For anyone that is feeling or has felt invisible, uncared for, unimportant or unworthy…I see you.

In a conversation recently, I was chatting with a beautiful person how it sometimes feels like some people don’t care much for other people out there in the big wide world, sometimes within our own communities, and sometimes closer to home.

Acknowledging our feelings is important. All feelings are valid. It’s healthy to be able to share our feelings, to express them in writing, or artistically, or with our voice.

It doesn’t feel great to feel uncared for. Feeling unsupported or unworthy of someone’s care or attention can really hurt.

For some of us, it might be that we let the external world impact our sense of self-worth.

Those feelings could impact our mental health, and the way we then interact with others and the world.

Something my own yoga practice (including meditation/stillness/contemplation/journaling/walking solo in nature) is slowly helping me to realise is that I can find a deep caring connection within myself, and that befriending myself is actually a much more important thing, rather than looking outside for it.

I’m not offering any “hacks” or quick fixes. I’m definitely not an expert, I’m just a human contemplating stuff through my own experiences. It might not be a popular blog post for me to write that I believe that things often happen slowly, over time, and with regular practice, commitment, self-care. Little steps, small practices, with an attitude of kindness towards yourself for your wellbeing.

There is something quite soothing to my soul that EVEN IF I don’t feel supported, or even if I don’t feel a connection within myself, or even if I wake up feeling anxious over “xyz” or even anxious about nothing much at all (yep that happens)…. I have had glimmers of that feeling, and there’s something deep within me that KNOWS when I’m rolling around on my yoga mat, or seated on my meditation cushion, or lying in shavasana, that I KNOW that deep down I am okay.

Feeling cared for and supported by others, whether that be partners, friends, family, people in the wider community, doctors, care-givers, of course can be a wonderful feeling. However, are we only seeking those ‘wonderful feelings’ from other people?

Can we consider that we have our own internal source of wonderful-ness?

I believe that we do.

A while ago, I was contemplating these same thoughts, and shared this on my Instagram….

For anyone that is feeling or has felt invisible, uncared for, unimportant or unworthy…I see you.

I read these words by Daniell Koepke, shared by Clare Deale, and I was literally stopped in my tracks. I took a screenshot, read again, and shortly after shared with a friend who I was walking with as we paused on our walk, overlooking the river.

You might like to hear these words too…read them out aloud to yourself perhaps?

“It’s easy to feel uncared for when people aren’t able to communicate and connect with you in the way you need. And it’s so hard not to internalize that silence as a reflection on your own worth. But the truth is that the way people operate is not about you. Most people are so caught up in their own responsibilities, struggles, and anxiety that the thought of asking someone else how they’re doing doesn’t even cross their mind. They aren’t inherently bad or uncaring–they’re just busy and self-focused. And that’s okay. It’s not evidence of some fundamental failing on your part. It doesn’t make you unloveable or invisible. It just means that those people aren’t very good at looking beyond their own world. But the fact that you are–that despite the darkened you feel, you have the ability to share you love and light with others–is a strength. Your work isn’t to change who you are; it’s to find people who are able to give you the connection you need. Because despite what you feel, you are not too much. You are not too sensitive or too needy. You are thoughtful and empathetic. You are compassionate and kind. And with or without anyone’s acknowledgement or affection, you are enough.”

~ Daniell Koepke

I have read and re-read these words many times since I first found them, and they give me solace. Firstly, I remember that I am not alone in these feelings and that other people feel what I feel. And most of all, that reminder that I am enough, and I am okay, without needing any approval or anything else. I am enough. I am that I am.

May we keep showing up and see and care for each other. And may we keep showing up and see and care for ourselves.

♥️ Karen

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I offer trauma-informed Yoga sessions for women. Join us on zoom from wherever you are in the world, or in Lilydale, Melbourne’s outer-east. My timezone is Melbourne AEDT. I also offer 1:1 private sessions which can be via zoom, or in-person. New offering – TCTSY, Trauma Center Trauma Sensitive Yoga.