Has this ever happened to you? You’re nice and relaxed, and all ready to talk to someone when someone walks into the room and you just tighten up.  You find you can’t think, you become totally spastic, and even though that one person hasn’t said or done anything, you just feel tight having them around. 

 This used to happen to me a lot, and for a while I didn’t understand it.  Some strangers don’t bother me at all; most strangers don’t bother me at all.  But every once in a while, That Person comes around; the one with eyes that you can actually feel as they look at you.  The one that you can just feel was there to validate his own views rather than to learn from the moment.  That Person!  And you can’t say anything because That Person had made no contact with you at all, so all you have is this totally unjustified feeling.

 I found a simple solution.  Just go over and introduce yourself.  Say, “Hi,” and welcome that person.  Find a way to connect with them, and before you know it, you can relax.  Either that or they expose themselves as a jerk and you can still relax.  You took charge of the situation so you can just continue with what you were doing knowing that this person’s thoughts or views are only their opinion, nothing more.

Doing this a few times actually prevents that feeling from even starting because it builds up your own self confidence.  Then, you become That Person who is fully in charge.  And when people see it, you no longer feel like people are questioning you.  When you communicate the person you really are everything else just flows.

Tags: cerebral palsy, communication, self-confidence