Are you being observed or are you being seen?
While these two words might sound like very similar things, there’s one big difference…
Being Observed
Most people are being observed.
They go through their day to day, blending in with the rest of society.
They’re afraid of putting themselves out there, of what people might think, and they’re afraid of the potential judgments and pushbacks they’ll get from sharing their beliefs.
They don’t do anything that makes them stand out.
And by doing so, they hold themselves back from happiness – from contributing their full potential to the world and attracting their desired lifestyle.
And what happens is, they’re just in the background. A speck of dust lost in the sandstorm of society, barely noticed from the corner of the eye.
When you’re just being observed, you’re doing a disservice.
To yourself and to the world.
Because you know you could be doing so much more.
Being Seen
Being seen on the other hand requires a fundamental shift.
A shift where you make the decision that what you say matters.
A decision to share your message in a bigger way.
That you’re here, not for yourself, but to be of service to the world.
When you do this, you take responsibility for your life.
And you allow yourself to step into that spotlight and start sharing your knowledge.
It’s not an easy decision though.
Inevitably, you’ll come up against:
- Fear of judgment
- Fear of vulnerability
But you do it anyway.
You choose to be vulnerable. You choose to step into the spotlight, to put your thoughts out there, be a leader and open yourself up to potential criticism.
Why?
Because you know you deserve the spotlight. Because you’ve worked so hard to build your experiences, knowledge, and skills.
And the world needs to hear what you have to say.
The Inner Battle
There’s a warzone in your mind.
And it’s a constant inner battle within yourself.
On the one hand, you want to be seen and recognised as the expert that you are.
On the other hand, there’s a part of you that makes you think:
- “Am I good enough?”
- “Do I deserve these opportunities?”
- “Do I bore people when I share my message?”
- “I don’t want to show up and take other people’s time.”
- “Am I good enough to step into the spotlight?”
These are all common objectives that come up when you start making the transition towards being seen. And you’ll never have the answers to them.
I had a client recently, who had a PhD and two Masters degrees.
And when it came down to stepping up and being seen, the fears that came up for him was “I don’t know if I’m qualified enough yet.”
Most people seek external validation.
They’re waiting for permission from external sources.
It could be a boss, a mentor, a friend, a colleague, or even clients. They’re waiting for somebody to tell them “Yes! You have my full permission to share your message.”
But it’s never going to come.
You’ll never have someone external come up and tell you that you’re finally good enough to take action, to start sharing your message in a bigger way, and to start being seen.
Instead what happens to happen is, you need to give yourself internal permission.
The Biggest Trap
The biggest trap that people get themselves into, is they compare their beginnings to other people’s middles.
They see other people doing bigger and better – they’re more polished, they’re more confident than you, and they’re more accomplished.
And it short circuits your power.
But what we forget about is where these ‘better’ people started.
A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step, and all you have to do is take it one step at a time.
You’re already good enough.
All you need to do is focus on “day one”, not “one day”.
Instead of waiting around, thinking “one day, I’ll do XYZ”, think “this is day one, and I’m just getting started” and make the decision to take action and start being seen.
Give yourself permission to start sharing your message.
This isn’t about you and your fears. This is about adding value to the world and sharing your message.
There are people that are waiting for you to step up and step into your glory.
It doesn’t have to be just for you. Think about other people.
Connect with the people who look up to you. The people who this is going to benefit.
By doing so, you’ll gather the courage that’s going to be needed to take those first steps.
It’s Your Choice – Do You Want To Be Seen Or Observed?
Once you make this decision to be seen, you start to exude different energy.
Whether you’re doing a Facebook live, doing a YouTube video, doing a talk, or sharing your thoughts and opinions in a business meeting, people will start noticing.
And they’ll start to see you as a leader.
Because instead of being a directionless turtle hiding in your shell, you’lll be coming from a place of, ‘I’m here to be seen because I deserve it.‘
And as a result, opportunities are going to show up that you didn’t even think about.
If this sounds good to you, and you know somebody that would benefit from making this distinction – somebody who you know has enormous potential inside them, but haven’t made that decision to step up and be seen – I’d like to invite you to share this article with them.
Life is too short to simply be observed.
You’re worthy of being seen, so make that decision today.
Be seen. Not observed.
Lucas Mattiello
Level Up Living
P.S. If you’d like me to help you become someone who’s seen, and not just observed, I’d like to invite you to speak with me. All you need to do is go to levelupliving.com/apply and fill out the application form there. We’ll have a chat to see if we’re a good fit, and if it is, we’ll get you on the fast track towards being seen.