Did you ever play “Hide and Go Seek” so well that they stopped looking for you? I have.

I can tell you this from experience: no one is looking for you if you spend your time hiding.

You can wonder for the rest of your years why they don’t come find you, but if all you do is wonder, all you’ll be doing is continuing to camouflage your existence.

Why do we hide? The simple answer is fear. By hiding, we rationalize that no one can hurt us here. That may be true but it’s equally true that no one will find you.

This is more than being a turtle in a shell; it’s a turtle in a shell hidden under a pile of rocks and leaves deep in the woods.

There is some good news about hiding: you do find yourself. Anyone who has come back from a “dark night of the soul” will attest to that. You do become more comfortable in your own skin, which is a plus.

The flip side is that fear has become a habit – one that keeps you pinned under a rock.

I’ve come to find out that the first step in outgrowing any habit is to recognize that you have it. For some, unproductive behavior is so habitual they believe that it is a natural part of them. It’s not; it’s conditioning.

If you can condition yourself to be scared, you can condition yourself to be a bit bolder.

Here’s my prescription for members of my tribe: Hermits Anonymous: Notice that your hiding spot is in a flood zone. After that, begin to build an ark and populate it with others.

Other people are the first sign that the game of Hide & Seek is over. Then it’s time to get together and celebrate your coming out party.

All the best,

John