This approach was not a question incoming, it was a statement from a courageous woman that I needed to hear more than she needed to say it. Perception is projection and learning how we can serve each other in how we communicate, learn and see the people around us can be helpful on so many levels. How people see you and how you see others can be your greatest motivator or your darkest destroyer. How do you choose and why?

1. The Real You
By: Madelaine Cohen
www.lipsticklearning.com

2. The Real You
“Everyone sees who I appear to be but only a few know the real me. You
only see what I choose to show. There’s so much behind my smile you just
don’t know. ”
- Unknown
It’s not uncommon for people to approach me at the end of a conference to
ask me questions. I’m quite used to it. What I am not used to is what
happened a few weeks ago.
It was about 8pm at night, after a grueling and amazing day of learning and
sharing a woman approached me and waited patiently for others to move
on. As she started to open her mouth, tears began flowing down her cheeks.
She said to me, “When I first saw you and heard you speak, I felt so
intimidated by your presence and thought to myself that I should avoid you.
What I have come to learn today is that you are so like me and even though
we look different and you have a presence that I don’t have, you are normal
and have the same crap as the rest of us.”
By this stage I had tears rolling down my face too. This was one crazy
moment and the first time I have had someone articulate something that I
am sure happens as often to others as it happens to me. I am this woman. I
have self-talk all the time about my perception of others that just is not real
when I actually get to know who they really are.

3. My key points in appreciating how to enable our perceptions of others to be
our greatest asset to ourself are:
 When you see someone who inspires you, model the qualities you like
about them. The words I use to myself are, “See that body? Show me
how I can do that too please.”
 Appreciate that the day each of us was born we came into the world
with two natural fears: falling and loud noises. All other fears that we
have developed in our lifetimes are in response to experiences, beliefs,
genetics and behaviour. Ask yourself is this fear serving me? If the
answer is no, imagine yourself as though you are starring in your own
movie. Play the movie in front of your eyes, with yourself as the actor
and make the vision the outcome as you would prefer to see it. Then
fill the screen with bright white light until you can no longer see the
picture and it vanishes.
 In circumstances where you judge someone as better than you,
remember that we are all equals. Most people remember the first time
they saw a school teacher at a cafe or in the supermarket in Primary
School and realised that their teacher ate and shopped like almost
everyone else does. As an adult knowing that we are all the same and
training yourself to see the equal humanity in everyone is key. We all
have our own individual perspective based on our model of the world
and we should act in ways that serve us. If it would serve you better
to feel you are eye to eye with anyone who inspires you, then you
have the greatest chance of being the best version of yourself.
Madelaine Cohen
Lipstick Learning is an initiative of Sydney based business
leader & entrepreneur Madelaine Cohen. Sharing information
to increase the success of people who choose to lead. With
more than two decades in her own businesses in consumer
products, sports marketing and healthcare Madelaine takes a leading role
in helping people transition from employment to their own business in
the
health, beauty and anti-aging sector. She works on a 100%, 10 x 10,
$100K
model leading people to success and an income of $100K per year or
more in their own business.
Follow @madelainecohen
Visit http://lipsticklearning.com/the-real-you/ to know more information.
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