Professional on the Outside, Toddler on the Inside: Confessions of a Corporate Adult

The meeting room falls silent.

Sarah from accounting just suggested we "pivot to a new strategy" that I KNOW failed spectacularly two years ago.

My inner toddler: "WTF??? NO NO NO! THIS IS THE WORST IDEA EVER!"

What actually comes out of my mouth: "Interesting perspective, Sarah. Could you walk me through your thinking on this?"

Let's be honest - being professional is exhausting.

While our outer selves are nodding thoughtfully and saying things like "I appreciate your input," our inner three-year-old is having a full meltdown, complete with floor-rolling and fruit snack demands.

Here's what's really happening in my head during "mature" workplace conversations:

When they say:

"This is how we've always done it."

Inner me:

Screaming into void "BECAUSE IT'S WRONG AND YOU'RE WRONG AND EVERYTHING IS WRONG!"

Professional me:

"I wonder if we could explore some alternative approaches?"

The real victory?

Not doing a touchdown dance when that strategy you advised against six months ago finally crashes and burns. Instead, you calmly offer solutions while your inner child throws confetti and chants "I told you so" on repeat.

Here is the thing; emotional intelligence isn't about not having these thoughts.

It's more about creating enough space between your inner toddler's tantrum and your outer response to choose words that actually move conversations forward.

...Now, if you'll excuse me, my inner child needs a nap. These mature conversations are exhausting.

With love,

Mari Carmen