About showing up.

Showing up is tough.

When I started my life in the workforce, I had a day job, and it was referred to as the start of my career.

The goals were to climb the corporate ladder and in time, move to greener pastures and make the same climb there.

Everyone around me shared the same sentiments which were often shared during 'bitching' sessions over lunch or tea breaks that are often extended way longer than the allocated time.

We were young and felt like a world of opportunities was ahead of us. The mindset of 'get the most from the current job, and move on' was dominant in most of us.

So you would understand that within this mindset and context, showing up literally means showing up to work.

I've had tea with old friends who were proud that they were able to get through the day without doing much work. It was an accomplishment for them. And to be honest, at times, I felt the same way too.

But I did show up. Every day. Day in, day out. I showed up for work, I showed up for meetings, I showed up for calls, I showed up by replying DMs and emails.

And after a while, I felt the self given right of asking for a raise. Because I showed up for so long.

Yearly increments were common, but miniscule. That's our reward for showing up for a long period of time I suppose. What we as employees failed to see was that we are already getting paid to do our job. And our job involves more than showing up.

In my experience working for others, I have seen certain positions with a higher turnover. Salespeople are the easiest to come and go. They are superstars no doubt. They walk around and behave like they rule the world. But one or two quarters of missing your sales targets, and you’re out.

For me I was fortunate to keep working for almost 6 years. And every major promotion and increment was because of taking on a new set of responsibilities, never because of tenure alone.

Fast forward a couple of years — I started a business and continued to run it for the longest period I've ever stayed in one position. I crossed that mark last year, right in the middle of the pandemic. I realised that I have been doing this for more than 6 years.

Now, ‘showing up’ has a whole other meaning.

Showing up means putting in the work with no security that there will be returns.

Showing up means attending to your team mates, teaching and nurturing them with no confirmation that they will be around for long.

Showing up means going on social media and doing content that makes you feel silly, insecure and questioning why the hell you are doing this, with no sense whether this will work or not.

Showing up means waking up every day and facing the abyss, and still taking the leap of faith without looking back at any safety rope that might pull you out of this land of the unknown.

Showing up means to do a whole bunch of work and thinking to yourself that there is no way I will be doing this for any amount of money as a job, yet you do it anyway because it is your own business.

Showing up means doing all of the above daily, and constantly for a long period of time... with no idea if this is all going to work or not.

And for some of us, it means showing up before the One who provides, feeling at loss, helpless and beseeching for help in any way shape and form, because we don't even know what to ask for except to put our full trust in Him.

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I dedicate this post to every single one of us who show up consistently. Don't fade into the dark. Keep showing up.

Let's support each other.

Show up.