It’s all about perspective.
From the outside, you may look like you have it all. You may look like you’ve got it together, that you have a bright future. Let’s be real though, as you’re only showing a fraction of what life is really like. This is how social media morphs perspectives.
From my perspective right now, life is a daily struggle. I’m a female entrepreneur who elected to start my business from scratch and build it up my own hard. You can say I’m hard-headed and I won’t be offended. I struggled to see how I fit into someone else’s path, so I blazed my own. With that comes significant daily risks and struggles. But what I show to most people who are looking from the outside in are the images of a brave woman. How am I really on the inside? Sometimes a brave woman, no doubt. Other times, a terrified human being that the empire I’m trying to build is far more intense than I am ready to tackle. The struggle is real.
Someone told me just last week that they thought I was “killing it” from their perspective. This was based on the articles I was writing, posting on multiple social media platforms, and by their attendance at one of the recent conference presentations I gave. This is someone I admire and respect, and yet I completely realize it’s all about perspective. She doesn’t necessarily see the struggle. And to be honest, no one really wants to hear the truth when they ask “how is the business? How are you really doing?”
Only a handful of my closest friends are privy to the reality of my concerns. Will I be able to pay my bills this month? I honestly can’t say. It’s my emboldened drive though that keeps me hyper-focused on my future. The future where I know for certain I’ll be “killing it,” yet real-time me right now wishes I could fast forward as quickly as possible to get there. But then I’d be skipping all the growth and building I have yet to do.
It’s all about perspective. When you see someone, whether it’s who they are in person or who you are reading and seeing online, remember that what you’re seeing is just one point of view. A different angle from what the other person is seeing. Sometimes that’s helpful to be able to remind them that there is light at the end of their tunnel. Other times its helpful to pull them out of their tunnel vision where they are headed straight for disaster. Regardless, we need to remember that every image we see, somehow is seeing it from a different lens. But we all know that everyone struggles. It’s not normal to be perfect all the time. In fact, it’s not normal to be perfectly happy half of the time.
Take care of yourself. Reflect on your own perspective. Remind yourself of others’ perspectives. Try to envision what they’re seeing and experiencing. Remember that votes of confidence aren’t always helpful, especially if someone is secretly struggling.
For questions or comments contact Joanna.
