
The Power of Yes: A Simple Way to Get More Out of Life - paul
http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2007/06/13/the-power-of-yes-a-simple-way-to-get-more-out-of-life/
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brlewis
Another way to step out of your comfort zone is extemporaneous speaking.
Toastmasters is an organization with meetings all over. There is a "table
topics" section in each meeting that lets people give 1-2 minute responses to
questions posed on the spot. Their Competent Communication program is great
for learning to write and deliver speeches.

Find a club near you, yes?

<http://www.toastmasters.org/find/>

~~~
mr_luc
I'm always a little wary of self-help topics like this. Particularly if they
have titles like "The Power of Yes."

But I want to mention that extemporaneous speaking is, certainly, a remarkable
confidence-builder.

There is one greater, however: walking up to a complete stranger and striking
up a conversation. Not "so, we're both waiting in this bus terminal, where are
you going?", but engage them in a serious subject they have opinions on.
Politics or religion, for example. These are very hard subjects to get people
to talk about at any length.

Ideally, you will have a goal in mind -- to find out what interests them, to
interest them in something, to change their mind about something, even just to
find out their name.

Public speaking is theory, but conversation is application. Speaking TO people
is secondary, speaking WITH people primary, and changing someone's mind the
greatest mark of your ability to communicate.

------
philh
"Start small. Many people are afraid to make phone calls, or to approach a
clerk in a store. Begin by practicing these little habits. A clerk in a book
store answers hundreds of questions a month. Theres no reason to be
frightened of asking yours."

I used to be afraid of stuff like this. Then I started hanging out with new
people, some of whom are even worse than I was. It's really helped. I ask them
why they don't just do something. They confess that they're afraid. I ridicule
them, knowing that I would also be too afraid in their place. Then I have to
do it myself to demonstrate that it's not hard or scary at all.

Unfortunately I haven't yet applied the general rule.

------
zach
It's not just "yes," it's "yes and!" Accept opportunities, but not simply as
they're suggested. You plus the work, you look for the opportunity within the
opportunity, you create something on top of what you're given, and you find a
way to make it work better for you.

Yes And. <http://greenlightwiki.com/improv/Yes_And>

