Page 43 - Free Yourself From

26 It’s Not a Glass Ceiling, It’s a Sticky Floor

and at ease than I ever had in front of an audience. All eyes were on
me and people were engaged and asking questions—questions that I
could actually answer. I found myself being the person my business
partner described. I felt very comfortable, and that was the starting
point for a new truth about myself as a public speaker.
It took years and one crucial conversation for me to understand
that my unease was rooted in my continuing perception of myself as
being shy. I didn’t see myself as a speaker, so I dreaded speaking.
Now I speak two or three times a week and enjoy connecting with
large and small audiences on a topic about which I’m passionate and
knowledgeable.
From that experience, I learned once again that to reach your
potential, it’s essential to acknowledge the beliefs that you hold
about yourself, as well as your beliefs about other people and the
world around you. And it’s important to check in on a periodic basis
to see if those beliefs still hold true and if they are limiting you in
any way.

Exercise: Updating Your Belief Systems

The exercise above should give you the information that will help
you think about the answers to the questions below.

Step 1: Answer the following questions:

• What core beliefs do you hold about yourself based on past
experiences and events?
• How do they impact you today?
• How do these beliefs translate into behaviors?

For example, if you were told as a child that you’re not creative,
was it really true and does it still hold true for you? If it doesn’t, have