Contest: Be Yourself — When Nobody Understands You

This is actually a befitting picture to use in talking about my title. Look at the picture closely, and you'll see that I'm the one on it, and if you notice, some may conclude that I do stay fit and can lift up such weight, not knowing that I'm actually struggling to do so. They fail to see my facial expression and focus on what drives attention, which is the fact that I'm lifting two hefty weights.

That's what people see, but they don't know how you feel inside, even though your facial expressions don't say it all. Why is this of concern to me? Because it has become a lifestyle, something I'm used to. I can't do anything to please others and displease myself. Let me talk about myself and cases I feel misunderstood even by well-meaning friends.

I've been living a simple life, and most of my doings are simple as well. Ever since I hopped into this ambiverted lifestyle, I've been so busy trying to attain financial independence as well as being balanced in other aspects of my life, and this has become my friend. I tend to forget my worries when I dedicate so much time to business and other aspects of my life. Now, I have a friend who's well-to-do and needs 100% attention.

He's paranoid when I don't pick up his call or respond fast to his message. Even when I told him I'm usually pressed at work and apologize for the missed calls, he feels I'm snubbing him. He feels I've seen the message and I don't just want to respond. Someone will message me to request a loan. When he sees me not replying, he'll assume I've seen the message. I'm active but don't just want to reply because he's not important to me.

The truth is, no one really understands me or seeks ways to offer suggestions. They just conclude. I may be on CapCut all day editing videos and call my enter my phone. Picking up that call will definitely affect my network and can affect my work progress because I'm using just one phone. The person calling will feel you're deliberately ignoring his calls when he knows you're active.

Another scenario is when I'm in need of money urgently because I'm not this kind of person who likes keeping cash in my account. I do more of dollars and sell whenever I need. So sometimes, I may not know when I'm out of cash, but I'm in an emergency situation. I'll ask someone I know very well he has, but he'll refuse because he feels I have this money. Most of the people I seek for help on finance won't give it to me because they feel I have enough of this money. They won't want to understand or reason differently. If he has this money, then why is he asking you? They completely assume that maybe they'll not be able to ask me back for the money.

Another scenario is that Steemit has really exposed me to a lot of things, and I've been so creative with doing certain things, especially my food pictures. So when I post on my status, people just feel you have even when you don't, and if they ask you and you don't give them, they'll feel you're being stingy because on your profile, they are seeing a good food display, which means you have enough of this money but don't just want to help others.

They don't understand that I'm using money to make money, and it's more like work for me. They don't want to understand that the time they may need this money, I may not have. Someone sees me post and says I'm doing a showy display of my riches or wealth, whereas that is just used for content or to educate.

People just read meaning to a lot of things without fully understanding you or why you did what you did. They just judge. And that's the reason why I decided to be an ambivert, strictly introverted and formally extroverted. It's not been easy. All these affect one's mental health and view of oneself. Now in a situation where people feel you've done something when you haven't, you take yourself as the bad guy.

When this happens, I'm just myself. I don't get provoked. I'll even be the one apologizing to you for not picking up. I've tried so much to be the person I'm not, but it's definitely not working. So I just need a little understanding to flow well with others. You have money, and I don't have it. Now I'm struggling to get money to cater for myself; you say I should give you 100% attention.

What if the work I'm doing to get money is full-time? The friendship will end? We'll talk no doubt, but you just need to understand what a person is going through at that moment. I won't quit my job because I want our bond of friendship to be stronger and for you to have 100% of the attention you want.

Everything needs a little bit of understanding. The harsh person you see today may have reasons he's being harsh, and if you judge him immediately for that, you'll see him as a bad person. It would be best if you meet this person in private and tell him your worries about him.

I know there's a lot to work on, but you don't just conclude. Try to find out the reason for every action instead of jumping to conclusions and trying to understand. I'm just being myself. You just have to understand me in some situations.