"High Performers Feel Invisible Too... Hereâs the Loop Youâre In"
Youâve built the brand. Closed the deals. Mastered the game.
But behind all the momentum⌠thereâs a quiet ache.
âWhy doesnât any of this make me feel real?â
Youâre not broken.
Youâre just stuck in a loop no one talks about...
until now.
I've Made it... đđđđđ
We think we want success.
Freedom. Strategy. Certainty.
But under every funnel, every finely crafted offer, every subtle over-delivery and burnout waveâŚ
Thereâs a quieter hunger youâve likely never said out loud:
You want to feel seen.
Not praised. Not followed. Not applauded.
"Seen cleanly"... without distortion.
And in a world drunk on visibility?
That kind of seeing is rare.
Which is why so many high performers feel invisible inside their own wins.
Is That Just Ego?
Sure. Part of it is.
The ego says...
âLook at me so I know I exist.â
But beneath that? Something older.
Something sacred.
The soul doesnât want applause.
It wants to be witnessed.
And it wants to hear...
âI see the truth underneath your polish. And itâs still welcome here.â
Thatâs not ego.
Thatâs longing.Â
đŞEgo vs Soul: The Mask and the Flame
The ego is the mask you wear to survive the crowd.
It learns the rules. Adjusts its tone. Plays the game.
Itâs not bad... itâs protective.
A costume that says, âIf I wear this, Iâll be safe.â
But the soul?
The soul is the flame underneath the mask.
It doesnât perform.
It burns.
It says, âThis is whatâs real, even if no one claps.â
The ego wants to be seen to feel worthy.
The soul wants to be seen to feel whole.
And this Began Earlier Than YOU Think...
Wind back...
Youâre five.
You draw a wild, crooked sun.
You show it to someone who matters.
But, what youâre really asking isnât...
âDo you like it?â
Itâs...
âDo you see međ in this?â
If they look up, pause, and light up, your nervous system exhales.
You exist. Youâre mirrored. Youâre frickin' real.
If not?
A fracture begins to form... a disconnect... a shield.
Fast Forward...
Your Sun Drawings Have Turned IntoâĄď¸ Offers...
...Ideas. Businesses. Identities. But the acheâs still the same: âWill someone see me in this?â đNot the role. đNot the win.
â
ME
And when they donât?
You work harder. Sharpen the copy. Build new systems. But the mirror still feels foggy. Because deep down, you donât want more clients. You want resonance.
So, What the Fk's Happening?
Youâre chasing attention because attention feels like proof youâre real.
And thatâs not delusion.
It's programming.
From tribal survival to social media metrics, the body keeps the score.
Being seen = safety.
Not being seen = threat.
So the high performer chases the next win... not for the prize,
but for the moment of possible recognition that maybe, this time, someone will see the part you didnât say out loud.
đ Hereâs the twist...
The majority donât know whoâs asking to be seen.
Is it your ego?
Or your essence?
Are you performing for reflectionâŚ
or returning to yourself through resonance?
Because if you donât know -Â
youâll keep trading authenticity for confirmation.
Youâll bend into whatever shape attention wants. đREAD THISđ
And still feel invisible in your own skin.
đ Wind, Wind, and the Illusion of Clarity
Or... Why Your Lens Might Be Lying to You
English is weird.
Take the word âwind.â
Two meanings. Same spelling. Totally different sound.
đOne pushes trees and sails.
đThe other winds a clock, tightens springs, spins forward.
Same letters. Different worlds.
Why?
Because English ain't logical.
Itâs layered -Â a living system of borrowed roots, frozen rules, and time-warped sounds that no one ever fully agreed on.
Sound familiar?
It should.
Because your belief system works the EXACT same way.
đ§ You think your lens is clear... but itâs inherited.
Youâre walking through life thinking...
âĄď¸âThis is just how I am.â
âĄď¸âThis is how business works.â
âĄď¸âThis belief is true because Iâve always known it.â
But zoom out?
Youâre using emotional homographs.
Same shape. Familiar structure.
But the meaning? The sound? The effect?
Completely different than you assume.
âď¸ That loop youâre running? Itâs wind, not wind.
đYou think you're winding forward.
But you're being blown sideways by unseen pressure systems.
đYou think you're making progress.
But you're just reinforcing outdated pronunciation... beliefs inherited before you ever had a say.
Your internal operating system is a lot like English...
Messy. Layered. Outdated in parts. Brilliant in others.
But none of it is sacred until you examine it.
That's Where đThe L.E.N.S. đComes In...
Itâs not a mindset hack.
Itâs a tool for identity recalibration.
It helps you...
âĄď¸Locate the Loop youâve been running... (thinking itâs strategy)
âĄď¸Expose the Origin... so it stops masquerading as truth
âĄď¸Neutralize it with "NEW" Logic that fits who you are right now
âĄď¸Stack the Signal with actions that reinforce your reclaimed reality
It doesnât start with branding.
NOPE...
It starts with seeing.
Because once youâre seen... truly seen...
you donât need clarity.
You become it.đĽ
This is a very profound article!Â
I felt a REAL connection.Â
But, ironically hasnât necessarily been something Iâve struggled with, but itâs something I help my clients get through all the time.Â
Always sayinâ the ego isnât a bad thing, itâs a part of you, to dismiss it, is to dismiss a part of yourself.Â
What weâre looking for is to integrate the ego with the soul so theyâre both aligned.Â
The mask will mold to your soul, and the soul will mold to the mask, making a perfect representation of who you are.Â
When those two things happen and they collide, you are truly unstoppable because you know exactly who you are, and to hell with anyone who doesnât see you!Â
Keep up the great work.
