You Don’t Need a Trending Tag to Be Powerful

Why I stopped chasing hashtags and started trusting my own wisdom

I used to feel like I had to keep up — with the hashtags, the content cadence, the posts that start with “Happy Monday! Here’s your motivation!” or “Wednesday Wisdom incoming…” But somewhere in that rhythm of digital obligation, I started to feel like I was echoing what everyone else was saying instead of expressing what I actually knew to be true.

Because here’s the thing: my wisdom doesn’t come from a trending tag. It comes from lived experience.

Yes, I’m a professional editor. I’ve helped people polish their academic theses, restructure manuscripts, and refine stories for publication. I’ve worked with words in their rawest, messiest forms and helped shape them into something strong and structured. That takes skill. But wisdom? That takes something deeper.

It’s not the kind of wisdom you gain from a webinar or a certificate. It’s the kind you earn when life humbles you. When things fall apart and you have to gather up the pieces and rebuild — not just the career, or the finances, or the momentum, but the belief in yourself.

A few months ago, as you probably know, I hit a rough patch. Things slowed down. Self-doubt crept in. I remember thinking: How did I end up here again? But I also remember getting up. Dusting myself off. Reclaiming the space I had once owned with confidence.

And then something happened.

I attended an event — a launch about integrating travel and food in the MICE space (meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions). During the session, someone said: “The first thing people ask is: what’s the budget?” Not what’s the vision, not what’s the passion, but what’s the price tag?

It stuck with me. Because that’s how so many of us frame our dreams.
Can I afford it?
Will it make money?
Is it worth the risk financially?

And while that’s a fair lens in these uncertain economic times, it shouldn’t be the only one.

Sometimes, we need to ask:

What would I pursue if money weren’t my first concern?
Would you study something new?
Launch that business idea?
Travel across the country?
Write the book?

If we stop measuring our value in rands and cents, we can start seeing what’s actually priceless.

So here’s what I’m choosing now — and what I encourage others to embrace:
I’m not just an editor. I’m someone who helps others unlock their ingenuity and genius.

That doesn’t mean I’ll make you a genius in the Oxford or Mensa sense.
It means I’ll help you reconnect with your own creative power, your voice, your unique way of solving problems or telling stories. It means recognising that power and humility aren’t opposites — they can coexist. And when they do, something truly beautiful emerges.

You don’t need a hashtag to be relevant.
You need resilience.
You need self-belief.
You need the courage to ask: What if I already have what it takes?

And if you need a nudge, I’m right here. Helping others — and reminding myself — that power isn’t something we chase. It’s something we unlock.

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Check out more reflections on writing, editing, freelancing, and creative growth at www.liamarus.com/blog.