Be Yourself… Be Unique
I've been given advice for a long time: “Be Yourself.” I was told by my sisters and even my wife:
“We don’t see you in your YouTube or Instagram content.”
“Where’s the funny guy we know?”
“Where’s the poet hiding?”
“Where are all your deep words, natural fluency, and expressions?”
I never really comprehended this advice in the context of Social Media.
But my recent trip to Pakistan changed me, as I felt the most connected to people in all my travels purely because of the language. It made me understand the advice my sisters and wife have been giving me.
For the first time, I am making content in Urdu on my Instagram, and I’ve enjoyed it the most. I am only “me” when I speak the language I grew up with. I add English subtitles for everyone, but the thoughts, words, slang, poetry, jokes, and expressions are all in what I “feel.” In the past, I mostly thought in English because I chose it as the medium for my social media, but since I’ve been thinking in Urdu, I’ve switched to thinking in Urdu as well.
It’s very liberating, to be honest. I just want to be myself and connect with the audience that follows me, and most of them are from Pakistan and India anyway. As a side effect, my Instagram has grown to more than 1000 followers in a few weeks (and counting). I guess… “being me” has helped. I will be creating more content to showcase my work in a storytelling format, but growth is the secondary intention; being myself is the first.
What’s your “being me” place?
Kind regards
Muji
