Last week marked the 39th week of my yearlong challenge. What I have been reflecting on is how consistently undervalued I am, misunderstood, discredited for things that I do, things I have been doing for years and things that I am great at. This has been the story of my life. From my writing abilities to my song composition skills, my singing, storytelling, running my page, creating performing arts programs for children and youth, my solo shows, selling journals, losing weight, running a business. You get the picture. The list is endless. This happens with basically most of the things I do, and truth be told, I can't wrap my head around how bad it is because I truly believe in myself. I am glad that I know my worth and I know what I am capable of.
So, how do I deal with people who undervalue me?
1. Although at times they annoy me, I ignore them. I use their lack of belief to propel me forwards and it becomes fuel that ignite my dedication to dig deeper and keep going.
2. I never give up and I plan better, I prepare more and make sure I have a great team to support and help me execute my plans.
3. I believe in myself more than anyone else does. I know what I can achieve, and I know that what I put my mind to I can absolutely do. It may not always happen when I thought it would, but it always happens eventually.
4. I use every skill, every experience and my talents to help me to elevate my next project.
5. I know my purpose so when I feel like giving up, I remember my WHY.
6. I am my biggest fan and I consistently encourage myself to keep going and to dream bigger. I make sure that I know as much as I can about what I am doing but at the same time, I am always open to learning.
7. I often talk about the fact that I make sure to know myself more than anyone else. Learn as much about myself as I can. I have identified my strengths and weaknesses. What I like doing and what I don't like doing. That way, I know what my role is when using my strengths and years of experience. The more we know about ourselves, the better we are at ignoring the haters. It also allows me to see my value that others don't. It allows me to stand up for what I believe in.
8. Keep connecting with others. Find people who share the same vision. I cull the negative naysayers from my life.
9. Find a strong core team of hard-working individuals that work well together for the greater cause and bigger picture.
10. To prove to myself I can do it. I love having a sense of achievement and this increases my confidence to dream bigger the next time around.
It's definitely unfortunate to be consistently undervalued in my life. However, I'm glad it doesn't stop me from soldiering on. The biggest areas I am focusing on is being a better version of myself and what I do. How do I keep building my value in the world that has mass impact for the positive? All I know is that today, I am giving it my all, I believe in me, I don't have to get it right all the time, it doesn't have to be perfect, failure is a part of the journey. One day, people will stop undervaluing me because my continued actions and work will speak loud enough to show the world that I am someone to be taken seriously.
Photography Credit: PJ Sheperd
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