Just because you have a belief doesn't mean you have to keep it.

Me receiving the most adaptable speech award.

On October 2, 2026, I was one of nine presenters at The Proving Stage, a speaker showcase created to counter the growing trend of speakers using AI to enhance or falsify their speaker reels. Hence the name: The Proving Stage.

We were not only there to prove we are real people, but to highlight our speaking style and command of the stage. To raise the stakes even more, the event was recorded for social media posting.

I had a couple of weeks to prepare a speech that highlighted my expertise and why a meeting planner should hire me. The twenty-minute format allowed enough time to briefly explain the key components of a larger keynote, but not enough time to give away all the secret sauce.

I wrote the speech and diligently went through the process of learning, timing, editing, relearning, and eventually embodying it.

One week before the event, we had a live run-through. I was feeling confident, but a critique of the previous speaker got into my head and shook me a little. My run-through was less than stellar, and I was really upset.

And there it was.

The very thing I talk about, limiting beliefs, was the very thing I had to walk myself through.

There is a section in my speech where I say:

“When we experience change, uncertainty or something that feels like a threat, our brains have an impressive protection system that kicks in: our Ego. And it communicates to us through the inner narrative... One of the biggest threats is FEAR. If we feel fear, the alarms go off. Ego straps in, grabs its megaphone and starts yelling: Danger, Will Robinson, you are about to do something that you have never done before... Then it reminds you of the beliefs you picked up through life like... you’re not ready.”

Yup. My inner narrative talked me out of feeling okay about the speech and into believing I would fail miserably.

Just because I talk about how to release limiting beliefs doesn’t mean I don’t still fall prey to my own inner critic and self-sabotaging beliefs.

How did I get through it?

Exactly the same way I would advise anyone who wants to work through a limiting belief: PURRRSM. Permission, Unwind, Release, Replace, Reinforce.

I used the same steps I would be sharing on the stage.

And yes, it worked.

I am happy to say that I kicked A$$ and received the added honor of being named the speaker with the most adaptable message.

I had a belief that reared its ugly head. Instead of allowing it to rule me, I reminded myself that just because I have a belief doesn’t mean I have to keep it.

So, here's to permissioning ourselves to let go of what no longer serves us.