For a long time, I noticed that I was (and probably still am) attached to how other people perceive me. I was trying so hard to maintain the self-image I wanted others to have of me—trying to be “cool.”
What I learned is that this is a very limiting approach.
If you’re trying so hard to maintain and uphold a self-image you created, you’re actively limiting yourself in what you do. Ironically, it likely keeps you from finding the resonance you’re really looking for with other people.
From my personal observation, people don’t want those highly curated LinkedIn-style stories. Every article there sounds the same because everyone’s hiding their vulnerable true selves behind a “formula” to get results. They try too hard—and people see right through it.
Once you stop trying so hard to maintain this fictional self-image—which ultimately just serves as a mask—your real work as a creative begins.
And yes, it might feel painful at first, because initially people may not resonate with you.
Seeing just three likes on a LinkedIn post hurts.
But it’s the more sustainable—and honestly more promising—path. It builds real value in the long run, and deeper connections with the people who genuinely want to tag along.
This reminds me of the concept of “wu wei” from Zen teachings. It translates to effortless action.
The moment you detach yourself and stop trying so hard, you ironically open yourself up to genuine momentum. The results you want effortlessly find their way to you.
I know your thinking mind probably rejects this approach because it sounds uncertain and ambiguous. But I genuinely believe in it, and I try every day to create evidence that it works.
That’s why I’m here—to prove there’s another way to create, to live, to be.