Self-expression: let yourself be seen.

Why do people find it hard to express themselves?

I had a plan to write about something else today, but as I sat down to write, I couldn't get this question off my mind. It's a question that concerns a subject matter that I'm very much interested in and I believe it's something that is missing in our world today.

Why do people find it so hard to express themselves?

Now I want you to use your creative imagination to imagine a world where everybody is expressive. A world where everyone is showing their individuality and uniqueness. It would be beautiful, wouldn't it?

What is self-expression?

To me, self-expression is being cool. Period. Nothing more, nothing less. And being cool comes from within. It's your inner truth, expressed. It starts with self-acceptance > which leads to individuality > which leads to the development of taste > which leads to self-expression

Self-expression is a way of showing up as yourself without inhibition or performance to try and evoke a performance that doesn't truly reflect who you are.

I think about self-expression as making the choices that truly come from you, and not what you think others will like without any fear of being judged or shamed.

What are you scared of?

Fear is often the reason why people find it hard to express themselves openly. Fear of what others will think about them. Fear of being judged or shamed. Fear of not fitting in. Fear of being seen for who you really are.

When I think about what scares me the most, it's not poverty or death ( myself or loved ones). It comes down to the potential consequences of being fully seen.

For one, it will force me to stop hiding. And hiding is safe. It gives you a sense of control and to be fully seen requires an element of surrender to something beyond your control.

And the truth is that you can't really control how you're seen by other people so you might as well stop trying and just do you.

If you're enjoying what you are reading so far feel free to share the post with someone else too.

What does lack of self-expression cause?

When we don't express ourselves, we repress important parts of who we are and cause ourselves considerable struggle and lasting mental and emotional pain. Our frustration turns to rage. Our isolation turns to depression. Our restlessness turns to panic.

A lack of self-expression cause us to live life on the sidelines, watching other people express themselves and sharing their gifts with the world.

But if we all can express ourselves without any kind of fear whatsoever, imagine how beautiful and unique everyone would be.

How you can start expressing yourself.

You're not alone. If you find it hard to express yourself, you're not alone. I was also suffering from the same problem. You feel like you have many things to talk about and share but you don't know how to convey.

You want to dress or do something you like but you're afraid of being judged. Honestly, it's a very uncomfortable and frustrating situation.

But there's a way you can start expressing yourself freely:

Practice. That's it. You can't avoid it. In fact, the word “practice” simply means to do: to perform, to employ, to put something into action. It means to refine like water polishing a stone until it is smooth.

Practice, the act of defining purpose, is about putting form into function. It’s about refining your nature, chiseling away at what is meaningless until all you’re left with are things that matter.

Here's a an assignment for you: Do something or share something about yourself that you would normally not do or share for fear of being judged or shamed and see how you feel.

It was an absolute joy writing this (actually, it wasn't all fun, I almost gave up. Lol) and I'm even more happy that you've read to the end. Thank you.

If you enjoyed it please share it with someone who you know will love it too or you can just like, comment, and subscribe. (or you can do both):

Until next Saturday, have a blessed weekend!

_ Tiza Brian