What’s that thing that you’re afraid people might find out about you?
Maybe it’s something big and serious (an addiction or traumatic experience from your past), or maybe it’s something harmless that you’re just afraid of being judged for (you got a little botox at your last derm visit – or you ate a cannabis gummy on your last night out. Not that I’m speaking from experience.) We all have things that we avoid bringing up in conversation because we’re afraid of how people might perceive us. We may even deny them or make up a little white lie to hide them. And then there’s regret around the fact that we fibbed, and the shame spiral continues.
Lately I’ve been thinking about the question: what if we all just said the thing that we’re afraid people might find out about us? Sure, there may be some blowback – people may criticize, disapprove, judge. But so what? Is that really the worst thing that can happen?
And the flip side is that in our polished and sparkly social media-driven world, what if our coming clean actually caused others to connect with us on a deeper level… and even inspired them to be brave enough to finally say the secret that’s been weighing on their heart?
I turned 35 a few months ago, and I’m feeling the winds of change. Birthdays often remind us of how short our lives are, and if we’re not careful, they can blow right past us before we choose to wake up and bring intention to how we’re living out our days on this planet. I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about this site and the company I’ve built, together with my team — what a gift it is to be able to speak into the hearts and minds of our readers — and the responsibility I have to be sharing truth and authenticity, scratching beneath the surface to get to the heart of things, and encouraging each of you to live your lives in a more authentic way.
To be honest, I’m not exactly sure what the “point” of this post is — I don’t have 5 tips for you to walk away with — I just wanted to share what’s on my heart today. To let you know that I’m going to do my best to show up in as real and authentic of a way as I can, even if my perfectionist tendencies might still reveal themselves once in awhile.
And I wanted to remind you that even if you’re not an “influencer” for your job, you have so much influence on the people in your sphere – and they want to hear the story that made you into the beautiful, one-of-a-kind person that you are.
So… what’s something you’re afraid people might find out about you?
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Our editorial theme for September is Daring, chosen with all of the above in mind. I cannot wait to dive into the interviews, home tours, fashion, beauty, and travel ideas we’ve got on the books this month, all inspired by living life boldly and unapologetically. Also excited to hear how you guys are choosing to be daring this month, either in the comments or over on Instagram.
To get us started…
Don’t miss our September playlist that just hit Spotify.
As always, created by our resident DJ Jamie Pabst. Subscribe to our channel for the coolest new music curated by mood and activity. Play our September jams right here!
