#13–On the other side of the need to prove––2

When you don't feel the need to prove, you learn with an open mind and heart. I've experienced this today.

While I'm figuring out what I do next, I've taken a retail job demonstrating coffee machines at a department store. The coffee is delicious and the machines are slick.

Today, I received the visit of the Regional Sales Manager, who wanted to find "areas of opportunity" in my Point of Sale. I have to admit, all areas in my POS were "areas of opportunity."

She taught me how to reorganize my supplies, and how she wanted the display area to look like.

I listened with attention and intention.

Then, she asked me to demonstrate the machine for her, as though she were a client.

And here's the magic. For the first time in my life, I didn't feel judged or scrutinized. She was assessing me, and I received it as a gift.

When she asked me questions I didn't know how to respond, I said, "I don't know," feeling zero insecurity.

No internal shaking, mental stuttering, or the familiar heat wave rushing to my face.

I didn't give any excuses or justifications as to why I didn't have those answers.

She then taught me how to do the demonstration so it would lead to a sale and again, I listened with attention and intention.

My heart was calm and open. I absorbed her words with a clean frame of mind.

I didn't feel more than or less than her.

In the past, my internal response would have been either:

• "who does this chick think she's talking to? Doesn't she know I have a PhD and I used to make six figures, blah blah?"

or

• "OMG, I'm going to be fired! Who did I think I was and where did I think I was going? I can't do this job!"

But today, nothing like that at all.

Having kicked the need to prove for good, I just took her feedback and critique as a gift: she was giving me the opportunity to improve.

And I made two sales!

What area is the need to prove holding you back on?

Love,

Carolina