You Teach People How To See You

You teach people how to see you.

You teach them how to see you the moment you walk into a room.

Are you walking with your head held high? Are you smiling? Are you frowning? Are your shoulders back or are they hunched over? When you say “hello,” is it with trepidation or is it with certainty?

Have you ever stopped to think about how you move within this world?

We live in a world where everyone has an opinion.

We live in a world where judgments are treated as if they are a currency.

We live in a world that attempts to define people at every turn.

And that is what the world will try to do—it will define you. It will crack you. It will shape you into what it has decided you are supposed to be or what box you’re supposed to fit into.

That will happen.

Unless, of course, you teach the world how to see you first.

If you want people to see you as strong and confident, I hope you pay attention to your body language. I hope you strive to perfect your posture. Lift your chin, stand tall, and make sure you look people in the eye. Speak from your diaphragm, and let your strength fill your voice.

If you want people to listen to the words that you say, I hope you pay attention to the tone in which you’re speaking. I hope you recognize that how you say something is just as important as what you’re saying. Nobody likes to be talked down to or yelled at, but everyone appreciates someone who listens. Choose your words with care and consideration and recognize the words you tell yourself.

Yes, recognize the words you tell yourself.

For the words that you speak stick, even if you’re just speaking them to yourself.

They will stick to you like the clothes you wear. They will filter how you relate and engage with the world around you. They will take up residence in your heart, in your soul, and in your bones.

So, make sure that the words you speak are ones of encouragement and affirmation. Make sure that the words that you whisper to yourself are through a prism of positivity and love.

For when you see yourself through that prism, the ones around you will see that love, too.