Vicious Cycle – Showing Up, Hiding, Showing Up, Hiding

Let me know if you can relate. You put yourself out there, you promote your products/services, you write articles, you are a guest blogger, and you post your ideas on social media. Your close friends are excited for you and post comments, participate in the conversation. However, all the effort and attempts to build an audience, does not translate into business, at least not right away. You start to question your own abilities and your worth. Now that your confidence and even self-worth is hurt, you decide not to put yourself out there anymore. What’s the point?

So you hide. Then, when nobody is responding to the few posts you write here and there (your friends feel like they supported you enough, or they don't even see your posts), you feel reaffirmed. All your suspicions that nobody cared, nobody was interested in what you had to say, nobody really showed you that you mattered, are true. Of course, how often are you posting now? How in touch with the world are you? How often are you commenting on other people’s blogs? How often are you participating, engaging, sharing, giving, acknowledging others?

Rarely. I know. Of course you are. Nobody cares after all, what’s the point? The point is that if you go back to hiding, it’s your own doing, and not because nobody else paid attention. If you are in business, you need to be willing to be seen, heard and to be vulnerable. But, because of the minimum initial response (or lack thereof) you received, you chose to retrieve; and you just established a vicious cycle. How do you break from it, you may ask?

Healthy Cycle

• Allow yourself to feel the feelings that come up when no one responds to your posts, and acknowledge where you are.
• Remind yourself that you do have value to offer.
• Research new ways to show up and to share your work.
• Ask for help.
• Get out there again, again and again.
• Create a schedule for you that includes the time you will be putting yourself out there; the time you will write content, create a video, share your wisdom; the time you will support others on their own articles, events, or programs; the time you will be networking and establishing relationships and partnerships; while being authentic at all times.
• Follow the schedule you created with NO EXCUSES.

Yes, I agree that even when you keep engaging with others, it may not always be translated into receiving it back. I assure you, though, that the universe, and the world is watching, and they will show up for you in a big way, as long as you keep your commitment to fully and frequently showing up.

Break the vicious cycle of briefly showing up and then going back to hiding, by committing to showing up fully for yourself, for your community and for all around you, today and every day.

If you’d like me to read your blog, take the opportunity to comment below and post a link to one of your articles, and I will read it and leave a reply.