Becoming Visible

When April comes, I always notice the Central Florida seabreezes and changing landscapes. There are some trees I see through my window, and in the winter (they are essentially wooden sticks) they get lost against the backdrop of the scenery around them. But when Springtime fills them with green leaves again, there is no mistaking their presence -- they become quite visible.

In business, there is an on-going conversation about visibility: letting people know you're out there, making your services clearly apparent to those who may be looking for them. Recently though, I read something that presented me with a different perspective: "The most important decisions of our lives will require us to forsake invisibility and risk becoming visible."

When I read that, my mind left the business world and I realized how true this statement is when we decide to make our voice heard.

We become visible when we speak up about something no one else is addressing, when we step forward to help someone no one else is helping, when we confront the way someone is mistreating us and express our desires.

These moments require us to stop hiding and be clearly seen.

Fully engaging in a relationship, especially in a conflict situation, means we must do this for ourselves -- we must become visible.  We are mistaken when we think the cloak of invisibility brings us comfort. The truth is, it's not comfort, it's isolation, and staying in that place brings with it all the pain isolation contains.

No matter how together we believe we are, we all have spheres where we seek to remain invisible. Today I am exhorting you to look at an area of your life where you are doing this -- to recognize what the cost has been to you -- and to make the decision to forsake invisibility.

Yes, it is a risk. Sometimes a great risk. Risking visibility means taking a chance.

But it is a chance on freedom -- and oh, what a prize!

Kay
P.S. Like my Facebook page and let me know your visibility thoughts!
 
Confident Conflict

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