Today is August 29, 2018 – (see August 29, 2018 on my Facebook page for video)
Don Miguel Ruiz in his book the Four Agreements talks about taking nothing personally. The ability to do this is a true gift.
One month ago, my friend Ombretta said to me, “Patricia, you are doing some incredible things. You’ve got your podcast, your newsletter and your blog, but I think you are playing it small. I think you are a bit of a wallflower. I think you should be doing videos.”
When I heard this I was not offended by her observation. I replied, “Well, I’m an introvert. And being an introvert makes it difficult for me to put myself out there, to draw attention to myself.”
She didn’t bite and continued, “I think you should start doing face book live videos”.
I tried one more excuse, “I’ve never done a Facebook life video. I don’t know how to do one.” To which she replied, “It’s easy, you just hit the go live button.”
Now a month later I’m about to wrap up this Facebook live challenge. And I’m so glad that I accepted her challenge. It has reminded me how much I enjoy speaking. It’s been almost a year since I gave my last presentation. It has also improved my writing and presentation skills. And I hope that over the course of this challenge you have picked up at least one thing that has allowed you to think differently and take a step toward what you want in your life.
Just the other day I recorded a podcast episode with someone. And it got off to a rocky start. In response to my first question, my guest responded to my first question in a manner that could have been seen as defensive. When she had finished answering the question I said, I’m going to stop recording for a minute. And I shared this feedback with her. As she sat with it for a minute, I thought to myself, per. Then she told me what she heard me say. A minute later we started the interview again, I asked her the same question; her response this time blew me away. Though she was saying the same thing her manner and the words she used were coming from a place of compassion instead of from a place of fear. And the rest of the interview went just as well. Because she was not offended by my observation and feedback she heard it and took what she needed to transform her response into one that would attract and compel listeners rather than repel them. She did not take my comments personally.
Have there been times when you took offense to feedback someone shared with you and also times when you were more open to receiving it? In these different instances, what did you notice about your emotions and the resulting actions and outcomes? Comment below and I will see you again tomorrow.
Being open, learning to hear feedback and not be offended by it creates an opening for us to have less stress in our lives and see opportunities where before there weren’t any.
That’s it for today. See you again tomorrow.
Patricia Brooks is a life experiences coach, speaker, and the author of Growing Bold: How to Overcome Fear, Build Confidence, and Love the Life you Live. She is the host of the Discovering Courage Podcast where each week she explores how ordinary people have managed to live extraordinary lives. Patricia is currently living in France, pursuing her dreams.
Photo Credit: Matthew Henry