Monday, September 12, 2011

Confidence (or, How I Learned to Love Aplomb)

Torture device or feeding utensil? You decide.


Quote du jour: A great deal of talent is lost to the world for want of a little courage. Every day sends to their graves obscure men whose timidity prevented them from making a first effort.
- Sydney Smith

As part of the Learn To Sell MyselfTM campaign, I've decided I need to work on being less introverted. (Less introverted in "real" life, as opposed to the fool who's always blabbing on her blog about her most recent exercise obsession.) In real life, I don't talk so much. A few years after high school, one of the guys who'd been on the staff of the high school yearbook told me that the only reason I didn't win "Shyest" in my senior year was that more people knew the other girl. Background, that's always been my strategy. Not so much a wallflower as wallpaper.

Turns out that approach isn't the best one to adopt when job hunting. Who knew?

So I decided to Do Something About it. I am gulp going to go down and investigate a Toastmasters club. Given my past experience with clubs (e.g. Weight Watchers), this might be a horrible less-than-useful thing to do. On the other hand, it might not. Only one way to find out.

Exercise du jour: I'm still feeling tired & fed up & not in the mood to exercise, but I've decided to ignore that. Well, half-ignore -- I'm still going to exercise 3 hours today, but my definition of exercise will include stretching, gentle walking, maybe even gardening if the wasps are amenable.

The schedule will probably go something like this:

Morning -- walking
Done. Got the muscles warmed up, even if it wasn't a heart-pumping knock-down drag-out workout.



Noon -- exercise DVD
Done. 90 minutes of stretching and belly dancing. I kept the curtains drawn, didn't want to frighten the neighbors.



Night -- gardening
Done.


Toaster courtesy of imago.

10 comments:

Kristy said...

I hear Toastmasters is fantastic - let us know how it goes!

Kristy

C said...

Toastmasters? If this has anything to do with heating bread and smothering it in delicious spreads, then sign me up!

Good luck with extroverting. I'm not too good with that either.

The Merry said...

I'm hoping it doesn't require a lot of bread rimshot

Crabby McSlacker said...

"The only reason I didn't win "Shyest" in my senior year was that more people knew the other girl"--that made me laugh.

The whole idea of Toastmasters scares me to death, which is of course why I should do something like that. (But probably never will). Good for you! But if decide to pull up stakes and move permanently to the land of the Extroverts, don't forget to write. We'll miss you back here in Shylandia.

Shelley said...

The wallflower vs wallpaper made me both laugh and sigh...did I ever tell you about the year my fifth grade teacher called me by the wrong name? And I let her...ALL year. Sigh...

Hey, if Toastmasters can make you into an extrovert, sign me up!

messymimi said...

Toastmasters is probably like most other clubs, in that if you have good local members, it's a good club.

Hope yours is a good one.

Anonymous said...

How fun! (See, NOT an introvert here, thinks getting together and talking to/with/for strangers is entertaining.)

Nicely done with the movement. Mine was horrible (as you already read), but I got out there. (blergh)
Julie

McB said...

Just remember that you don't have to become an extrovert; you just have to learn how to fake it.

The Merry said...

Not even a magic wand could turn me into an extrovert. I actually like being the way I am. I just figure this might help me communicate a bit better.

JavaChick said...

I have a friend who never stops talking, yet she is convinced she is an introvert. I just shake my head.

I am definitely an introvert Toastmasters would make me terrified and cranky (because I get cranky when I'm terrified by something). Good luck, hope you enjoy it.