Hot Mess (LBSC #1) | Completed

Chapter 21

After that tense breakfast with my parents, I'd spent the rest of Sunday until my shift at the bar reading up on Dogwood Estates. I didn't want to make the same mistake I'd made with EME and come off looking dumb.

I'd thought learning everything I could about Dogwood would give me the the confidence to rock the interview, but after what had happened at the Open House my confidence was shaken. In order to ground myself and let go of some of my nervous energy I went to yoga on Monday morning.

Moving through the motions my body had become accustomed to helped to calm my mind, but my pre-Open House confidence wasn't restored. When class was over, I timidly approached Daisy. I'd never spoken to her without Zoey's prompting, preferring to acknowledge her with a nod of my head or polite smile. I figured if anyone might be able to build my self-esteem back up it would be her.

"Hi," I said, approaching Daisy at the front of the room with an awkward wave. She was rolling up her hot pink mat but stopped and beamed at me.

"Hi Reese! Can I help you with something?"

I shifted my weight, second-guessing myself now that I was standing in front of her.

"I just—I don't know. I was wondering if maybe you could give me some kind of pep talk."

Daisy raised a delicate blonde brow but her face remained radiant with pleasure. "Of course! I'd love to help you in any way I can."

She unrolled her mat and sat on it, her back to one end and her legs in lotus position. She patted the space in front of her.

I hesitated. I valued my personal space, but Daisy's smile was so inviting I let my bag and mat fall to the ground then dropped down across from her. I mimicked the position of her body.

"So," Daisy began. "What can I help you with?"

I sucked air into my lungs and exhaled slowly. "I have a job interview today and I'm pretty nervous. I had this other job thing that happened and it's left me a little insecure."

Daisy nodded sagely. "There are a lot of lessons from the mat that you can take and apply to your everyday life. It sounds like you're feeling vulnerable. I want you to embrace that vulnerability and leave your ego at the door. Let go of that self-importance and pride that tricks you into making choices that keep you firmly rooted in your comfort zone."

Daisy's green eyes were locked onto mine as if she were looking through me straight to my core. "Can you do that?"

Rendered speechless by the bombs of knowledge she'd dropped I merely nodded.

Daisy bobbed her head before continuing. "Good. The second thing I'm going to suggest is that you choose love over fear. Make it your mission to love being in the present and appreciate the challenges that lay ahead of you because they'll make you stronger. Fear is what gets us caught up in our own heads."

I could barely breathe. I strongly considered taking a photo of Daisy that I could apply to a candle and burn on my nightstand like those candles with saints' faces on them. Had she ever thought about becoming a televangelist or starting a church?

"One more thing," Daisy said, holding up a slender finger. "Try setting an intention before you have your interview. What do you want to come out of this interview? You want to get the job, correct?"

I nodded, leaning forward, hungry for more of Daisy's wisdom.

"So set the intention of getting the job," she said. "When we make the conscious decision to set an intention it sets us up to act in accordance with our goals. Your goal is to get hired and by going into that office with that intention at the forefront of you mind you'll be committed to doing whatever it takes to accomplish your goal."