The visibility wound: Why you hesitate sharing your gift

You were not born to play small. You were born to disrupt, to heal, to lead, and to ignite.
— Vishen Lakhiani, Mindvalley Social Media Summit 2025

Let’s be honest.
You felt it too, didn’t you?

You attended the Social Media Summit. You were lit up. Expanded. Awakened to what’s possible. You saw the speakers stand boldly in their message—no filters, no scripts, just soul.

And then… the next day, when you went to hit “record” on your phone or write that vulnerable post, something in your body said:

“Nope. Not safe. Not today.”

That. Right there. That’s the visibility wound.

And it’s more real than most people talk about.

This isn’t just about social media

At the summit, we weren’t just talking about tactics.
We weren’t just learning hooks, captions, and growth strategies.
We were being called into something deeper.

We were being asked:

• Will you let yourself be truly seen?
• Will you stop hiding behind overthinking and finally speak your truth?
• Will you own that you’re here for a mission—and that the only thing standing in the way is the fear of being visible?

What came up for many of us wasn’t just resistance.
It was old wounding—deep in the nervous system, layered in shame, cloaked in perfectionism, and inherited through generations.

And if that’s you…
You’re not broken.
You’re not lazy.
You’re not “not cut out for this.”

You’re just holding an unhealed visibility wound.

What is the visibility wound?

It’s the fear that if you are seen for who you truly are, you will be judged… or rejected… or ridiculed… or abandoned.

It’s that subtle dread that lives between the spark of your genius and the moment of pressing “share.”

It’s your inner child remembering the time they raised their hand and got laughed at.

It’s your nervous system recalling the ancestral memory of being silenced, shamed, or punished for speaking the truth.

It’s the voice in your head that says:

• “You need to be more polished.”
• “You need more followers first.”
• “You’re not ready yet.”

But none of that is your truth.

It’s your conditioning. Your trauma. Your protection mechanism is trying to keep you safe from a threat that no longer exists.

The moment I saw my own wound

When I was teaching on stage during the Mindvalley Social Media Summit, I had a moment. A crack in the system—in my system.

I realized: I too have the visibility wound.

A teammate pointed it out to me—gently, but directly.
And to be honest, it stung.

They said, “Vishen… you do realize you suffer from the visibility wound too?”

“What do you mean?” I asked, slightly defensive.

And they replied:

“You literally hosted the CNN Global New Year Countdown broadcast to hundreds of millions of people around the world.
You were just on the cover of Global Citizen Magazine this week.
And you didn’t share either of those on Instagram.”

Oof.
They were right.

I hadn’t updated my personal site, vishen.com, in years.
I hesitate to share my own newsletters on Instagram.
And some part of me—the part that prides itself on staying grounded, authentic, human—quietly resists posting anything that might seem… “too shiny.”

Why?

That question sat with me.

Am I afraid that if I look too successful, I’ll become unrelatable? That I’ll break trust with those who’ve journeyed with me from the early days?

Maybe.
I’m still exploring that.

But here’s what I know: I took the note.

And this weekend? I posted that magazine cover.
I posted the CNN New Year Countdown the same day.

Because visibility is not vanity—it’s service.
It’s modeling freedom.
It’s showing others what’s possible.

So if I—someone who’s built a global brand around transformation—still bump up against this wound… could it be showing up in you too?

Let me remind you:

This isn’t about algorithms or aesthetics.
This is about freedom.
The freedom to show the world who you are—without shame, without apology, and without fear of abandonment.

It’s not just a post.
It’s a reclamation.

Visibility is the gateway to everything you desire

We’ve all heard it now, again and again, from the summit stage:

The algorithm doesn’t reward perfection. It rewards authenticity.
— Brendan Kane

This is not about becoming an influencer.
This is about owning your identity as a creator because creators change the world.

Your next client… your next opportunity… your next quantum leap…

They’re not waiting for you to be perfect.
They’re waiting for you to be real.

And that only happens when you heal the fear of being seen.

Why do so many of us struggle with this?

Because for many of us, visibility didn’t feel safe growing up.

• If you were told to be quiet, you learned to silence yourself.
• If you were only praised for being perfect, you learned to hide your messy truth.
• If you watched others get torn down for standing out, you learned to stay small.

