I recently watched the season finale of Project Runway and something struck me. Now, I may be the only one still watching this show after sixteen seasons, but don’t judge—I just love fashion, creativity, and all the Tim Gunn I can get.
*SPOILER ALERT! The winner is revealed below.*
My favorite contestant from the beginning was Kentaro Kameyama due to his quirk, humor, and crazy talent. In the second-to-last episode, he and four other finalists previewed a few pieces of their final collections to the judges to find out who would continue on to show at New York Fashion Week. Kentaro didn’t receive great feedback, unlike other contestants (including the judges’ season-long clear favorite), but he was put through to the finale, along with three other designers.
And here’s where the interesting thing happened. Because the judges told him they didn’t "get" his designs or how his line could be cohesive, Kentaro figured he wouldn’t win. But he didn’t let that defeat him. Instead, he took all the pressure off of himself for winning—he let go of wanting it so much and instead focused on doing what made him happy and what he felt passionate about. Without out a second thought to what other people, including the judges, felt about him or his designs. How do I know he did that? He said it straight-up to the camera in true reality-show style. And then he won.
The other contestants? They really wanted to win. A LOT. Think of that energy versus Kentaro’s energy of I’m just going to have fun and do what feels right to me. Now the other designers were all true to themselves too—they all did amazing, beautiful work. But there’s a definite difference in your energy when you let go of pressure and just don’t care what others think.
Yesterday I received a reading of my cat and me from another animal communicator, and interestingly enough, the message of “what if you just didn’t care?” came up. I’ve been putting a lot of pressure on myself and beating myself up about solving a chronic physical issue—but what if I just relaxed about it and listened to my body and the guidance of the universe? That feels a lot better. The object isn’t conquering my body, it’s dropping into a place where I can open myself up to the wisdom within. (Yes, this came through in an animal reading—animals never judge or put pressure on themselves, so they don’t want us to do that either.)
So whether it’s designing a gorgeous skirt or working on a health issue or a project for your boss, what if you took all the pressure off and led with your heart? I promise, then the big prizes will come.
It’s all about the magic. 🙌