The Prince Charming syndrome: How our desire to be chosen is wasting our potential
We wait to be picked, professionally or personally but we need to pick ourselves first
We have all grown up watching Disney Movies or reading fairy tales. Whether it is Snow White, Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty, there is always a charming man to the rescue. Either he is bringing the other shoe or coming to save us. We wait. We do not put ourselves out there too much. Or not at all. Somebody will see us for our unique gifts, one day. It is going to be all magical and mind blowing. Whether we are twenty or forty, part of us is still hoping, someone will see us, for our potential or for our loving nature and we will be chosen.
I do not mean this in the romantic sense or for the damsel in distress only. The Prince Charming syndrome afflicts all of us in all spheres of life.
Jordan Dunn, British supermodel, was discovered in Primark, the budget department store in Hammersmith, London and shot to fame. Models get scouted by model agencies, there are people hired to do that. Stories like this are specific to certain industries and also depend heavily on luck.
Now I do not know if you have never ending legs, waiting to catch somebody’s attention and make it to America’s next Top Model (or its replacement!). If that is the case, good for you. If not, you got to find a way to expose your potential or atleast take the first step in the right direction.
Put yourself out there, in any way possible. With the age of internet and social media, it is frustrating for me to see people with so much potential, looming in the background. It is the fear of shame or failure, being ridiculed or finding out you are not good enough, I feel those too. But what is hiding in the background doing for you? Hiding your talents is a crime, an offense to your creator who thought best to bestow you with your gifts.
Admit it, you are waiting for Prince Charming. Irrespective if it is the Prince Charming in the form of a book editor, a music producer or a just simply launching your business. You believe in your talent somewhere but that the time is not right yet. There will be an epic moment where things will make sense and your gift will be ripe for the world. Well, the time is now.
Whatever it is you love doing and have been working on while nobody is watching, bring it forward! Show it to someone or publish it. The sky will not fall down, I promise you. Do you wait for a recruiter to find you or do you circulate your resume when you are hunting for a job? You write a resume and pass it on to the potential employers correct? So here, your masterpiece is your resume and the world is your oyster.
All the mega stars on popular platforms today were once like you. Only a blip, an abstract in a endless combination of possibilities. But they moved forward. It was not blind luck or being found. PewDiePie shot his first video and posted it on Youtube. Imagine if he waited to be found? That someone would have noticed his amazing gaming skills? He kept going and is today worth millions.
Your self-doubt is killing your dreams in the womb and causing your potential to stagnate. Potential needs to be nurtured so that you can take it to the next level. But you cannot do that if you hide It from the world, if you act shy about your abilities. Take it easy, take it slow. Take a deep breath and hit that send button. Believe in yourself and the world will believe in you.
Prince Charming is not coming. Because he is already here. Because he is you. Because you are the only one who can save yourself.
