Who are you when Nobody is Watching

Who are you when no one is watching

‍

When I was a kid most adults told me to do the right thing even when no one is watching, or when you think no one is watching. This mantra became ingrained in my head. Do the right thing, not because people are watching, but because I do the right thing. This bleed into many aspects of my life. Particularly in sports, I would clean up the field after practice, I would help clean the locker room. Not because I was told to do it or because I wanted to do it. Quite frankly, I hated cleaning up cones after practice. Mopping the locker room was fine, mopping was and still is my solace. I will go out of my way to mop at my current job given the opportunity. But I digress. 

‍

The idea of doing the right thing when no one is watching doesn’t really exist anymore. With social media, the government watching all of us, any and all types of surveillance, the world is always watching. But here’s a nice little mental trick. Act like nobody's watching. What do you do? What do you make time for? What do you prioritize? 

‍

Because if you just act how you would if there was no one watching and fully show up as your most authentic self, whether that be in person or on social media or at work or wherever. Eventually people will start to notice. Eventually they will start paying attention. And then the more people start paying attention, the less you care or focus. Just keep doing the same thing. 

‍

Your consistency in that approach will impact people. Friends you had may turn away because that version doesn’t align with who they think you are, other friends will be inspired by you and you’ll have a major impact on them without even knowing it. 

‍

So here’s my advice as we go into 2023: be authentic to yourself wherever you are regardless of who is watching. Clean the locker, pick up the cones, do the little things right, not because there is a coach or colleague watching, but because that is what you do. Be authentic on socials show the good and the not so good. Accept failure, celebrate triumph and high achievement. But above all live like no one is watching and do what sets your soul on fire. What happens is pretty magical!

‍