Being Seen Isn’t the Same as Being Held

There’s a moment many of us know too well.

When someone looks at you with awe.  Like they’re witnessing something rare, something they maybe didn’t know could exist in the world until it stood in front of them.

At work, it might sound like a shoutout in a meeting.
 A "we see you" moment on social media, or a pat on the back when we carry weight no one else will touch.

You feel seen, finally. Like your light is undeniable.
 And don’t get me wrong. being seen can feel good.
 But being seen is not the same as being held.
 And there’s a cost when we confuse the two.

Being seen might feel electric.
But being held feels safe.

You can be praised and still unprotected.
 You can be “amplified” and still unseen in your full humanity.
 You can be invited to the table and still carry the whole meal on your back.

The truth is: Some people are drawn to your light, but not built to stand in your heat.
They want access to your shine but not the responsibility of your care.

I’ve learned that if we’re not careful, we’ll internalize applause as belonging.
But real belonging doesn’t just clap for you. It holds you. It adjusts. It makes room.
It doesn't just spotlight your strength, it safeguards your softness.

I can be grateful for the mirror, without expecting it to be the altar.
I can honor the moment I was seen without shrinking into it.
And I can return to my own arms when I realize they were never built to carry me.

Because I deserve to be held.

Not just noticed.
Supported.
Not just applauded.

So if you're leading, creating, surviving in systems that are still learning how to hold you, know this:
You are not too much for asking to be supported beyond your output.

You are not ungrateful for wanting boundaries with your brilliance.

You are not alone in the ache of being seen, but not sustained.

You’re not asking for too much.
You’re just remembering what it feels like to be met.
And that memory? That knowing? It’s sacred.

You are not ungrateful for wanting boundaries with your brilliance.
 You are not alone in the ache of being seen, but not sustained.
 And if you're building something different- a team, a vision, a movement 
 let care be the blueprint, not just visibility.

Let holding become the practice.
You deserve to bloom where you are nurtured, not just noticed.

Affirmation:

I am not here to perform my power. I am worthy of being held in my wholeness.

So Tell Me...

What does being held — truly held — look like for you?
 In your work, in your relationships, in your vision?

Write it. Say it. Let that truth shape how you move forward.

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 Repost it. Tag someone who’s navigating the same ache.
 Let someone else know they’re not alone in this truth.

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 Come share your reflections in The Garden.
 Request an invitation. Come be witnessed.