Decades of awkwardness compelled me to learn and understand what connects us to one another and what pushes us apart.
People make judgements extremely quickly about the kind of person we are.
This means there are subtle changes we all can make that impact how others see us.
Let’s go:
1. Too fast to agree.
If I’m speaking with someone, and they nod along enthusiastically to all that I say, and they rarely disagree, I can’t help but lose interest.
This doesn’t mean you need to be combative and unpleasant. But agreeing to everything and everyone is like adding water to paint.
It dilutes who you are in my eyes.
2. Rushing speech.
Many of us talk quickly for many reasons, including being jacked up on coffee and excited about what we’re saying.
But the message this often transmits is you aren’t comfortable in your words. It’s like grabbing a hot cake and throwing it back quickly.
When we give ourselves time to speak, it becomes a lot easier to find the right words, it puts others at ease, and people will have more faith in what we’re saying.