Who are you ...

. . . When No One’s Watching?

I read something recently that stopped me in my tracks — not because it was new, but because it put into words something I’ve thought about for a long time. It said that many of us act differently around different people because of their expectations and our fear of judgment. And it made me ask myself: Who am I when nobody’s watching?

It’s a powerful question, isn’t it? When we strip away the roles we play, the expectations we try to meet, and the personas we present, what’s left? Are we still as kind, as bold, as funny, as soft? Do we still dance around the kitchen when a good song comes on? Do we still dream the same dreams we had before the world told us they were unrealistic?

I think about the moments when I’ve felt the most alive and free—the ones where I wasn’t trying to impress, prove, or please. Maybe it was laughing uncontrollably with a friend, singing at the top of my lungs in the car, or sitting alone with a book, completely lost in another world. In those moments, I wasn’t performing. I was just being.

So, I challenge you (and myself) today: Pay attention to those moments. Who are you when no one’s watching? What makes you feel the most like you? And how can we bring more of that person into our everyday lives, no matter who’s around?

Because at the end of the day, that’s the person who truly matters.

Be happy, healthy, and safe!