I have never been very good at promoting myself.
I am great at promoting others but feel kinda silly promoting myself.
I feel like I don’t need the light to shine on me so why not send it on to someone who would benefit more.
The truth is we all have something unique and special that is just ours to share with the world.
It’s a shame we don’t just grow up knowing that. That regardless of the love and support that we are given that it still feels selfish or wrong to want to promote yourself and share that gift with the world.
Isn’t that why we are here though?
Of course no one likes arrogance or “me, me, me” or people who think that only their work is of value.
That’s all shadow stuff. (Like that Vicky? See I did the homework! 🙂
I am talking about true, honest, heart-filled (wud up Pat! 🙂 sharing of something that is yours and yours alone.Something that others can see, hear, read and go, “ah, yes me too.”
So maybe we start to search. We look to find our voice, figure out what we have to say.
We side-step, second guess and think, “I am so not good enough. My stuff is not like his or like hers.”
And we are right.
Our stuff isn’t like anyone else.
It’s like us.
Flawed, amazing, full of life, energy and sparkly pixie dust and rainbows!
It’s full of some really cool hot pink shoes that hurt your feet but you didn’t care because they were cute and matched the book and you totally planned it that way even thought ok maybe you didn’t but still your nails matched and that was cool.
(Shout out to all my English teachers who wrote in red on my papers about my run-on sentences-HOLLA!)
So maybe you do it.
Maybe you decide to share that unique amazing thing that is all you.
Maybe you ask a friend if you can use her amazing and unique space for a book signing and poetry reading.
And she says yes because she is awesome like that.
You invite friends and family who love and support you.
Who show up even if they don’t get poetry.
Who stay even after almost getting a concussion because they said they would.
(and maybe a little because they probably couldn’t drive with an almost concussion.)
And you kinda feel like a rock star.
Or at least you would if you learned to play that guitar you bought.
And you have a really cool friend who knew you back before contacts and when you still read Seventeen Magazine. She comes and take some really amazing pictures.
She even gets a pic of the shoes because she totally gets how cool they are.
And your husband and 2 1/2 year old daughter sit in the front row and that totally makes you feel like a rock star when everyone claps and you hear this sweet voice yell, “yeah Mommy!”
And your mom gives you a hug and tells you how proud she is and how much she loves you.
And you realize that you are pretty damn lucky and loved and supported.
And you thank them. Maybe in person and maybe in a blog post that brought a little tear to your eye.
And you promote them and their awesomeness because you know they are rock stars too.
And suddenly, it doesn’t feel like it’s just about you anymore.
And isn’t that the point?
Until next time….
Michele aka The Dreaming Dilettante