Thank you so much for sharing, Alea! Faith has also played a role in my journey, too, and I agree with the conflict between sharing it and suppressing it. But what I've learned is that even if I am afraid of what people may say — especially if I type a long Substack essay about it and have not told anyone in person — I should still put myself out there in hopes of somebody, even if it's just one person, finding that it makes a difference in their lives.
Thank you so much, Avery 🥹💖 I was scared to post it but I’m so glad I did — it feels so liberating and I feel like I’ve connected with you and the whole community on a deeper level 🙏🏻✨
I will say that I am not a Catholic but when you mentioned that you were my first thought was oh really? Are you TLM or a NovusOrdo kind of gal? Thank you for sharing and places like Substack and online writing have been a place for introverted sorts of persons to grow in that sphere and gain confidence for speaking more clearly when needed in public from that strength they have grown privately online and in community.
Thank you for reading and commenting on my post~ I actually wasn't familiar with the terms TLM and Novus Ordo―I had to look them up hahaha 😆 We follow Novus Ordo here in the Philippines :) I don't know if there are still churches here in our country that follow the Traditional Latin Mass 😲 I've heard about the history of TLM from my parents but growing up, I've only been exposed to Novus Ordo. I do love Latin prayers though and they really hit different when I hear them in chorale music 🥹💗
Thank you for sharing. In America there is a large debate over the two rites. I have a playlist on my Spotify account that is titled "Crusader Chants" and is a group of monks chanting in Latin. My favorite is Da Pacem Domine I prefer the translation for that as the Lord's peace. Before this gets much longer may God bless both you and your family as well as your work here on Substack.
Oh I didn't know that 😲 Thank you for sharing~ 💗 I'm listening to Da Pacem Domine right now―it's so beautiful that I'm having goosebumps 🤍 God bless you and your family too, Leland! 🙏🏻😊
I completely understand the fear of overexposing yourself on the Internet and thinking you might regret it one day. Authenticity, though highly valued, is scary to put out there. Writing means giving a little piece of our soul away so it feels vulnerable. I feel you though not on a religious level. Either way, smart people would never judge you for what you write. Smart people would accept it and share those feelings
Thank you ✨ I realized that although sharing certain aspects about me can possibly turn some people off, that would actually be a good filter for my audience :) I'm not here to please everyone, so I write according to my values and I let other people decide what to do with it. I believe that the right people will find me as long as I stay authentic 💗
It's your journey Alea, so it's ok to talk about whatever you want. I'm not a religious person and if you had a newsletter purely about religion I probably wouldn't subscribe, but I would still follow you because you are a fantastic person.
I do think it's important to share where you find inspiration and if that for you is your faith you shouldn't worry if people accept that, only that you do.
The day you stop being authentic to please a stranger is the day that you become a character, rather than yourself.
People do this all the time, but it's hard to maintain that façade and not have people see through it eventually.
Thank you so much Mark 🙏🏻✨ This is one of the most important things I've learned about personal branding—how to lean into my uniqueness and be okay with not pleasing everybody :) When I show up as my authentic self, not only is it liberating, but I'm also able to attract the right audience and friends who support me unconditionally 🤍 That's how I view my friendship with you and other writers here on Substack too ☺️ I'm not here just for your content—I'm here for you ✨ This is the kind of community that I hope to build 💖
I honestly think it's the best way to do it, the only problem with it is that as time goes on, the connections increase and it becomes harder and harder to keep up!
Stefano has just written about the subject of not pleasing everyone, dropping the link if you haven't seen it.
Thank you for sharing Mark! 💗 I always enjoy reading Stefano's work ✨ He also recommended a previous essay he wrote about how to stop chasing approval from others 😊 This quote really stuck with me:
"I think the reward for conformity is that everyone likes you except yourself." – Rita Mae Brown
Here's the link if you want to check it out too :D
I've always believed in God/a higher power, but it was only in recent years that I've honed my personal spiritual practice.
