This week I attended the Bruno Mars concert in Atlanta. We were in the nosebleed seats, but had a lot of fun observing the people around us.
There was a little boy about 8 years old in front of us. The curtain dropped, the music started, and he promptly began dancing his ass off. So much so that I took a video of his self-expression. (You’ll get the point!)
Then something sad happened. He was with who I presumed to be his family. While he danced, they sat stoic. They didn’t look at him or smile at him or move a muscle. Now I’m sure they were happy to have brought him there and they meant no harm. But quickly the boy noticed he was the only one moved by the music. I watched him look over to observe the people next to him, slowly stop dancing, and slump down into his seat. For the rest of the show he sat motionless.
This isn’t uncommon, and you probably do this today. You’re not alone. You begin to take action in a direction that reflects your own unique self-expression in your business. Then you notice that no one else is moving like that. And maybe no one is paying attention – or worse, they are and they appear to be judging you. And you stop. And you slump down. And you wait for the cue that it’s safe to move about the cabin.
Before you know it you’re constrained and afraid to move outside the bubble you’ve created for yourself. Because you’re not sure what happens out there, you’ve been inside for so long. You might even forget to observe it at all.
Ask yourself, how long have you been inside the bubble? What cues do you watch for to show that it’s safe to make your own moves? And what is it costing you not to step outside and let your expression fly?
I grew up in a small town population 502. My bubble was small, and judge-y. I’ve had to make many conscious choices to move outside the bubble to become more of who I am, and I continue to do so every day in business. Join me. Who are you waiting for before you get up and boogie?