How To Put Yourself Out There!

Okay, let's be real for a minute, it is hard to be yourself sometimes! The easy answer to why is because you don't want people to judge or make fun of you. I'll admit in middle school, I used to care a lot more about how I was perceived but I feel like, after all the embarrassing crap that I've done in my life, the statute of limitations is up. At this point, I've outgrown regional embarrassment, and I'm on the road to being a national freaken superstar. One life lesson I learned from Cliffords Puppy Days was love and attention make little things grow, and I, unfortunately, was 5'4 all throughout 8th grade, however, I am now standing proudly at 5'5. That's right it has been quite a productive year for me. I recently got an anonymous request from a subscriber to write this article since I apparently, "don't give a crap what people think about me," after I attempted to send out boyfriend applications to every guy I know. A little bit of a backhanded compliment, but I chose to travel on the route of flattery and decided to write this guide for people struggling to bust out of their shells. By the way, before all you eager applicants apply I should let you know that I was stopped when I informed my parents of what I was doing. They then proceeded to lecture me on why it's dangerous, how I need to reevaluate my judgment, and finished it off by calling the idea "weird as hell". Now let's move on, shall we?

1.) Have the No Matter What I'll Be Okay Mindset

Most times it is out of fear that people are shy. They are worried that if they make a joke nobody will laugh, if they try to branch out they will be rejected, or that when they try something new, people will talk about them behind their back. Honestly...yeah that'll happen but the key is being able to move on. When you realize nothing horrible is going to happen to you, and that you'll be fine regardless of other's reactions, putting yourself out there is not that scary. Although I would like to clarify, I do believe that talking behind another person's back is 100% the best place to talk about them. Letting them find out about it is messed though, so just make sure that you are bagging on them with a trustworthy person. Now that I have this kind of platform, and a total of eight subscribers, I best be careful and watch my mouth! I'm kidding I wouldn't do that! I couldn't get away with it even if I wanted to. I was too cheap to pay for my own domain name so everyone would know it was me saying these things. I did find out that I actually could have pursued my dream of becoming the school's personal Gossip Girl with my blog since I could have subscribed with people's school email for them. Even though it would be without their permission, I would hope they would see it more as more of a delightful surprise rather than an invasion of privacy. Less fun, considering I can't stir the pot, but, it's also it's fine because one, it would be bad karma and two, nobody tells me anything. So now I am more like Andy Anderson, Composure magazine's how-to girl from "How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days", which I am also okay with.

2.) Frequently Try New Things

Confidence is a skill. And like all other skills the more you practice it, the stronger it becomes. You could try talking to a new person, join a new club or team, or start a new hobby. By doing these things more often you will begin to approach people and new situations with ease. I mean the last time you tried to start a conversation with a stranger did they run down the hall screaming... most likely not. I would like to be the first though, so if you are new to this and see me sauntering down the hallway scouting out innocent bystanders with a megaphone in hand, and my dark blue running shoes on, I wouldn't recommend making me your first choice. I will chase you down dramatically and with the determination of a mall cop on segway. I should get one. If anybody knows a segway dealer please let me know, I can finally show up that kid who rollerskates home with that bad boy.

3.) Surround Yourself With Positive People

You become like the three people you are around most, so if you are around people who have good attitudes and make the best out of things, you will notice yourself emulating their tendencies. I mean who doesn't want to be around someone that makes others feel good? Somebody happy, that elevates others and makes things more fun is going to be better accepted. Now, you should be aware of the crowd you attract, personally, I mainly attract nice little bookworms, flamboyant theater kids, and the occasional athlete. You can reach different groups of people when you have common interests or personality traits. If you want athletic friends you should do a sport, if you have a big personality, like attracts like and you will connect with the same type of people, or maybe someone that compliments it, such as a calm and collected booklover. I am aware of this so I am thinking at some point I should hit up the intermediate building's Scholastic Bookfair to lure in potential friends with the scent of fresh parchment paper. Despite their questionable fashion choices such as cat ears and rainbow tails, I think we would have a lot in common and get along great. I mean to each, their own am I right?

4.) Be Able To Make Fun of Yourself

Say you hear somebody making fun of you, my advice is to poke fun at yourself with them or turn the joke on them playfully. I feel that making jokes with somebody and feeling that you don't have to walk on eggshells around them is a big factor in bonding with a person. If it is a topic you aren't comfortable with being teased about you should communicate that. As the saying goes, if boundaries are not set, you can not be upset. For instance, I have called myself "as deep as a kitty pool," because for some reason I can't have a serious conversation without turning it into a joke, which is weird because my feelings are my favorite topic, laughing like a hyperventilating hyena that should be given a paper bag immediately, and that I am so blunt I should hire a mailman to issue all of my apologies. I always speak my mind and give very honest responses to people. Since I have the filter of a four-year-old... actually I've been better lately, a six-year-old, people can misinterpret my bluntness as me trying to be rude. This has led me to consider making T-Shirts with the slogan "I mean what I say, but it doesn't come out the right way" on them. Front and back so people know I'm coming and have time to emotionally prepare themselves. My point is we all have faults and we should be able to poke fun at them.

5.) Accept That Not Everyone Is Going to Like You

Now, this is something I struggle with because I myself have a compulsive need to be liked. When I am not liked by someone I do not improve the situation because then I become hostile and develop a bad attitude. The welcoming look of disdain and pure dislike I sport when I get this vibe can only help. In the past year, I have been able to realize that they might be having a bad day, our personalities just don't click, or it is completely in my head, and my reciprocation to this imaginary problem they have with me usually creates it. I manifest many things ... grudges are one of them. This goes to show you attract more bees with honey than vinegar, and you should be nice to everybody even if they are not your favorite person. I have adopted this strategy into my everyday life, and when I can not... I just avoid them... I've been avoiding a lot of people lately. That being said I hope you find these tips useful and were able to make it through my longest article yet!