The Hardest Person to See Is Yourself
You can't change what you don't see. True growth starts with honest self-observation.
Self-assessment isn’t glamorous.
It’s not a checklist. It’s not a vibe.
It’s messy. Slow. And sometimes painful.
Because to really see yourself—you have to stop judging yourself.
You have to be willing to observe all the parts.
Not just the ones that look good in a post or sound good in a speech.
But the parts that are scared. Controlling. Insecure. Overextended.
The parts we usually ignore or justify.
I’ve been in that place lately.
Running a nonprofit has pushed me in a way I didn’t expect.
Yes, I have an amazing board. I’ve assigned each member a role—marketing, programs, fundraising, finance.
But here’s my confession:
I hate asking for help when I know I can do the thing myself.
It’s not about ego. It’s about certainty.
If I’m in charge of the podcast, I know it’ll be posted every Monday.
If I edit the video, I know what it’ll look like.
But what if I hand it off and they don’t do it?
Or what if I don’t like how they do it?
Or worse—what if they do a great job and I realize I’ve been holding on for no reason?
That’s when I had to face a toxic trait:
Thinking I can do everything.
And refusing help for things I could do, but probably shouldn’t.
So I’m working on it. One layer at a time.
I trusted someone to take over our nonprofit’s podcast uploads.
I hired a grant writer.
I gave space for others to step in—even when my instinct said, “Just do it yourself.”
That’s the hard part about seeing yourself clearly:
You can’t change what you don’t see.
But once you do see it, you’ve got no excuse not to grow.
And no, I don’t try to change everything at once.
Last month, I worked on becoming a better listener.
This month, I’m learning to let people help me.
Next month? Probably learning not to overcommit. (Still working on that.)
How do I assess myself?
I drive. In silence. That’s where I think best.
I journal. Especially when I notice change.
And I reflect on how I responded—what worked, what didn’t, what I learned.
That’s the secret.
Self-growth doesn’t start with motivation.
It starts with observation.
The hardest person to see is yourself.
But the more clearly you see, the more power you gain.
So start there.
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If this hit home, reply and tell me one thing you're working on seeing more clearly in yourself.
And if you’re building something big—remember, even the strongest leaders need a team.
You can’t do it all.
And you were never meant to.
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Building a stronger mind is not a solo mission. Neither is building a community.
Thanks for being part of this journey with me.
Let’s keep pushing. Let’s keep growing.
– Gina Casazza