You Are Enough❤️

"Lean too much on other people's approval and it becomes a bed of thorns" -Tehyi Hsieh -

"Lean too much on other people's approval and it becomes a bed of thorns"

-Tehyi Hsieh -

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We all crave to be seen.

To hear: "you matter, I see your effort, you are enough"

That isn't weakness - it's human wiring.

👉 But what happens when that recognition never comes?

👉 How many times have you told yourself: "If I just try harder, maybe this time they'll see me?"

🔹 The brain keeps circling back, trying to close the loop.

👉 So you return again and again, hoping this time it will be different.

👉 But it never is.

That's the cycle of chasing external approval.

Not love.

Not real connection.

👉 Just recognition from people who cannot - or will not - give it.

Parents.

Siblings.

Partners.

Managers.

Friends - whoever it is, the pattern repeats:

👉 You reach out

👉 They minimize/ ignore/ dismiss

👉 You leave unseen👉 And then - you try again.

Ask yourself:

❓ How many times will you hand your worth to people who can't carry it?

❓ How long will you wait for them to notice the beauty already inside you?

👉 Some people will never give you what you hope for.

👉 If you keep tying your value to their blindness, you'll only wear yourself down.

👉 It's human to grieve the recognition that never comes.

👉 But at some point you must stop demanding water from a dry well.

♥️ It's time to see what was always true: YOU are enough.

The cycle doesn't end when they change.

👉 It ends when you stop abandoning yourself.

🫂 You are enough.

Always. 🫂

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This piece shows the emptiness of chasing recognition outside yourself.

The black-and-white patterns reflect repetitive thought loops, even at the neck where voice is silenced.

Her gaze outward finds nothing.

The colors rise from within - representing truth, vitality, & the strength of self-recognition.

The message: external approval will never be enough.

What you’re searching for has always lived inside you.

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Why We Keep Going Back

There’s a reason this pattern is so familiar.

When the people who should have noticed you never did, the mind tries to “fix” the story by repeating it.

It’s not because you’re weak.

It’s because your brain is wired to complete emotional loops.

So you try again.

You offer more.

You work harder.

You wait for the moment when they finally look at you and say what should have been said years ago.

But their blindness has nothing to do with your worth.

Some people simply don’t have the capacity to see anyone clearly - even the people they claim to care about.

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Recognition vs. Real Connection

Approval isn’t connection.

Being noticed isn’t being valued.

Many people confuse the two because they grew up starving for acknowledgement.

When you don’t get basic recognition early in life, you start to chase it everywhere - from anyone.

You mistake crumbs for a meal.

You start thinking: “If I do more, maybe they’ll finally understand who I am.”

But people who never looked inward cannot see outward.

They’re not withholding recognition from you - they don’t even have it for themselves.

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Why the Cycle Hurts So Much

Every time you go back to someone who keeps overlooking you, a few things happen:

• Your self-trust weakens

• Your inner voice gets quieter

• Your identity starts to depend on their reactions

• Your worth feels negotiable

And that’s where the real damage begins.

Not from their rejection - but from the belief that their reaction defines you.

It doesn’t.

Their blindness is not evidence of your inadequacy.

It’s evidence of their limitations.

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Letting Go Without Blaming Yourself

Letting go doesn’t mean cutting everyone out.

It means stopping the emotional chase.

It means recognizing when you’re trying to prove something to someone who isn’t capable of receiving it.

Letting go is not coldness.

It’s clarity.

You stop handing your worth to people who keep dropping it.

You stop waiting for a moment that won’t come.

You stop losing years to the hope that one day they’ll finally understand what they missed.

When you stop chasing their recognition, you make room for your own.

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Reflective Questions:

• Who are you still trying to prove yourself to?

• What part of you keeps hoping they’ll finally understand you?

• What happens inside you when they don’t?

• What would it look like to stop chasing and start choosing yourself?

• If you believed you were enough right now, what would change?

About My Artwork - Symbolism & Themes:

This artwork explores the emotional split between seeking approval and finding it within yourself.

The Eyes:

One eye looks outward - searching for recognition.

The other holds a quiet truth - the part that already knows who you are.

Cover the colorful side and she looks heavy, almost defeated.

Cover the grayscale side and she suddenly appears lighter, more alive.

That contrast is intentional.

The Black-and-White Patterns:

They represent repetitive thought loops: the “maybe this time” cycle, the hope that someone will finally see you, the exhaustion of trying again.

They extend down her neck - the place of voice - symbolizing how the chase silences expression.

The Colors:

The explosion of color does not come from outside.

It rises from within.

It represents inner truth, identity, emotional richness, and the strength of self-recognition.

It’s the part of you untouched by neglect, dismissal, or blindness.

The Split Composition:

Left: grayscale, repetition, emptiness .

Right: color, identity, internal worth.

The artwork shows the difference between living through the gaze of others and living through your own.

The Animation:

The surreal moving elements - the floating mouth, the shifting patterns - represent the strange, distorted feeling of chasing approval.

It feels like trying to complete a story that never had the right beginning.

The Heart of the Piece:

Your worth does not increase when someone sees it.

It does not decrease when they don’t.

It exists regardless.

It always has.

This blog reflects personal perspectives on emotional growth, identity, and self-worth. It is not medical, mental health, or professional advice. If you're struggling with persistent emotional distress, please consider reaching out to a licensed professional.