Can You Keep a Secret?

My friend Sarah cannot keep a secret.

Once I told her, in confidence, about an embarrassing dream involving Hugh Jackman in drag and a pack of wolves.  (Don’t ask.)  She immediately told my husband.

“I hate secrets,” she blurted out.  “Too much pressure.”

It turns out Sarah was right.  Keeping a secret, even a trivial one, creates stress because our brains have to work that much harder to keep it concealed.

Studies about the impact of secrets reveal:

• They make us perform worse on tasks.
• They make us more sensitive to criticism.
• Reduce our physical endurance.
• They make us more susceptible to illness.

Right about now you might be wondering, “That’s great Steph.  But what does that have to do with my wedding business?”

I work with wedding pros every day who are keeping a colossal secret by NOT being their true selves.

Answer these questions honestly.  

Have you ever…

• Pretended to be something you aren’t to attract big money clients?
• Agreed to the unreasonable demands of a bride or groom?
• Lied about what you really think just to please someone?

Yeah, that’s what I thought.

I know a phenomenal wedding photographer who hid her secret tattoo-loving hobby photos from her “conventional” wedding clients.  And a DJ who doesn’t want his clients to know that his daughter has leukemia.

Every time you hide your secret self, your authentic self, it affects your focus, energy and health.

It’s time to stop hiding!  Be as authentic as possible and let go of the stress involved in pretending to be who you aren’t.

Align your true self with your business and you will become refreshingly attractive to couples and you’ll book more weddings as a result.

P.S.  That wedding photographer who’s into edgey tattoo shots?  When she starting displaying them in her studio, her bookings increased.  Just in case you need another reason to let your true self shine.  🙂

What do you think about secrets?

Photo Credit