
Let me set the scene.
The year is 2014. I have lived in Midland for a little over 18 months. I am fresh in the profession I currently hold.
A group of, lets call it 10 ladies, all of us in the same line of work, are in a “team building/life coach,”mandatory meeting. We sit in a circle. The “O” shaped chairs are set up in a large office with floor to ceiling windows, brown carpet and muted colors to keep everything to a minimum, or so it feels. No flair.
I removed my shoes and got comfortable. We were goal setting. It seemed like a relaxing and reassuring setting to do so. I crossed my legs and started in on what I wanted to accomplish by the end of 2015.
After the meeting, a smartly dressed woman with a slight heir about her, 20 years my senior, slowly, but confidently approached me.
“You know,” She stated as she looked down at my feet with disdain. “You should probably leave your shoes on during a meeting like this. It doesn’t show much class when you remove them.”
When she turned around to walk away, I stood there, frozen. I was mortified. I felt guilt. I felt shame. Gosh, was I that TRASHY? With my eyes and head lowered to the ground I went down a rabbit hole. What did I get myself into? Was my entire life a lie?
Shoes were a necessity growing up on 80 acres. Without them, you risked being impaled by multiple bright green goat-heads (stickers.) Obtaining a stone bruise from a sharp rock. Or stepping in a huge pile of animal feces.
If none of that bothered you, which, to a kid, meeehhhh….how many times did all of that happen, a couple hundred, I still refused shoes more often than not. Because kids are smarter. ;)
Fast Forward. The year is 2025. Same City. 11 years later. I am now happily divorced. I am blessed with two beautiful little girls. I am once again, in a group setting. In a circle, coincidentally just South and across a major intersection from the barefoot shaming incident.
I attend a weekly class on self help, free therapy if you will. A consistent self improvement gathering to remind myself I can always be better. That Wednesday, I removed my shoes, crossed my legs and got comfortable. When it was my turn to share I remembered the above mentioned moment of embarrassment, or what I TOOK as embarrassment. I cried a little bit because of the freedom I now feel and ended the share with a laugh about being shoeless.
In this class, we are reminded that “what others think of us is none of our business.” How dare I think that I can control someone else’s thoughts about me?
Read that again. “What other’s think of me….IS NONE OF MY BUSINESS.” Pretty profound.
As a people pleaser by nature, we are always looking out for how others feel. Are we satisfying their needs? Are they happy? To be honest, being a people pleaser is exhausting. Yes, I am in sales. Yes, I have always liked to make people happy but what happened to making myself happy? Where did that get lost? When did that emotion turn it’s back on me and walk over the hill, not asking if I was coming with it?
In Don Miguel Ruiz’s, The Four Agreements, the 2nd or 3rd agreement, depending how you read it, is , “Don’t take anything personally.”
I was given The Four Agreements book in 2022 by a wonderful friend who was going through a divorce. At the time, I was in a downward spiral, attempting, very adamantly, to survive a failing marriage.
I loved the book and the Agreements. I ate them up. I ordered quite a few paperbacks and handed them out to select friends. I felt like this was a game changer for me and that it could be for others too.
I lived by the teachings of Ruiz for a little while, I felt them. I spoke about them. I actively practiced them.
In 2023 after years of trying to be happy in my partnership, my tryer, tried out. My soul focus was not on the Four Agreements anymore, but figuring out a new way of life for myself and my children. A better path forward.
Starting over, I started practicing the agreements again. I was reminded of the “Always do your best agreement.” As long as you do your best, and YOU KNOW, without a doubt, it is your best, then FOR REAL…..
What others think of you, is NONE of YOUR business, so, quit taking it personally.
I loved how all of these thoughts and practices tied in together. In 2023-2024 I cannot remember exactly when it was, but I fired a client. Shit. Jessica, what did you do? I definitely over thought it, as I do most intrusive thoughts, but I executed a plan. The people pleaser said “NO.”
I had spent gobs of money on the original listing. Then re-listing. Paying for photos, videos, drone shots, Broker opens, open houses and subscriptions to specific websites that marketed the community.
NOTHING was good enough. It appeared it was my fault that their decor choice was horrific and that they continuously over leveraged themselves on the price of another home they were wanting.
I am not saying this is a best practice but a little known Real Estate fact: You can spend thousands listing a home, trying to get it sold. However, the #1 rule in sales always prevails. The client is always right. Even with suggested staging, painting, price drops and fixes, if the client doesn’t agree, sometimes the house does not sell, if the house does not sell; you do not get paid.
When I knew I was doing my best and that there was nothing else I could do to please them, I let myself go. I did not take it personally and to be honest, the next time I saw them, I gave them a hug and we were more forward and friendly than when I had their home on the market.(PS, I did re-list it for a 3rd time because I am a glutton for punishment. It didn’t work in the end. I did my best.)
Let me tell you something that happened today. 7/13/25 around 8:30 AM.
I ventured to the ATM to get cash out to pay a baby sitter from this weekend. The local ATM at Chase Bank didn’t work; shocking, I know. This new precious sitter doest have Venmo, which, at this day in age, I appreciate. She only accepts cash. Smart girl.
Since I was NOT planning on getting out of the car I did not put a bra on. Now, unexpectedly, I was going to drive to the Gas station and get out of the vehicle. Oh Lord. I might see someone I know. Midland is a small town. May not seem that way to a newcomer. Just wait.
Old me would have gone home. I would have delayed getting this sweet new sitter paid due to my potential embarrassment. I would risk her not coming back because of the possibility of seeing someone I knew, crouched down by the ATM, hiding like a troll in a ratty t-shirt, without a bra.
Today I did not think twice. I proudly walked….. OK, I definitely didn’t look around to see who was there. I scurried in and kept my head pointed at the ATM. But I got the cash out, I came out alive. With my head held high in the sunlight walking back to my car. Braless and all.
On a positive note. At least I wore shoes. ;)
Peace- J.
PS: You cannot control what others think. You dont live in their reality. You only live in yours.
“When you argue with reality, you lose, but only 100% of the time,”-Byron Katie.


















