Mess Into Message
The first time I heard Ed Mylett say “let your mess become your message”, I was sitting in front of my tiny little iPad on my bed, clueless of what to do with my life. Diligently I took notes, holding onto every word I heard. I’ve never heard anyone say it this way. He spoke openly about his big dreams, accomplishments and setbacks. Someone who truly, as we say made it in life, but humbly talked about the process.
I always say “it’s about the journey, not the destination” and here I was, sitting on my bed, recognizing I barely talk about my process. So I asked myself. Why don’t you just open up about your setbacks and failures? Why don’t you talk about what works and does not work for you? Why don’t you let people in your mess KK?
I know one truth, God wants to repurpose your mess into a masterpiece. Life never happens to us; it happens for us. Every so-called mess is setting you and me up for success. In the moment, we may not see it that way, but in the long run, we will see otherwise. Take your difficult experience and turn it into a productive message which benefits the listeners.
You may be asking, how do I turn my mess into my message?
Here is how:
Be honest with where you are and where you come from. Reflect on your upbringing, experiences and setbacks. What sets you apart from anyone else is your story. You can’t make it up. It is what happened to you.
Consider sharing your story. It is hard to open up especially in a world where majority share their highlights. It takes a simple acknowledgment that you stand out because of your background. Instead of being ashamed of your mess, turn it around into your message and bring hope to the hopeless.
Find your passion and narrow your vision. These are big concept ideas which help develop your brand. It’s helpful to find a platform on which you can speak your message. Many start with social media because it has a huge potential of reaching multitudes worldwide.
At 17 years old, I started mentoring at my local church. I did not begin on social media, but gathered younger teenage girls to speak my message. I became everything I wished I had their age. I progressed into social media years later. This year, I spoke on the impact my message has on these girls in front of a panel of judges at Miss. WA USA.
If you are considering the social media route, leverage your social platform to be more than a gallery of pictures. Use pictures to attract people to the substance in your caption. Shock ‘em by sharing a vulnerable side to yourself which may not feel comfortable sharing in the moment. Go LIVE on Instagram, create YouTube videos and/or share on Facebook. There are many avenues for you to explore.
Personally I love doing my own thing on social. I’m just different like that. It seems though many want the aesthetics and less is more in their captions. I’m the opposite. I dig the depth. I am all about diving deeper and storytelling. I want people to leave my page being overwhelmed by truth and value which I bring.
If you would rather go the speaking in-person route, here are some suggestions to consider. Practice public speaking at home. Know your audience and have business cards ready to go. Perfect your elevator pitch so you can share quickly and effectively. You never know when an opportunity will meet you at a coffee shop or airport. You may be invited to speak at some company’s next speaking engagement. I’ve seen folks create online masterclasses and course videos to bring attention to their message. Then they got invited to speak in-person. Learning to network is vital in today’s age. Your network is everything. Begin to creatively think of ways to position yourself for success.
Believing in yourself simply is not enough. Your story should not be buried with you, but finding ways to weave your story into your brand will produce great outcome. Your brand is you! Think bigger. Great communicators often relate with their audience by speaking on failure and overcoming, more than success and fluff. Authenticity is the new currency, and being fake is easy to spot.
I want you to see yourself through the eyes of your audience, whether it is on social media or face-to-face. If you were in their shoes, what would inspire you to hear from the main speaker? Greatness and convenience never co-exist. Anyone who has ever built something great has gone through a mess first. Refocus your energy on becoming the person you were born to be. Your current struggle is there for a season. One day, your process which led you to the ideal destination will encourage and give hope to hundreds, if not even thousands and millions of people.
Your message is vital. Greatness and potential is captured inside of you. It’s a matter of time until your mess turns into your message.
KK
