Back in the 1980s, I had the opportunity to take a sales job. My job would be to focus on gaining new business. It sounded challenging and fun, so I agreed and showed up to work excited for a new opportunity. Unfortunately, it quickly became clear that I was going to have to get comfortable with cold calling. I probably spent more time in front of the mirror whispering, “You can do this,” than I did doing the work. I was great at getting appointments, but I usually ended up listening to the stories of my prospective clients’ lives and then leaving without saying much about what I was selling. During that period, I made a lot of friends, but I didn’t make much money. My sales manager, who had gone out on a limb to hire me, was supportive, but I finally admitted that I didn’t feel I was going to be any good at sales.  She didn’t even hesitate before saying, “Feelings are not facts.”

Well, my prediction was correct—I never did amount to much of a salesperson, but those four words had a huge impact on my life. Feelings are not facts. The truth is that feelings are emotions that come and go depending on our circumstances, how we’re feeling physically, and so much more.

So, what does this have to do with you? This week I had an interesting conversation with one of my clients. During our exchange, she admitted that she felt broken. Her words got me thinking.