There’s something terrifying and necessary about choosing to be seen.
We all crave connection. We want the right people, the right path, the right place to land. But none of that can find us if we’re too afraid to be found. Hiding behind fear, perfection, or old pain will only attract more of the same.
We can’t meet new versions of ourselves if we’re still hiding in the old ones.
So this is the year I’m stepping out. Stepping into the new. Sending the text. Shooting the friendship shots. Saying “yes” to the uncomfortable things that call me. Choosing courage over comfort—even if my voice shakes. Even if my heart races. Even if I don’t know how it’ll end.
Because the truth is, rejection isn’t the enemy. Rejection teaches. It sharpens. It saves you from places you didn’t belong. Vulnerability is how you learn who’s safe for you. It’s how you figure out who you are in the first place.
We fear rejection because we think it means something about us—like we’re too much or not enough. But rejection is so often about timing, about mismatch, about someone else’s limitations, not your worth. You weren’t too much. They just weren’t ready. You weren’t unlovable. They just couldn’t meet you there.
You won’t know what lights you up until you walk through a few dim rooms. You won’t know your “yes” until you try a few “not for me”s. You won’t know the kind of people you thrive with until you’ve had to outgrow the ones you settled for.
This year, I’ve decided I’m not going to wait for life to come find me. I’m applying. I’m reaching out. I’m getting dressed like someone’s going to fall in love with my outfit. I’m sending voice notes to friends I’ve just met and trusting it won’t be too much. I’m showing up to life like I belong in it.
Putting yourself out there doesn’t mean being reckless. It means being brave. It means letting life respond to your presence. It means not overthinking every move to the point you miss the moment entirely. It means choosing to show up as you are—not as a version you think they’ll like better.
And yeah, sometimes you’ll fumble. Sometimes people won’t get it. Sometimes it won’t go the way you hoped. But sometimes? It will. Sometimes it’ll be better. Sometimes it’ll open a door you didn’t know existed. Sometimes it’ll bring you the people who love you exactly as you are.
And even if it doesn’t? You’ll still be proud of yourself for trying. For growing. For trusting your future enough to risk your present.
So put yourself out there. In love. In your style. In your healing. In your job applications. In your voice. In your art. In your questions. In your joy.
You don’t become who you’re meant to be by staying in the shadows.
There is no version of becoming that doesn’t ask you to be bold.
