Actions speak louder than words, or how not to spook someone

A tale of terrifying your waitress, what food tastes like in heaven and managing our energy.

Rhapsody. 

Sublime.

Taste-tacular (it’s a word. I’ve just made it up).

Picture, if you will, the following…

Tagliatelle with vodka tomato-sauce.

The perfect bite in the pasta and the sauce is just saucy enough.

Simple.

Transportive.

Gobsmackingly good.

What food tastes like in heaven.

My husband and I were having dinner in our hotel in Gdansk.

Then it happened.

I inadvertently terrified the waitress.

Smilingly, she approached our table and made to take away my plate.

My look, apparently, was murderous.

I’d sat down to dinner ravenous.

And I still had one strand of tagliatelle left to eat.

This plate was going NOWHERE.

She looked alarmed.

And then I explained quickly in a please-don’t-take-my-plate-away-rush that I wasn’t quite finished yet.

And she backed away.

Communicating is all about words.

Or so we think.

But there’s one thing that announces us before we open our mouths.

Our energy.

Our demeanour.

Our engagement with our surroundings.

My status as #starvingladyno1 did me no favours.

My energy overwhelmed our poor waitress.

I was so absorbed in my food.

✅ How are you managing your energy before you give a speech?

✅ What are you doing to get yourself in the right zone?

✅ Where should you have your “all out” energy and where should you pull back?

P.S. Whilst we paid the bill I could not have been more apologetic for how I made our waitress feel and enthusiastic about my dinner, lavishing praise on the food, restaurant and waitress.

And guess what we’re trying to make for dinner tonight?