While driving, do you have lyrics like these running through your head?
I acted so shy. I know everybody noticed.
I didn’t know anybody there. I just stood around looking like an idiot.
It was horrible. I couldn’t even look him in the eyes.
I can’t ask her for a date. She’d laugh at me.
Some Shys, in an attempt to tune out the criticism of their inner voices, roll up the windows and turn the radio volume up to earsplitting. They figure it will take their concentration off themselves. By the second song, however, it just becomes background noise for their destructive self-talk.
You’ve heard the saying “Fight fire with fire.” Well, the only way to fight these voices is with other voices. Millions of positive voices in the form of audio programs are just waiting to enter your ears and drive negative thoughts out.
Recently, instead of playing music in my car, I put in some of those CDs where someone is talking about positive things. My favorite, of course, is your “Conversation Confidence,” then Brian Tracy’s “The Psychology of Sales.” It’s been very helpful on my job, but most important, it keeps my mind off myself except for planning to do some of the positive and profitable stuff you and Tracy suggest.
—Will H., Chicago, Illinois
It was kind of Will to mention my communications audio, but I also suggest listening to programs that have nothing to do with confidence or social skills. Find an audio program on how to fix your car, feng shui your home, or get rid of clutter—the list is endless. In addition to learning new skills, every audio you listen to makes you a more interesting person and gives you more to talk about.