And then we try to launch brands, start businesses, share messages…
All while that inner child, or that ancestral trauma, or that energetic block whispers:

“If they see the real you… you won’t be loved.”

As one commenter in our Social Media Summit chat said,

This explains why I can teach others to shine but struggle to post myself.
— Theresa Lee

And that’s the lie we’ve all internalized.

But the truth is this: Being seen doesn’t mean being exposed. It means being revealed.

The Summit cracked something open

In the Zoom chat, people were feeling it:

“My voice is needed.” — Yennifer
“Screw my fear of being seen.” — Maria Rahayuni
“This explains everything.” — Theresa Lee

The wound was being named. And once named… it started losing power.

Because this isn’t just about content.

It’s about liberation.

Every time you post something real? You reclaim a piece of your voice.
Every time you show your face? You rewire your nervous system.
Every time you speak your truth? You undo generations of silence.

The new paradigm: Visibility as healing

If you’re a business owner, I want you to reflect on this post by Mastin Kipp. I shared this on my phone on Day 2 of the Social Media Summit.

So let’s not LIE to ourselves. It’s not procrastination. It’s FEAR. 

And it’s time to heal this wound. 

• Every time you post, you’re not just creating content—you’re reclaiming your voice.
• Every time you show your face, you’re not just growing your brand—you’re reprogramming your nervous system to believe it’s safe to be seen.
• Every time you speak your truth, you’re not just expressing yourself—you’re healing generations of silence.

This is not just about visibility.
This is about liberation.

From the inner critic.
From the fear of judgment.
From the old story that says you must be small to be safe.

You are the medicine

If you’ve been wondering whether your story matters—it does.

If you’ve been thinking the world doesn’t need another coach, healer, artist, entrepreneur—it does.

But what it really needs is more truth.
More vulnerability.
More realness.

You don’t have to be “big” to be impactful.

You just have to be visible enough to be found by the people you’re here to serve.

“Just get started. Even if it’s messy.”
— Sunbird Hill Team (Uganda)

“Nobody cares. Just post it. Just start.”
— Jessica Momodu

So let this be your permission slip:

• To speak even if your voice shakes.
• To post even if you don’t have a strategy.
• To show up even if you’re still healing.

Because your voice isn’t meant to be polished.
It’s meant to be felt.

Final words (read this slowly)

The visibility wound is real.
But so is your power to heal it.

Start small.
Start scared.
Start anyway.

And remember:

This isn’t about performance.
It’s about presence.

Let’s stop hiding.
Let’s turn platforms into portals.
Let’s use our voice—not for validation but for liberation.

Reflections from the Summit chat: Words to heal by

“I’ve been hiding since I was 7. This helped me remember who I was.”
— Mary Johnson

“The moment I understood this was a wound—not a flaw—everything softened.”
— Anna Grozdanova

“I finally understand… this isn’t procrastination. It’s fear.”
— Theresa Lee

“This visibility wound is ancestral. I feel it in my body.”
— Gail Cassidy

“My nervous system says no even when my heart says yes.”
— Barbara Séguin

“I’ve hidden my story behind strategy for years. No more.”
— Lori G

“Your story is the medicine. I’m done diluting mine.”
— Sybille Schaufler

“Being seen isn’t exposure. It’s an act of liberation.”
— Cristina Stan

Final invitation: Your next brave step

Ready for your next brave step?

If your soul lit up reading this—if you felt seen—then you don’t need more tips. You need a container. A sacred dojo of visibility. A space where your truth becomes your brand and your voice becomes your superpower.

That’s why we created Social Media Mastery.

We sold out the first round of Early Bird spots, but regular enrollment is open right now.

Learn more here: mindvalley.com/mastery/socialmedia

And remember: this isn’t about chasing followers.

It’s about becoming magnetic—by being nothing more than fully yourself.

Let’s do this.

If today’s message around The Visibility Wound resonated with you—or if you’ve ever felt the fear of being seen—let me know your thoughts in the comments. Let me know if you’d like to see more topics like this in my future newsletters.

With fierce love and full belief in your light,

—Vishen