Episode #8 – Why You Should be Your Biggest Fan

Your biggest fan is you! Why? Well, the biggest fan of any product is usually familiar with the product. In order words, there could be no better person to support you than yourself. You’ve seen parts of yourself no one has ever seen before. And only you know the hurdles you’ve been faced with and how it has affected your journey. Despite that, you’re still here. That in itself says a lot if you ask me.

I’m going to the beginning now. From a very young age, our parents tell us, “Great job” for doing the things they like. And as a child, getting that acknowledgment and seeing how it made them feel gave you access. You now had the key to outward validation. Any time you needed to that satisfaction from your parents, you knew what you needed to trade-in. Because in your mind, if you made them feel good, you’d feel good too.

Now that the training from our parents had been instilled in us, we would later enter into the formation of the system. In other words, school. From school, we would be given a task that aligned itself with a grading system. Then based on that grading system we would then know how we fare against our fellow classmates. How many times have you seen students turn their exams/quizzes over immediately after receiving it? They do this not because the grade was bad, but because of how others will perceive them as a result of it.

Being Your Biggest Fan Validates You

No matter what aspect of our lives we are in, we tend to always be searching for something. Whether it be from our parents, our teachers, our friends, or our employers, we are always raising our hands so they see us. It’s like that overzealous kid that raised his hands every time the teacher asked a question. It’s also similar to an employee that takes on work and even staying long hours in order to show the boss what they’re made of. Along with that, a raise would follow.

We live in a society of attaboys, so many seek to be acknowledged. Because for them, their ‘grade’ is based on how others perceive them rather than how they feel about themselves. They click upload and patiently wait for the system to spit out a response. Error, try again, and they’re left devastated. How many times have you hung your head low due to an end result? As your biggest fan, validate you so the world has no room too. The result can’t define you if you already know yourself.

In this social media-driven world we now live in, many of us have fallen to the LIKE game. Because of this, we’ve allowed our validation to be measured by the number of likes we’ve accumulated. How often do we post something, only to check it for like counts 5 minutes later? Let’s be aware of what drives us so that we are not relying on the external to live.

Stand with Yourself at the End

Regardless of what feeds you, make sure that it is something sustainable. And the only way to sustain the feel is by making sure it is rooted in your core. When I was younger I was always told who to be like others around me. Deep down inside I knew the information I had and what they were saying wasn’t lining up.  That mindset is what would keep me afloat till today. By becoming your biggest fan you not only bounce back easier when you fall, you always silence the narrative that’s incapable. Therefore, with that in mind, when you fall, you smile knowing that your best has yet to come.

A fail never exists when you continue to believe in what you have to offer. Because when you present your greatest version, the results always turn out great. A fail doesn’t mean that you aren’t capable. It definitely isn’t the end-all of your course.  Failure is only a reminder that we haven’t pushed out our best versions yet. That means if you thought that was your best, it just means you reneged on yourself.

No need to ever look outward to feel validated. Always present your product in a way that matches the person only you truly know. Everything you’ve been through has contributed to this journey. And everything you’ll do moving forward should broaden the journey to come. So if anyone ever tries to pass judgment on you or attempts to ‘grade’ you, know that is only an opinionated guess. Last time that I checked, a guess never equated to knowledge. Because at the of the day, true knowledge comes from your biggest fan, YOU.

Join me next week for Episode #9: Move Forward with Faith. Sometimes a dream is all we have without many resources. With faith, all is possible. Join me, same time next week.