William⌠what a powerful share!Â
Youâre defoâ speaking my language.
And, I couldnât agree more â the ego isnât the enemy, itâs just misunderstood.
Integration, not exile, thatâs the move.
As youâve explained, the soul doesnât want to dominate the ego. It wants to dance with it.Â
To create something real. Something rooted.
And wow⌠that line,
âThe mask will mold to your soul, and the soul to the maskâ â OOF!Â
Thatâs the alchemy right there, ainât it?Â
Identity not as armor, but as a living extension of essence.
And yes⌠when those two align?
You stop looking for validation.
You become the signal.
Appreciate your depth and clarity, brother.
Letâs keep walking the edge and lighting the way.
In your corner
Dedo (Chief MEME Officer)
This is very interesting. I had never thought of it like that before. I often look at people who seem to have achieved a lot and think that they have it all. Wanting to be seen is very simple yet so many people feel unseen. Sometimes stepping back and looking at the bigger picture can really make a difference to your life.Â
Right?
Itâs wild how something as âsimpleâ as wanting to be seen can sit so deep beneath everything we chase.
Itâs easy to look at someone with all the outer markers of success and assume they feel whole⌠when often, theyâre quietly asking âbut does anyone really see me?â
And yep, stepping back, zooming out on the loop â thatâs where the shift starts.
You start seeing whatâs been running the show⌠and suddenly, thereâs space to choose differently.
Appreciate your reflection, Charlie.Â
That awareness youâve tapped into?Â
Thatâs where the real work begins
In your corner.
Dedo (Chief MEME Officer)
This was a deeply resonant pieceâthank you for writing something so honest and thought-provoking. The idea that being âseenâ gives us a sense of reality and validation is something I think a lot of people feel, especially in todayâs world where social connection often happens online.
It made me reflect on moments where I felt overlooked or invisible, and how much that affected my sense of worthânot because I needed external approval, but because being acknowledged is such a basic human need.
Do you think our desire to be seen has become stronger in the digital age, where so much of our interaction is filtered through screens? And how can we balance the healthy need for recognition with the risk of becoming overly dependent on it?
In my opinion, thereâs a beautiful power in truly seeing othersânot just noticing, but being present with them. Thatâs something Iâve been trying to practice more intentionally in my own relationships.
Thanks again for the reminder of how important that simple act can be.
Tommy, this comment⌠WOW!
Youâve articulated something so many feel but rarely put into words with such graceâŚ
That being seen isnât about ego-stroking or approval-chasingâŚ
NopeâŚ
Itâs about belonging â knowing you exist in someone elseâs world, even just for a flicker.Â
And yes, in this digital age, where pixels often replace presence, that need can echo even louder.
I agree, the hunger to be seen has intensified â not because weâve become more vain, but because the depth of real connection has thinned out.Â
Thereâs more visibility than ever⌠but less witnessing.Â
And those two ainât the same.
To your question about balance is golden.Â
Maybe the key is intentionâŚÂ am I posting, sharing, or reaching out from a place of grounded expression â or from a craving to fill a hole?Â
One feeds connection.Â
The other drains it.
AndâŚ
I love what you said about practicing presence.Â
Noticing without fixing. Witnessing without needing to perform.Â
That kind of seeing nourishes both people, a rare thing indeed.
So grateful for your presence here, Tommy.Â
You didnât just read â you showed up.Â
And that, my friend, is what makes this space worth building.
In your corner
Dedo (Chief MEME Officer)
Wow! this piece hit deep. It so eloquently captures the lifelong tension between ego and soul, performance and presence. I really felt that part about the crooked sun drawing as a child⌠how our early need to be seen still echoes through our adult pursuits, whether itâs in our business, art, or even daily roles. The clarity between seeking confirmation versus seeking connection is something Iâve never quite seen framed this way, and itâs honestly eye-opening.
Have you found any practices or questions that help you recognize when itâs your soul speaking versus your ego performing? Iâd love to hear more on how to ground into that awareness in the midst of all the noise.
Thank you, Kavitha.Â
That comment feels like it was written from deep down in the bones â so beautifully said.
And yesâŚÂ
The crooked sun still lives in all of us, doesnât it?Â
That quiet ache for recognition, long before we had words for it.
As for your question, (such a powerful one.)Â
Iâve found ego often speaks in urgency and strategy⌠while soul moves slow, steady, and strangely quiet.Â
Oneâs trying to get somewhere. The otherâs already home.
Here are a few practices that help me, and might help you.
Ask: âWould I still do this if no one ever clapped?â (bit like⌠would you bother drivinâ a Rolls-Royce if you lived on a desert Island â on your own?)
Notice: Does this feel expansive or tight?
Watch: Am I trying to be impressive, or to be in integrity?
âCause, the thing isâŚ
When Iâm in ego-performance, I feel like Iâm âon stage,â micâd up, hungry for a response.
But when itâs soul, thereâs often no audience at all.Â
Just resonance!
AlthoughâŚ
It ISÂ a daily dance (for me)
Not about ego versus soul, but letting soul take the lead while ego plays a supportive role.
AnywaysâŚ
Iâd love to hear how it shows up for you, tooâŚÂ
I get the sense youâve walked this tightrope with deep awareness?
In your corner
Dedo (Chief MEME Officer)