I recently started a new job. Just prior to starting the new job, I changed my profile picture on Facebook to a picture of me doing pole. After I had updated my picture, I realized I was about to be starting a new job. A new job with new coworkers who would most likely search for me on social media, just as I had planned to do to them. My brain was instantly flooded with the presumed judgment I imagined would be happening when people saw my profile picture. What would they think of me? Would they say something to me? And I don’t need to list them all because I’m sure many of you have had similar thoughts.
And then I took a minute. I took a few deep breaths. And I thought about what I was worried about. I thought about the worst that could happen. I thought about what I would say if someone questioned me about it. I sat in the feelings and thoughts and thought through all possibilities. I considered why I had not shared anything about my aerial journey with my previous work team. And I decided I was committed to the picture. I also decided that if the agency had a problem with me doing aerial dance, it would say way more about the company and my soon to be new coworkers than it would say about me. And I also thought, maybe, if someone did question me on it, I would be able to educate them on what aerial is instead of any preconceived thoughts they may have.
On my second day of onboarding, I was asked to fill out one of those “about me” documents. I got to the section that asked for my favorite hobby. I thought for a few minutes about what to put. I considered putting “exercise” because it still would encompass what we do at the studio, but that just did not seem right. So I wrote “aerial dance.”
Guess what? As of today, I am several weeks into my employment, and no one has said anything. Yep. That’s right. None of the judgement I was worried about. None of the questions I was worried about. Nothing that I was worried about has occurred. All of the anxiety I had, has as of now been for nothing. And, I am now at a mindset, where if it does happen, I am looking forward to the conversation and the ability to maybe share my passion with others.