Everyone wants to be heard

We make assumptions about other people. We think they’ve got it made, figured out, their path to success is a shining beacon lighting their way.

Other people know what they’re doing, and are just fine.

We, me, the person sitting in this brain, we’re the ones who don’t have it figured out, are still in process, unsure of every step we take.

Social media has exasperated this.

As a kid I thought everyone around me had innate confidence and just knew what they were doing (except that one guy, he never had a moment of self doubt in his entire life). I was the one that didn’t know, wasn’t sure, always second guessed myself.

Now I see things differently. I’m just old enough, and have just enough experience in a few places to have experienced the opposite feeling—where someone else was looking to me for guidance on a topic.

Now, there’s a difference between knowing how to do a thing with confidence versus acting as if we know everything without question.

It’s ok to have a take, speak our mind, and be passionate. But it’s also equally important to just say we don’t know, but might be willing to find out.

Everyone wants to be heard, to be seen, to be known. We can give that gift in our next interaction with someone. Let them know that we see them.