Mental Health Moments: Three Ways to Own Your Story
Three Ways to Own Your Story
⌛ By Kaylin R. Staten ⌛
I have a confession to make: I haven’t always lived my most authentic life. My anxious-and-depressive wheel constantly spins behind my PR face. I am in a very public profession (I mean, public is in the name, after all), so I always wanted to put that fact first. The truth is, when you don’t show your actual personality, your efforts won’t resonate with your audience.
That could mean the loss of a wonderful client, a cause that won’t be supported to its full extent, and many sleepless nights racking your brain.
You’ll wonder: Am I good enough? What do I really want out of life? Why can’t I be satisfied with who I am and what I like to do?
Here are three ways you can own your story and begin to live the life that falls in line with who you truly are:
Show up, even when you don’t want to.
There will be times in which you have to be productive when you don’t feel incredibly motivated. As an individualist (a number4 on the Enneagram scale), I want everything I put out into the world to be perfect from the get-go. Well, I have news for you, friends. Most of my clients and potential clients aren’t looking for perfection. They’re looking for ACTION, experimentation, and two-way communication.
I heard a quote through during my foray into the learning world: “If we waited until we were ready, we would never start.” So, just do it, even if you don’t feel the motivational spring in your step or think you will fail miserably on your first attempt. Go to that meeting you dread. Talk with people at the mixer you would rather skip but know will be a fruitful opportunity for you and your company.
Remember who you are.
I have spent most of my life ignoring or trying to cover up my truest self. I thought people wanted to see perfection and not authenticity. That is not the way to look at things, especially when it comes to your life! Take a deep dive into who you are -- which unique qualities can you bring to the table in order to help others? Often, these attributes are the ones we have been trying to hide our entire lives. For me, I have always worn my heart on my sleeve. I love to love people, places, and things, for better or worse. As a highly-sensitive individual, I’ve often been at odds with myself over this issue. Should I squash that compassionate side or use it to my advantage? Thankfully, within the last year or so, I’ve leaned into that part of me in order to transform Hourglass Media into more of my own and not what others expect me to pursue.
So, lean into your personality. If you own your own company, use your own personality traits, values, experiences, relationships, and interests to remember who you are. This brand personality quiz has helped me immensely as I still strategize behind-the-scenes here at Hourglass Media. And just FYI: my primary brand personality is Lover with a secondary personality of Creator with a splash of Explorer and Caregiver. It’s time to stop hiding who you are and become who you were made to be!
Be honest.
This seems like a no-brainer, right? Most of us hold honesty in high esteem, but this tip goes hand-in-hand with the previous point. When you’re not being true to yourself, your brand, and your company, people can spot that from miles away. We’ve all seen an influencer or two who seems to have this beautiful, seamless highlight reel of a life, but something just seems, well, off. That’s because they are not genuine to who they really are. They may be trying to be the boy- or girl-next-door when they’re really pretentious and judgmental away from Instagram. If that’s you, then I guess that’s cool, but just own it!
Use your voice to tell authentic stories. As a storyteller, I’m great at telling other people’s narratives. So good, in fact, that I’ve covered up my own stories in the process. When you lose yourself, start thinking about what you want out of life. I wanted to feel comfortable in my own skin. It was only when I began to be honest with myself and my company that I began to transform into the new, improved Kaylin 2.0.
Get ready, world. Kaylin 3.0 is coming soon!
Please note: These blog posts are not clinical, although we will provide symptoms and other information. These posts are based on my experiences with anxiety and mental health in general. If you or someone you know needs help, visit a website like Mental Health America to learn more.
Mental Health Moments blog posts are every other Tuesday of the month. Our CEO and contributors highlight what it's like to live with a mental health disorder and continue to fight the stigma through storytelling.
Kaylin R. Staten, APR, is an award-winning public relations practitioner and writer based in Huntington, WV with nearly 16 years of professional communications experience. As CEO and founder of Hourglass Media, she uses her compassionate spirit and expertise to delve into the heart of clients’ stories. She is a recovering perfectionist, mental health advocate, wife, cat mom and Leia Organa aficionado. Connect with Kaylin on LinkedIn.