Thursday, June 12, 2008

Private Anna mixes with Professional Anna

These last few days have been, and are, hectic. Not just because of problems with the cats, but also with work. I'm preparing for a presentation tonight and I'm starting to feel nervous about it. The goose bumps are already here.

It's a work thing and I know that it's important for my presentation to go well for a certain project's future. I need the listeners to walk away with a sense of security. I need them to have understanding for my company's actions. And expectations. If I fail in that, my fall and winter won't be fun...

My boyfriend's ex will be in the audience and that makes me even more nervous. Not because she's his ex. She's a real nice person and I don't have anything against her. It's the whole mixing of personalities... She knows me as Private Anna. And now I'll be there as Professional Anna. And those two are not always the same person. I'm not sure what I feel about her seeing Professional Anna doing a presentation and representing her company, when she knows what Private Anna is like.

She'll "judge" my presentation and value my words differently from everyone else in the audience as she knows me as Private Anna. To everyone else there, I'm Professional Anna.

Does that make sense to anyone? Do you get uncomfortable when Private You has to mix with Professional You? Or do you see them as the same person?

4 comments:

essjay said...

I, personally, see them as 2 separate people. There may just be very subtle differences but for my sanity I have to have them separate. I don't want work to define who I am at the all the time. I'll hold my thumbs for you today - I hope your presentation goes well and that the goose bumps go away soon.

Linda said...

I definatly have a private and work split in me ... but as I get older they are merging more at times, I don't know why. :) Good luck with the presentation.

Anonymous said...

The struggle ends when you see that the "private you" and the "public you" are concepts created by the mind. It's fine to play with these ideas in everyday life, but they really have nothing to do with your true self. You can play a thousand roles in your life, but the differences between roles, and between other people, are ultimately superficial.

florencemary said...

Totally know what you mean, Anna! Cringe. In some ways, it mirrors how I've been feeling about my blog and who's been reading it.

Do hope the presentation has gone OK! Best wishes!