145. How to Lay Down Your Armor and Positively Affect Someone's Day

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style= "font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: black; background: white;"> Here’s a test for your self-confidence. When you enter a room, can you manage to entertain the thought " I know that everyone here can’t wait to meet me. I just don't expect them to realize it yet." You may not be at all certain that everyone in every room loves you, but you’ll find that pretending they do works nicely when you want to make someone's day.</span><span style= "font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: black;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; widows: 2; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; word-spacing: 0px;" /> <br style= "box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; widows: 2; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; word-spacing: 0px;" /> <span style="background: white;"><span style= "font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; widows: 2; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; float: none; word-spacing: 0px;"> Rather than spending so much time wandering about armored against criticism and rejection, become aware that everyone around you may be wary of you. This emotional arms race drives people apart in every home, office, subway car, dentist's office, and corporate cafeteria on earth.</span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style= "font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: black;"> <span style="backgro