Saw this link on Lifehack, about how to have a conversation at conferences and other events without feeling awkward. I think the key suggestion made in it is a key suggestion I’ve tried very hard to take to heart to overcome my own awkwardness and shyness. The best way to feel less awkward is to focus on the other person, what they say, how to help them feel more comfortable, etc.
Whenever you find yourself in a situation that requires you to interact with others, or when you have to have an awkward conversation with someone, focus on them. Spend your energy listening to what they say and reading their body language to make sure you are helping them feel less awkward about the conversation, and you won’t have time to focus on your own feelings of inadequacy. You’d be surprised to find how much other people remember you, and like you, when you go out of your way to focus on them.
In personal news, we had a good weekend, despite all the rain. Angela talked me into taking my mother out for an early Mother’s Day lunch yesterday, and I’m glad she did. It was nice for the three of us to have lunch without all the choas that normally comes with all my brothers and my neice and nephew being around. Sometimes my wife has some pretty good ideas, I should listen to her more often. Hope you all had a nice Mother’s Day weekend as well.