I associate with and know primarily people who consider themselves Agnostic or even Atheist (some of the Atheists quite militant and verbal about their distaste for people who are believers of any kind). I choose to ignore that and love them for their other qualities, but I also refuse to deny or hide my spirituality because it has contributed significantly to how far I've come on my personal journey.
I understand your concern though. I, too, am sometimes hesitant about mentioning it here, but just yesterday I (jokingly) posted a note about my need for what some consider "woo-woo" and if someone who reads it, can't accept it, and chooses to unfollow/unsubscribe as a result, then that's ok too. I should hope that those who enjoy my work will accept me as I am and not immediately be put off by one thing that may not resonate.
After relecting on this, I realized that we all have a choice and the right to curate our feeds. They can unsubscribe if it makes them uncomfortable, and I can also mute or delete hate comments if I ever happen to receive any.
At the end of the day, the goal is not to have the biggest following, but to attract the right people 😊 Repelling others who don't fit my dream audience is actually a good sign that I'm going towards the right direction 🧲
You know Alea, it's not your problem or responsibility to prove something you believe in to others. It's about how open you are or how free you feel sharing it. It's the matter for others to accept it or not. For example, I don't feel that kind of spiritual faith for God but I also make sure I don't judge or change mind of those who feel differently. It's real freedom of thought.
Thank you Mayank! ✨ I really appreciate you and the Substack community. The people I've met here so far are open-minded and kind 🤍 I'm happy that I've stumbled into this peaceful corner on the internet―it's rare to find this kind of safe space for us to just be ourselves 🥹
Have courage my friend. I too get nervous. I am Protestant. I have my doubts, I have my fears. Just focus on honoring God with your words. Sure, you may have some unsubscribe, but God will replace them in His timing. Yes it is okay to talk about this. It always okay to honor your God.
Thank you so much for sharing, Alea! Faith has also played a role in my journey, too, and I agree with the conflict between sharing it and suppressing it. But what I've learned is that even if I am afraid of what people may say — especially if I type a long Substack essay about it and have not told anyone in person — I should still put myself out there in hopes of somebody, even if it's just one person, finding that it makes a difference in their lives.
Thank you so much, Avery 🥹💖 I was scared to post it but I’m so glad I did — it feels so liberating and I feel like I’ve connected with you and the whole community on a deeper level 🙏🏻✨
That makes me so happy to hear!!
I will say that I am not a Catholic but when you mentioned that you were my first thought was oh really? Are you TLM or a NovusOrdo kind of gal? Thank you for sharing and places like Substack and online writing have been a place for introverted sorts of persons to grow in that sphere and gain confidence for speaking more clearly when needed in public from that strength they have grown privately online and in community.
Thank you for reading and commenting on my post~ I actually wasn't familiar with the terms TLM and Novus Ordo―I had to look them up hahaha 😆 We follow Novus Ordo here in the Philippines :) I don't know if there are still churches here in our country that follow the Traditional Latin Mass 😲 I've heard about the history of TLM from my parents but growing up, I've only been exposed to Novus Ordo. I do love Latin prayers though and they really hit different when I hear them in chorale music 🥹💗
Thank you for sharing. In America there is a large debate over the two rites. I have a playlist on my Spotify account that is titled "Crusader Chants" and is a group of monks chanting in Latin. My favorite is Da Pacem Domine I prefer the translation for that as the Lord's peace. Before this gets much longer may God bless both you and your family as well as your work here on Substack.
Oh I didn't know that 😲 Thank you for sharing~ 💗 I'm listening to Da Pacem Domine right now―it's so beautiful that I'm having goosebumps 🤍 God bless you and your family too, Leland! 🙏🏻😊
I completely understand the fear of overexposing yourself on the Internet and thinking you might regret it one day. Authenticity, though highly valued, is scary to put out there. Writing means giving a little piece of our soul away so it feels vulnerable. I feel you though not on a religious level. Either way, smart people would never judge you for what you write. Smart people would accept it and share those feelings
Thank you ✨ I realized that although sharing certain aspects about me can possibly turn some people off, that would actually be a good filter for my audience :) I'm not here to please everyone, so I write according to my values and I let other people decide what to do with it. I believe that the right people will find me as long as I stay authentic 💗
It's your journey Alea, so it's ok to talk about whatever you want. I'm not a religious person and if you had a newsletter purely about religion I probably wouldn't subscribe, but I would still follow you because you are a fantastic person.
