There’s a strange tension I keep noticing.
I want to be seen. But I still sometimes want to manage how.
Around new people, I feel this quiet urge to present the “right” version of myself —
the version that will land well, be liked, be accepted.
Even though I know that’s not connection…
it’s still my instinct.
What I’m Noticing
The more I try to be seen the “right” way,
the less I feel seen at all.
When I let myself show up slightly messy —
a little uncertain, a little honest —
I feel something loosen.
I feel real.
Why I Think It Matters
I don’t want a life full of people
who only know the version I carefully shape.
I want to trust that I can be met as I am —
not as I perform.
The Open Question
What would happen if I risked being seen
before I know I’ll be understood?