You Are More Than What Others Can See

by Rev. Sheri Spiritual teacher, writer, and founder of Angel Messenger

Over the past several days, I have been preparing handmade items for an upcoming event. As I considered how to price each piece, I found myself looking more closely at what had gone into creating it.

From the outside, someone might see only the finished item. They cannot see the time spent choosing colors, carefully pouring materials, correcting imperfections, or waiting to discover whether everything would turn out as I had hoped. They cannot see the pieces that did not work, the ideas that had to be changed, or the physical energy required to make something by hand.

They see what is sitting on the table.

They do not see everything it took to place it there.

As I thought about this, I realized how often we look at ourselves in much the same way.

We see what we accomplished, but we do not always acknowledge what it cost us to accomplish it. We notice what remains unfinished, but we overlook everything we carried along the way. We compare the visible results of our lives with the visible results of someone else’s, without knowing what either person had to overcome to arrive there.

Sometimes we even judge ourselves according to what we believe others can see.

Did I do enough?

Did I accomplish enough?

Do I have enough to show for the time, energy, and love I have given?

But the most meaningful parts of our lives cannot always be measured by what is visible.

No one else can fully see the courage it took for you to get out of bed on a difficult morning. They may not know how carefully you held yourself together while supporting someone you love. They cannot count the private disappointments you survived, the prayers you whispered, the boundaries you struggled to create, or all the times you began again when it would have been easier to give up.

Others may see the person standing before them today, but they do not see every version of you that had to heal, grow, and persevere so that you could become this person.

The Divine sees all of it.

The Divine sees the love behind what you do. The Divine understands the energy required for each step. Nothing offered with sincerity is insignificant, even when it goes unnoticed by the people around you.

This does not mean that our value comes from how hard we work or how much we endure. Your sacred worth was never something you had to earn. You were already worthy before you completed a single task, cared for another person, created something beautiful, or survived anything difficult.

Still, there are times when we need to pause and honor what our journey has required of us.

Perhaps you are looking at your life right now and seeing only what is unfinished. Maybe you believe you should be further along. Perhaps you are comparing your progress with someone who appears to be doing more, creating more, earning more, or living with greater ease.

Before you judge yourself, remember that you are looking only at the surface.

There is more to your story than what can be seen.

There is love in you that never received recognition. There is courage in you that no one applauded. There is wisdom you gained through experiences you would never have chosen. There is light you continued to carry through seasons when you could barely see it for yourself.

All of that is part of what you bring into the world.

As this new week begins, try not to measure yourself only by what you complete. Remember the heart behind your efforts. Honor the limits of your body and spirit. Give yourself credit for the quiet victories that no one else knows were victories.

A handmade creation is more than the materials from which it was formed. Its story includes the vision, time, care, and energy of the person who brought it into being.

You are also more than what can be measured or seen.

You are not merely what you produce. You are not the number of tasks you finish, the amount of money you earn, or the approval you receive. You are a beloved expression of the Divine, carrying a story no one else can completely know.

May you enter this week remembering that your value is not hidden simply because others cannot see all that lives within you.

Peace, love and grace,

Rev. Sheri