I’ve got to be honest, I’ve been in the rut lately. Each time I try to write, I start questioning myself.
- Am I good enough?
- Who am I to write about such topics?
- There are way better writers who should cover this instead of me?
These questions filled me with days of self-doubt. It affected my writing. More importantly, it affected my sleep because the voices in my head keep haunting me.
Bottling up my emotions made it worse. I just… I couldn’t talk to anyone about it. Assuming nobody would understand me, I just kept it in.
Until I couldn’t.
It takes another perspective to see the things we’ve missed out
Last night, I finally told my partner about what’s been going on.
Do you think you need to be someone like Jack Ma before you can share your story?
That’s what my partner asked me and I replied, “yes”. But hearing it coming from someone’s mouth made it sound stupid.
I realised I’ve been caught in a problem I created for myself.
Talking it out with someone helps. That’s why people go for therapy sessions. You don’t have to face your problems alone.
We have a unique perspective in the stories we share
You might feel as I did — our stories not valid because we are yet to be somebody — but that’s not true at all.
Our story, journey, and lessons learnt are valuable to you and everyone. You might not be the CEO but you have the perspective of an entry-level executive. And that’s what makes your story unique.
Your story can make someone feel less alone
My favourite stories are those that validate my emotions.
Yes! At least I’m not the only one feeling this way.
There are 7billion people in the world but at times, we can still feel so alone. Reading and momentarily living their lives (through their story) helps.
This doesn’t only apply to Medium stories. I’ve read a lot of books but the best books are those that made me cry because I could relate so much to the characters. The memorable advertisements are those that pull on your heartstrings.
Emotions, people. They’re the key to why someone follows you. You make them feel good about themselves.
Don’t be afraid to write how you feel
It took me about 2 weeks to come to terms with myself. I’m not an expert in any field except for my personal life.
I can’t specifically tell you how to “be a better boss” or “build the best company”. What’s right to me might be wrong to some.
But I can share my experience and if it helps you, I’m glad. If it doesn’t, well… agree to disagree.
Just remember, what you write can make a huge difference to someone’s life. You could be the push someone needs. Or at least, you’re another human who understands what they’re going through.
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This post was previously published on The Startup and is republished here with permission from the author.
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