Читать книгу Always in the Kitchen at Parties: Simple Tools for Instant Confidence - Leil Lowndes, Leil Lowndes - Страница 11
ОглавлениеThe Energy Crisis
Researchers at the American Sociological Association scratched their scholarly heads and posed themselves a question: ‘What type of personality are people most drawn to?’
They got on the case and quickly found the answer: Someone who is energetic and optimistic. Unfortunately these are not the qualities which immediately come to mind when you think of a Shy. In fact, one of the major obvious differences between a Shy and a Sure is energy level.1
Here is a way to rev up your engine so no one would ever suspect you’re a Shy.
First, Become Unglued
Can you imagine a premiership footballer running onto the pitch without warming up? He’d get slaughtered in the first 10 minutes. Without warming up, a ballerina would hobble home on a toe splint. And a singer, without warming up, would bust a vocal cord. Why should a Shy try to be any different? You need to warm up for confidence.
Let’s take an average day: You wake up. You clean your teeth. You shower. You get dressed. You eat breakfast. You walk out the door. Now a neighbour spots you. You utter a soft ‘Hello’ and quickly avert your eyes.
‘Hmm,’ she thinks, ‘If she looks like a Shy, sounds like a Shy and acts like a Shy, she must be shy.’
Now let’s change that scenario: You wake up. You clean your teeth. You shower. But this time you only don your pants. Now you look furtively round your bedroom and lock the door. You close the window and draw the curtains so the neighbours can’t hear or see you.
Of course, you’ve already taken precautions. If you live with people, perhaps your spouse, your flat-mate or kids, you’ve explained your bizarre behaviour. And don’t forget to familiarize the dog with this daily ritual so it doesn’t attack. Now …
Run around the room in your underwear and flap your arms like a demented duck.
Shout like a crazed football fan.
Jump up and down like a rabbit on speed.
Laugh like a lunatic.
Whirl around like a tornado.
Fall back on the bed, kick your legs high in the air and shout at the top of your lungs ‘Hoo ha, Hoo ha, Hoo ha. I’m making a fool of myself. And nobody cares!’
Ahem. Now stand up. Regain your poise. Smooth down your rumpled pants. Finish dressing. Comb your hair. Have a bite of breakfast. Kiss your spouse, kids or the dog goodbye. Now go out the door and greet the world with energy.
Oh, there’s that nosy neighbour. Since your body, face and voice are warmed up and full of energy, it now feels natural to wave, smile and give a hearty ‘Hello there.’
‘Hmm,’ she thinks, ‘If she looks like a Sure, sounds like a Sure, and acts like a Sure, she must be sure of herself.’
You think I’m kidding about this exercise? Absolutely not! Exploding your energy sky-high in the morning, then letting it settle slightly, works a lot better than trying to haul it up out of a hole.
Naked Dancing
When you get really good at the above, start your day by dancing naked in front of the mirror. Then try to act shy!
