That hobby you love. That project you’ve been working on. That idea you’ve put on the shelf to collect dust. Whatever that thing is, do it–even if nobody claps for you.
We live in such a microwave culture. Always awaiting the superficial ding of approval. Waiting to be liked, yearning to be seen as valuable by the world, when, in reality, only we can determine our worth.
As college students, we’re still finding our footing in this big, wide thing we call the world. We will try new things. We fail sometimes. Sometimes, we succeed. But first, we must simply do. And regardless of when we do, we must show up for ourselves every single time.
It’s easy to get discouraged if the things we do don’t get instant recognition or a response from our peers. Because the post we worked so hard on didn’t get a zillion likes within the first 30 seconds of being uploaded, we might feel like we’ve failed at something or that nobody likes us, when honestly, none of it matters all that much.
The internet has completely screwed society’s perception of what to value. We’ve reached a point where people are prioritizing other people’s values, opinions, and perceptions over their own. We live in a society that praises what’s popular over what’s fundamentally good, morally right, or simply their preference. Being a follower is praised and personal identity is scrutinized. With a fickle online culture like this, what’s the value of what people have to say about you anyway?
The weight of caring about what people think has often left me paralyzed in fear and anxiety. It prevented me from pursuing the things I loved due to fear of failure or looking stupid. Yet, instead of being afraid of these things, I’m going to embrace them with open arms. I’m getting comfortable with the fact that I’ll probably look “stupid” to others for a while, but hey, they called Einstein crazy too.
For a while, people might not clap for me. In fact, I might not get any recognition at all. But I find relief in knowing that I don’t do what I’m doing for the approval of others. I showed up for myself and followed through with my plans, and that in itself is a success.
When you’re able to clap for yourself, that’s all the validation you need. But that’s just my opinion, so really… who cares?
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Do It, Even If Nobody Claps
February 7, 2024
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