The Power in Hiding: Reclaim Your Health and Happiness Through Privacy
Master the art of the private to win in the public domain
Welcome and thank you for checking out Optimise Me, a monthly newsletter sharing research-backed, practical tips to help you optimise your self-growth and personal productivity.
Hey folks, I’ve been hiding.
I say this with no chagrin or embarrassment - as a ‘public figure’ ‘content creator’ or whatever the popular term is for sharing parts of my journey with the wider world, I’ve found so much solace in hiding away for the past few weeks.
Not just under the premise of ‘resting’ and nursing myself from burnout. That’s the classic reason most folks ALWAYS use to justice an extended absence of leave. I hid away, in my own wilderness of sorts, to live my life, think, and become better.
Whilst away, I’ve had wonderful solo trips, journaled profusely and worked through unresolved trauma, went through the process of deconstructing my identity, and continuing to form the solid foundations of the woman I desire to be.
We’ve become so used to thinking of the world as a stage, and yet we forget that the most brilliant actors spend 90% of their time tucked away from the cameras and focusing on their craft.
We’ve so believed in this idea of ‘transparency’ and ‘sharing the journey’, that we’ve been coerced into creating fabricated lifestyles and tales of trials, tribulations and even achievements that otherwise would not exist.
The line between the private and the public becomes blurred the faster and faster we hurtle into the future. It is as we start the next quarter of this year, that I urge you to find the power of privacy.
Bask in the quiet of the hideaway.
Get off your phones, your screens, and disappear.
🚀 Boost Your Creativity, Productivity and Innovation
It is no shock that distractions will cost you. Distractions can be both big and small - and even the small ones can dramatically affect your productivity.
I found myself in cycles of constantly scrolling meaningless on social media during my day, trying to justify this by looking for ‘inspiration’. I also found myself trying to work my way into creativity, thinking that ‘consistency at all costs’ was the true way of forcing my creative juices.
Neither was working for me. It was only through actively instilling quiet time that I realised true inspiration would come. Focusing on the small, still voice and not constantly feeding my entertainment addiction, and need to be validated as a busy body.
I realised my attention span was woefully low, and my focus needed re-sharpening and training so I could spend time writing, dreaming, pondering again. Chile, when was the last time you had time to really…think?
💡 Reconnect With Your ‘Why’
If I had a pound for every single time some motivational noob on social media told me to find my ‘why’ or raison d’etre, I’d probably be rich enough to tell you it’s the money.
As frustratingly cliche as it is, hiding away and spending some time away from the sunlight of social media and excessive social interactions, enables you to become an individual again.
As much as we lambast over the fact that everyone is so selfish and individualistic these days, it also seems like no-one truly has personality or originality any more either.
You need time, space and emptiness to decide who you want to be, and why. My time away gave me the opportunity to reflect and connect with my faith in God, connect with my loved ones on a deeper level, and decide that living a live of love and impact was going to be my legacy.
🎯 Inspect Your Toxic Traits
If there’s one thing time away teaches you? It teaches you where you are going wrong and falling short. My ‘hideaway’ time actually felt more like when you see a huge spotlight moving from the front of the stage to the back - illuminating the parts of you that you might have wanted to keep secret.
You know, the parts that you were trying to distract yourself from.
From an identity rooted in my works and production, to the ruthless unempathetic person I could be in the throes of work, there was definitely a whole lot of uprooting to do.
Heck, I’m still trying to let God do a work of healing my unforgiveness, stemming from quite harrowing incidents that transpired in my childhood and early adulthood.
Point is, sometimes you need to hide from the light outside, to shine a light inside on what really needs work.
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If you haven’t had any private time, or ‘hiding time’, you need to make it a priority. The greatest work you will ever do in public, is started from the enduring time you spend in private.
Kneel in the private, stand in the public.
Happy new quarter!
❤️ If you liked this, I think you’ll love:
💥 My Current Faves:
🎙 Podcast: Why Listening to Your Body Brings Healing - Adam Young, the Place We Find Ourselves Podcast
📚 Book: Financial Joy - Mary and Ken Okoroafor
“The quieter you become, the more you can hear." - Ram Dass
Impactful Renee❤️