The Most Wonderful Gift

And just when you needed it most.

Today, I received the most wonderful gift.
Somebody paid me 
for doing something I love.

I can’t explain the feeling of joy that arrives 
when you are recognised
for your art.

And the funny thing is 
I’ve been happily doing it for years now, 
with no expectation in return.

It’s not about the material gain. 
It means so much more. 
It’s a symbol:

A symbol of impact.
A symbol of resonance.
A symbol of emotional connection.

While the inner rewards have been great, 
I feel blessed to receive an external confirmation:

What you do matters.

That enormous gesture of faith, 
speaks louder than words:

Someone was willing to part with their hard-earned 
in the name of your work 
and the value it delivered.

You doubted it before, 
but now the message is painted across the skies: 

What you do matters. 
You’re onto something. 
Keep going!

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Reflection

We take great pride in our passion projects and find fulfilment in their creations. But usually, it is a private inner form of success.

Where our private projects meet the outer world is where we feel most vulnerable. While they mean a great deal to us, they are often not seen or appreciated out in the world.

This shouldn’t be taken personally; it’s a fact of life that not everyone will care about the same things you do.

But there are more than a handful of people out there who get what you do. Not only do they get what you do, but they also respect and admire your work. They are deeply grateful for what you put out into the world.

The trouble is finding them.

We often doubt ourselves most when on the cusp of external success. We start to feel we are losing our way and begin to self-sabotage. We talk our work down and hide from promoting it.

But still, someone always finds you…

And it may come as a great shock when that special someone offers to pay you for the value you have delivered to them through your little passion project.

You are struck to the core with a lightning bolt of possibility. The symbol that this small gesture means so much more.

A wonderful gift indeed.

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