One of the greatest joys of knowing yourself intimately is being comfortable in your own skin. The woman who knows herself deeply, cares more about her dreams, passions, creations, memories and the very moment she is experiencing vs. what others think of her.
How many times have we gotten ready to put ourselves out there and share something we love, are proud of or are interested in pursuing when a little voice asks us if we're sure we want to do that. I don't know about you but as much as I try to just be myself, from time to time I still hear that voice. It usually shows up when I'm revealing a personal tidbit that may not be received by the masses as 'perfect', ideal or as it pertains to design-an example of my best work. Whether it's a photo of something I took on my average camera with my less than average photography skills, my writing or sharing my design concepts and putting my creative works out there for others to see, it can be a little daunting sometimes. However, most of the scary stuff is all in our own head.
A girlfriend e-mailed me today sharing with me that she's been working on her new office space for her business. It's something she's really come to love and enjoy. It's pretty, comfortable and reflects her personal style but in comparison with those in her industry (she's also involved in design) she thought that they might perceive it as amateur and considered not sharing a photo of the progress she was so excited about. She then reminded and encouraged herself to just post it and decided that she really didn't care what anyone else thought anyhow, it was special to her. I'm so impressed with her attitude and for posting the picture!
We could drive ourselves crazy over what others think and become paralyzed with fear which would prevent us from doing the very things that bring us joy; or we can embrace the imperfections, the 'realness' of what we choose to expose or endeavour knowing that it's all part of our journey, our unique life story.
What fears in your life about other's perception of you hold you back from sharing?
*images: (1) , (2), (3)
