Some hard things about showing up

Is showing up about being seen? And do we want to be seen by others? To give a faint glimpse or rather a tornado of what we have to contribute? If yes, why? If no, why not?

Let's be clear, showing up might feel very difficult. Things could go wrong. People might disagree. We might not be as smart as we think. On the flip side, we might open a new perspective. We might help someone who feels the same but doesn't have a voice. We might show it's ok not to be perfect or have the complete answer but that we're trying.

Of course, our egos can get in the way. The spotlight, the power of influence… they bring out our blindspots too. Maybe one thing to do is to consider that sometimes we make it much harder for others to show up too - especially of we're occuping the whole space, or if they don't feel safe, or feel that we don't care about what they bring.

Why should we show up anyway? Should we do it for ourselves? For others? For a shared goal? Just to look smart? Our belief in our impact carries a big weight. Sometimes even if we care deeply about what's on the table - and our “why” is clear, it might still be hard to show up.

What if we come from a place of positive intent, of possibility, of generosity, of bringing a contribution to achieve something better?

So maybe when we do show up or invite others to do so, we try to make it so we show up together. Mutually. Open. Playful. Considerate. Making it safe to build together.