often are you fully visible? Do you have this push/pull where you want to be seen, but also want to hide out? You want to say and do what you know is the thing that will make a difference and yet, you don’t want to risk being judged.
Do you have an unconscious fear that if you fully share what you know, you’ll be dismissed? The kicker is, since it’s unconscious you might not even recognize that it’s in play. What if you became fully visible? That means showing up and saying what you know without trying to justify, prove, or defend your position.
Sometimes getting visible is as simple as following your instincts. Have you had the experience of wanting to step forward, having doubts, staying in the background, and then having someone else say what you were going to say? And, they get rave reviews for it!
You might be visible by creating visual art or music, even when you’re not sure if anyone will buy it. Your visibility may be called for when you create a business that seems off the wall and ends up being exactly what your ideal clients yearn for. It doesn’t matter what the vehicle is.
Being visible can feel risky, especially at first. What will they think if I say or do that? What if they don’t like it or me? Being visible takes practice. It’s about claiming what you know and expressing it. You might feel like you don’t fit in. And, maybe you’re not supposed to. What if you are here to show the way to new ideas? Are you a way-shower? Do you have an idea that doesn’t quite fit the norm? Are you ready to be visible?
Here’s one example of being visible as it relates to the Life Energy of Aliveness. If you have Aliveness Life Energy you will be naturally visible, by your very nature. However, the next layer is you’ve been told for most of your life that you’re too much. So, you tone yourself down. You try to fit in, all the while having your “too much” self pop out randomly. It’s a cycle of showing up, toning down, getting visible, becoming small – over and over again. It is exhausting! The examples are different for each Life Energy, but the outcome is the same.
What if you step up, become visible, and share exactly what is necessary for you with your clients, your customers, your team, or your family? What would that look like for you? How would that change things for you internally?
Thanks for a great subject, Cindy! We met in Lake Forest at a seminar last year. I liked your message then and now. I’ve been challenged to be more “visible” as someone in job search. I had 30 comfortable years in the same industry and primarily with one company. Now I must step outside and expand my circle of professional friends and contacts. It takes work as I’m naturally an introvert, but must be more of an extrovert in the search for new opportunities. Beyond the job search, I’ve had be more “visible” in my personal life. I’ve experienced the loss of three significant love ones in the last nine months. I’ve had to comfort others, research (diseases, funeral services, and insurance) programs, execute a will, challenge other professionals doing their jobs and be a resource for family and friends. I’ve had to be a leader and step up when I really wanted to go hide and let someone else do the heavy lifting! I’ve gained an renewed appreciation of my education, skills, training and life experience. I learned that I can be ok moving between being really out there and visible, and just being at home and quiet. I’ve finally learned how to turn up the volume of activity as a pursue new goals and interests. Thanks for reinforcing the value of these teachable moments with your article.
It sounds like you have been finding a balance between being visible and being quiet, in order to recharge your inner batteries. It’s a dance and often times it’s those difficult moments that pull us into becoming more visible. Look at you being visible, becoming a leader, and valuing who you are, good job!