Why does Sally get 100 likes and you only get 10? Why when you tell your mom you're starting a blog does she not share the same enthusiasm as you?
When it comes to our personal journey, we can often feel like others do not care. As such, we can feel unsupported and even unloved.
As a person who is just three months into their content creating journey, I've had to develop the callous of being my own biggest fan and not letting the opinions of others be the foundation of my own emotional state.
It's easy to let the opinions of others dominate our space. If we are not proactive, we can let the number of likes, views, subscribers, and sales indicate our self-worth and the value of our content. This is a recipe for emptiness and low self-esteem.
To counteract the phenomenon of feeling like nobody cares, find a way to fuel your emotional needs in ways that you can control.
My advice is to celebrate the small things. In fact, celebrate whenever you try something. Celebrate when you upload a video. Celebrate when you complete a blog post.
Do not wait until you have 1,000,000 views or a big pay day before you allow yourself to feel like you're succeeding. You'll go empty, trust me.
For example, I allow myself to feel proud and accomplished whenever I upload a video to YouTube. In fact, I allow myself to feel ecstatic when I try something that I think might fail.
Just like we celebrate a baby when he stands up and falls on his butt seconds later, we must celebrate when we fall on our butt too. Reinforce failure with positivity. Reinforce trying with positivity. Reinforce each baby step forward with a big ass "HOORAY!"
There is NO rule that says you are not allowed to feel dope as fuck until you "make it." You're allowed to feel dope as fuck NOW. For no reason. Literally.
And, really, the only person whose permission you need is your own.
Feel me?
It may not feel normal to be your own biggest fan at first, but through some practice, it will become second nature. It's not gonna happen on its own. You must train yourself to say yes to your own needs. And...nobody else is going to give you the amount of love and support you need. You must either make it for yourself or actively ask others to give it to you. Foreal.
Be your own biggest fan by becoming your own biggest fan.
Much love,
-GS
