If you’ve been rocking with me for a while, you’ll know that I don’t believe in visibility for visibility’s sake or for selfish reasons
That’s first thing’s first
I believe that visibility is a tool for making positive impact in the world and that maximum impact will require maximum visibility
Because, as stated in my post about why we shouldn’t feel bad about promoting ourselves:
We are called to solve problems
Your success, especially financially, correlates with the amount of people that you serve by solving their problems
This is just one of many mindset blocks that need to be removed to avoid self-sabotaging our own visibility efforts, though. For example…
The events of Esther’s life shows us that we also need to know the following:
#1 Your past does not define your future
Esther came from humble beginnings. In fact, Esther 2:15 says that Esther was an orphan who was raised by her uncle Mordecai. That didn’t stop her from becoming queen; then using her power, privelage and position to save her people from genocide, though.
I say all of that to say that your past does not define you. Despite your origins, what you may have done in the past or whether there’s a precedent for them, you are worthy of your dreams. So, don’t stay tethered to your past or limited by it, sis. Rise above it and use it as fuel instead.
#2 You are not a stereotype or statistic
Esther 3 tells us that Haman (the king’s advsior) put a plan in action to kill all the Jews based on his dislike for her uncle Mordecai. Esther, like many modern day minority women, therefore found herself living in a society that did not value her or her existence. She, like us, suffered at the hands of racial stereotypes, prejudice and dehumanising systems of oppression- yet she was able to resist and lead her people to do so too. Esther therefore teaches us that in a world that consistently:
Shows you that they view your life as worthless because of the colour of your skin
Tells you that the way that God made your hair, lips, body shape and more is not beautiful
Underestimates you and systematically blocks your progress
Your success; your visibility and your very life is an act of revolution and resistance.
#3 You matter
In that same post about why you shouldn’t feel bad for promoting yourself, I mentioned that the scripture most synonymous with Esther is “Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14). This word, said by Mordecai, not only confronted Esther with her significance and purpose but confronts us with our own because- as I alluded to in point 2- you matter, sis.
To quote the lyrics of one of my favourite Beyonce songs, “you’re part of something way bigger”. In other words, you are not just some insignificant “speck in the universe”- you are more than your past and what society paints you as. Not only that, your ability to rise above these things and get visible will set a new precedent for people who look like you and identify with you, cause a ripple effect for those coming after you and become your legacy, just as it was for Esther.
Want more visibility tips, sis?
Click here for 4 tools to help you develop a visibility mindset, overcoming the 3 mentioned above and otherse that you may also be dealing with.