Hi.
Let's take a little break together.
Start with your face.
We hold a lot there.
Let the space between your eyebrows widen.
Like an eraser went over it.
Unclench your jaw a little.
Your tongue can from drop...
the roof of your mouth.
Breathe in slowly...
And out...
Let your cheeks go soft.
Nobody's looking at you right now.
You don't have to make any face.
No polite little smile needed.
For six minutes...
you get to just be a person.
Not a performance.
So.
Whose opinion are you carrying today?
Maybe you're replaying something from lunch.
That comment that came out weird.
The way someone looked at you after.
Maybe you wrote a post...
and deleted it four times.
Picture the people you worry about.
Coworkers.
Old friends.
Your family.
Let them show up in your mind.
And notice your body.
Does it get smaller?
Maybe your shoulders curl in.
Your chest goes tight.
Like you're bracing for a grade.
That shrinking is so common.
We're wired to care what the group thinks.
Long ago, it kept people safe.
But now it fires over a group text.
Or over saying "you too"...
when the waiter said "enjoy your meal."
It's not a flaw.
It's an old alarm.
Going off in a new world.
Let's try something a little brave.
Picture those people again.
This time, let them really see you.
Just as you are Your today.
hair, however it looks.
The thing you said at lunch.
All of it.
Stay here and breathe.
In...
And out...
long and Let slow.
your shoulders stay wide.
Even while they look.
Now turn the camera around.
Look at what they're actually thinking.
That coworker?
She's wondering if she left the stove on.
Your old friend?
He's worried about his own post.
The one he deleted four times.
Your family?
They're thinking about dinner.
Or about their bad knee.
Most people are the main character...
in their own busy heads.
You're a small part of their day.
That might sting a little.
But mostly, it's a relief.
Think about it.
When did you last judge someone...
for a joke that fell flat?
You probably don't even remember.
Neither will they.
They're not grading you.
They're barely watching.
And when they are, they forget fast.
So let them see you.
And breathe.
You're still okay.
Say it quietly inside.
"I can be seen, and be okay."
Now let the faces fade.
It's just you again.
Hear the breeze moving through.
It doesn't try to look like anything.
Breathe in...
And out...
No audience here.
Just a body, resting.
And a face with nothing to hold up.
Alright.
Time to rejoin your afternoon.
Feel your face.
Notice how soft it still is.
A slow breath in...
And out.
Now here's what I'd love you to try.
Do one small thing today...
your way.
Without asking anyone if it's okay.
Maybe you order what you actually want.
Not what sounds normal.
Or you post the photo...
without editing it five times first.
Pick one.
Just one.
Keep it small.
Small is easier to actually do.
If the old alarm goes off...
that's fine.
Let it ring.
Do the thing anyway.
And when you do it...
notice the part where nothing happens.
Everyone just keeps living their lives.
Pay attention to that quiet.
It'll make the next one easier.
Go do your one thing.