I know why you hide what you love...

Dear Passion Seeker,

I know how it feels to worry about people judging you for what you love, and how you show it.

The thing is, most people only know the version of you that they see.

You've built an identity that has worked for you – and it's given you some great things in your career, your life.

That's why we can hesitate to spend time on our passions, or reveal it to others.

We worry people will think less of us, or that we'll damage the image we have so carefully crafted.

Then, life gets busy, and we begin to realize we've forgotten parts of who we are. So, it becomes easier to just go with the flow of what others expect. Over time, that can cause regret, resentment and a gnawing sense of disconnection that we try to push down with "comfort" or inertia. The more we lose sight of who are we, the harder it can feel to claw our way back.

I know – depressing, right?!

So, if you're trying to remember who you are and what you love, and you're second guessing how to show it, here are three reminders for you:

Your passions are yours

No-one can tell you what you truly love, or who you are.

It's up to you to figure that out. You do that by exploring new activities, and reflecting on how they make you feel, what they add to your life. You become really honest about spending your time in a way that feels good to you, even if you still have to uphold some obligations. You accept that this means a bit of extra work or discomfort.

And most of all, you accept the fact that your "yum" might be someone else's "yuck" and you remind yourself that that is NOT a reflection of your worth!

Don't insta-judge people's response (or lack thereof)

Sometimes, people's reactions to you doing what you love aren't what they seem. For example, at my keynotes sometimes people look like they're blankly staring at me. It can be quite unsettling at first!

Afterwards, it can be those very same people who tell me how something in the speech moved them.

Meanwhile, many of our Passion Seekers have passions that they never share – private creative projects or fixing the car in the garage, solo. They've figured out that they don't need the external validation to do what they love.

So, when you feel yourself worrying, remind yourself, your passion is for you.

You never know who's watching

Today, I reached out to someone I hadn't spoken to in years. He's an accomplished professional, and I respect him greatly. The first thing he said to me was "I've been following your work!" and he went on to tell me how much he enjoyed it. I was gobsmacked!

Last week, someone else repeated back advice that I had shared on social media. Neither of these people had "liked" it, or "shared" it from what I can tell, but it still meant something to them.

I don't tell you either of these stories to polish my ego, I tell you to say: keep putting yourself out there, even when it feels like you're dragging a giant rock up a mountain, or if you are scared sh*tless that people will judge you for it.

Above all, try not to be discouraged by what you see immediately. You are having a greater impact than you realize!

Before you close this email, grab a pen and write down one small thing you love doing, something that makes you feel like yourself.

Put it somewhere you'll see it tomorrow. Not as a task or a should-do, just as a reminder that it's there, waiting for you when you're ready.

Let me know how you get on – I'd love to support you!

Laura

Founder, Passion Collective