The ‘Like’ That Wasn’t There

A friend told me recently that they'd been reading my LinkedIn posts.

My immediate thought?

'But I don't remember seeing you 'like' any of them.'

I caught myself instantly and I laughed. Because one of the reasons I started posting was specifically to stop caring about external validation. I wanted to share what I'm learning, be of service, and enjoy the process of creating.

And yet. The moment someone said they were reading — my brain went straight to the like button. Not 'Thanks you for telling me.' or 'that's wonderful, I'm glad it's reaching people.'

Just — did you like it though?

This is what our brains do. They autopilot without asking permission. We can set the most genuine intentions — and our old patterns will still show up uninvited, doing their thing in the background.

And that's okay. This is what growth looks like. It is not a straight line from old pattern to new pattern. It's a thousand small moments of noticing — oh, there I go again — and then gently choosing differently.

That moment of awareness — that pause — is where change begins.

If this resonates, I'd love to hear your thoughts.