I saw a snippet from Dr. Oz this afternoon. I thought I heard him ask, "If you could go back in time, what would you change about yourself?"
I immediately knew the answer.
Shyness.
Shyness has affected every area of my life. I remember when I was very young, my aunt and uncle and cousins would come to visit from D.C. I worried for days about their arrival. Would Aunt Bonnie want to hug me; kiss me on the cheek? What if I moved wrong, bumped noses, what would I talk about? Sometimes I just stayed in my room or outside during the initial hellos, prolonging the greeting anxiety.
In high school (7-12 grades) I was so self-conscious and shy that I couldn't greet people in the halls-I was afraid they wouldn't respond and I would be so mortified. Some thought I was "stuck up". So far from the truth!
My shyness hampered me in so many ways. It prevented me from joining clubs and speaking up in class; reaching out to others and just being friendly. I always had friends, but shyness narrowed my social circle.
When I was 14 or 15, my mom wanted me to go into a small office in our small town to pay the phone bill. Just hand them the bill with the check. I was almost paralyzed with fear. What if I went in and didn't know which desk to approach? What if they asked me a question and I didn't know the answer? I almost refused to go, but I knew that wouldn't work with my mom. When she told her kids to do something, they did it! (at least this kid) I don't even remember what happened when I finally went into the office, but I'll never forget the anticipatory angst I experienced.
I enjoyed shorthand, typing, secretarial-type classes in high school and assumed I would become a secretary after graduation. During senior year, I realized I couldn't go through the process of applying for jobs. So, though I had never considered nursing, I applied and was accepted to practical nursing school. Can you imagine shyness playing that big a role in important life decisions?
Hence the obvious answer to Dr. Oz' question.
As I watched, one woman said, "My skin-it's so dry." Another said, "My hair-it's falling out!"
WHAT?
Apparently I misheard the question. I like my question better!
So what would YOU change about yourself???
I immediately knew the answer.
Shyness.
Shyness has affected every area of my life. I remember when I was very young, my aunt and uncle and cousins would come to visit from D.C. I worried for days about their arrival. Would Aunt Bonnie want to hug me; kiss me on the cheek? What if I moved wrong, bumped noses, what would I talk about? Sometimes I just stayed in my room or outside during the initial hellos, prolonging the greeting anxiety.
In high school (7-12 grades) I was so self-conscious and shy that I couldn't greet people in the halls-I was afraid they wouldn't respond and I would be so mortified. Some thought I was "stuck up". So far from the truth!
My shyness hampered me in so many ways. It prevented me from joining clubs and speaking up in class; reaching out to others and just being friendly. I always had friends, but shyness narrowed my social circle.
When I was 14 or 15, my mom wanted me to go into a small office in our small town to pay the phone bill. Just hand them the bill with the check. I was almost paralyzed with fear. What if I went in and didn't know which desk to approach? What if they asked me a question and I didn't know the answer? I almost refused to go, but I knew that wouldn't work with my mom. When she told her kids to do something, they did it! (at least this kid) I don't even remember what happened when I finally went into the office, but I'll never forget the anticipatory angst I experienced.
I enjoyed shorthand, typing, secretarial-type classes in high school and assumed I would become a secretary after graduation. During senior year, I realized I couldn't go through the process of applying for jobs. So, though I had never considered nursing, I applied and was accepted to practical nursing school. Can you imagine shyness playing that big a role in important life decisions?
Hence the obvious answer to Dr. Oz' question.
As I watched, one woman said, "My skin-it's so dry." Another said, "My hair-it's falling out!"
WHAT?
Apparently I misheard the question. I like my question better!
So what would YOU change about yourself???
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