I do think it's important to share where you find inspiration and if that for you is your faith you shouldn't worry if people accept that, only that you do.
The day you stop being authentic to please a stranger is the day that you become a character, rather than yourself.
People do this all the time, but it's hard to maintain that façade and not have people see through it eventually.
Keep being you and I'll keep reading 😊
Thank you so much Mark 🙏🏻✨ This is one of the most important things I've learned about personal branding—how to lean into my uniqueness and be okay with not pleasing everybody :) When I show up as my authentic self, not only is it liberating, but I'm also able to attract the right audience and friends who support me unconditionally 🤍 That's how I view my friendship with you and other writers here on Substack too ☺️ I'm not here just for your content—I'm here for you ✨ This is the kind of community that I hope to build 💖
I honestly think it's the best way to do it, the only problem with it is that as time goes on, the connections increase and it becomes harder and harder to keep up!
Stefano has just written about the subject of not pleasing everyone, dropping the link if you haven't seen it.
https://substack.com/@stefanomiele/note/p-154453875?r=95242
Thank you for sharing Mark! 💗 I always enjoy reading Stefano's work ✨ He also recommended a previous essay he wrote about how to stop chasing approval from others 😊 This quote really stuck with me:
"I think the reward for conformity is that everyone likes you except yourself." – Rita Mae Brown
Here's the link if you want to check it out too :D
https://substack.com/@stefanomiele/note/c-85286450?utm_source=notes-share-action&r=4q116j
Just checked it out, thanks for signposting it. He's living the lessons he's learning and passing on for the benefit of others.
I've always believed in God/a higher power, but it was only in recent years that I've honed my personal spiritual practice.
I associate with and know primarily people who consider themselves Agnostic or even Atheist (some of the Atheists quite militant and verbal about their distaste for people who are believers of any kind). I choose to ignore that and love them for their other qualities, but I also refuse to deny or hide my spirituality because it has contributed significantly to how far I've come on my personal journey.
I understand your concern though. I, too, am sometimes hesitant about mentioning it here, but just yesterday I (jokingly) posted a note about my need for what some consider "woo-woo" and if someone who reads it, can't accept it, and chooses to unfollow/unsubscribe as a result, then that's ok too. I should hope that those who enjoy my work will accept me as I am and not immediately be put off by one thing that may not resonate.
Thank you for sharing your story, Stephanie! 🙏🏻💗
After relecting on this, I realized that we all have a choice and the right to curate our feeds. They can unsubscribe if it makes them uncomfortable, and I can also mute or delete hate comments if I ever happen to receive any.
At the end of the day, the goal is not to have the biggest following, but to attract the right people 😊 Repelling others who don't fit my dream audience is actually a good sign that I'm going towards the right direction 🧲
That you are! God brings the people we need/will help us grow into our lives as well and He supports us in letting those we/who don't go 💕
You know Alea, it's not your problem or responsibility to prove something you believe in to others. It's about how open you are or how free you feel sharing it. It's the matter for others to accept it or not. For example, I don't feel that kind of spiritual faith for God but I also make sure I don't judge or change mind of those who feel differently. It's real freedom of thought.
Thank you Mayank! ✨ I really appreciate you and the Substack community. The people I've met here so far are open-minded and kind 🤍 I'm happy that I've stumbled into this peaceful corner on the internet―it's rare to find this kind of safe space for us to just be ourselves 🥹
Have courage my friend. I too get nervous. I am Protestant. I have my doubts, I have my fears. Just focus on honoring God with your words. Sure, you may have some unsubscribe, but God will replace them in His timing. Yes it is okay to talk about this. It always okay to honor your God.
Thank you so much for the kind words and for sharing your story, Jesse! 🥹 This means so much. I appreciate you 🤍 God bless you and your loved ones~ 🙏🏻
You’re welcome Alea! God bless you and your family as well!