Like attracts like

A weekly letter to warm your soul

I had the best day yesterday. 

If you follow me on any of my social media accounts, I’m sorry for being a broken record here. If you don’t know what happened, I made a YouTube video which got shared by 3 well known youtubers who I really look up to. I went from 780 subscribers to over 2500 subscribers in just under 24 hours.

I still can’t believe it, even as I write this. 

What really astounds me though is not the numbers, but the support I received as a result. I had messages from people I’ve never met before congratulating me, and online friends shared their own excitement as the numbers went up. 

This meant a lot to me. I’ve struggled with a sense of belonging for quite some time. It could just be middle child syndrome talking, but when I was at school, my friendship group cut me out shortly after I got into dental school. With my confidence shaken, at university, I always felt like there was something wrong with me because I couldn’t seem to connect with those around me. These experiences made me think that I had some inherent qualities that must be unlikable, and that any success I had would further push people away. I actually put off starting a Youtube channel for years, thinking that I just wasn’t likeable enough for it. 

So, yes, it was great that people recognised the effort that goes into my Youtube videos, but what was even more special was realising how wrong my own limiting beliefs were. I had already worked through many of these beliefs anyway, but to get that physical proof yesterday with so many kind messages, it made me feel both relieved and grateful. It was the reassurance I didn’t know I needed for this journey. 

Up until I started Youtube, I had never experienced this level of support from so many people besides my family. It has really made me understand why people talk about “finding your tribe”. Not everyone will like us, and that’s ok, but somewhere out there, are people who will relate to us, admire us and want to see us do well. I found those people through Youtube and Ali Abdaal’s Part Time Youtuber Academy. I now call them my YouTube family. 

I’m truly grateful to everyone who came across my channel yesterday, but my heart is overflowing with love for the friends I’ve made who were there for yesterday’s win, cheering me on and wanting to see me thrive. Thank you for proving my 21 year old younger self wrong.

To anyone who doubts how likeable they are, I'm sorry to say it, but it’s the people around you skewing your own perception of yourself. Your tribe hasn’t found you yet, but they will. 

At university, I thought my time was up for finding my tribe. I thought I had missed the chance because most people find their friends at school and university. What I’ve realised is that like attracts like, so for as long as you are you, you’ll always magnetise that tribe. It may just happen at a time or in a way you never expected.

Love, 

Akta

Words Of The Week

 "Happy people build their inner world, unhappy people blame their outer world"

- T Harv Eker

Video Of The Week

I was a major productivity junkie. I consumed so much productivity and self-improvement content from books, YouTube videos and social media. In the end, I ha...