Once I was at a fancy party at a Dallas mansion with a lot of important people. I went up to the host to thank him for his hospitality. I smiled, stuck out my hand and the host's friend said "Qualify yourself. Tell him why he should talk to you." Instantly my brain broke into two routes. The primary and more powerful voice got to work on the assignment … what are the accolades that I can show to charm and convince this person that I’m deserving of his time. But the other part of me was shocked. A test to say thank you? That was stunning. Thankfully, that part of me won. I said "thank you for hosting" and left.
You're not alone if your self-worth rises and falls according to what other people think. But you can confront this mindset. When you get asked, "what do you do?" do you feel like that question is going to determine your level of attention and respect?
Maybe you've felt the cringe-inducing judgment of witnessing your questioner’s face change when they hear what you do. It’s miserable. You fee
