"What do you do?" Diet

#1 -"Stop asking 'What do you do?' For 30 days I want you to go on a 'What do you do?' diet. Asking, 'What do you do?', is telling the other person's brain, 'Stay on auto pilot'. No more, we're on a diet. Also asking, 'What do you do?' is asking, 'What are you worth?' and if someone is not defined by what they do, it's actually a rude question." Vanessa Van Edwards 

Minute 1:25:02 Diary of a CEO Body Language Expert

I can not tell you how much I appreciate someone articulating this so clearly!  As someone that hasn't been defined by what I do for a long time, I don't like receiving the question. AND I find it so boring to hear from other people (usually). I typically ask, "What are you enthusiastic about in your life right now?" But sometimes I do fall into other autopilot questions, and I know I have to shift that to nourish conversations that are actually engaging.

Vanessa adds, "No more, 'What do you do?' you are going to replace it with, 'Working on anything exciting these days?' or 'Working on anything exciting recently?' This is permission connection. You ask someone that question you are giving them permission, if they want to tell you about what they do, oh they will. If they are not defined by what they do, they'll tell you something better."

#2 - I am going to a potluck Saturday and I was wondering what I'll bring, when I'll go to the store to get ingredients and when I'll make it since I might be gone earlier Saturday.  Would I go back home to get what I made? As I was trying to figure this out today I thought, "You know what, I could just stop at the co-op on the way and pick up something."  That felt so much easier! I'm perfectly happy when someone else does this, but for some reason I never let myself. However my word of the year is "Extravagant" and this qualifies.

#3- My favorite instructor at the fitness center I attend, a barre teacher, has been absent the last couple weeks. She was back today. In class I thought, "I say I like this class, but it's tough."  I guess I like that it's a challenge I want to return to.

# 4 - One of my families cancelled today so I used the time to try and contact the managers of a couple buildings I work in for recruitment purposes. One of the managers the email was rejected (I was given it by someone I spoke to in the office). I'm glad to find that out sooner rather than later so I have time to try and get the correct email.

#5 -