At some point as a teenage girl when I was feeling sloppy and socially inept, my mom explained a life lesson that she had been taught by her mother. The motherism went something like, "No matter your attire, or how you may be groomed, people will look beyond these if you wear a smile."
It was a little something that stuck with me, a lesson passed from one mom to the next. I remind myself of this when I scurry off to run errands--the grocery store, the hardware store, the vet-- when I'm looking less than my best. I figure I'll either hide in the next lane at the store (ever done that?) OR wear a gleaming smile to cover up my appearance.
I enjoy being social but for some reason I tend to feel awkward in public gatherings like networking events. The conversation taking place in my head, that nagging negative self-doubting one, is really obnoxious. I'm trying, this year in particular, to remember that motherism as I go forward. And if all else fails . . . maybe thinking of everyone else naked?
How about you? If you felt self-conscious at a social or business function, how would you overcome it?
This is question #27 from The Art of Conversation Game which, by the way, are for sale here on Storied Gifts.
As an addendum: I was telling my mom about the impact this little bit of wisdom she shared with me still has today, and she couldn't really remember even telling me. We laughed about that.
photo by oberto powered by flickr
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