I stopped going to the gym for exercise after I realised it was just making me more depressed. Why? Because the gym would be filled with scantily clad, disgustingly beautiful, sweaty women and men, and I suddenly feel like I'm watching a mainstream porno being fed unrealistic body ideals and that turns to more self loathing. So I started restricting all my exercise to nature trails, preferly with lots of incline and decline in alternation for an interval effect, and preferably an uneven path filled with roots, to get sort of a parkour thing going. Nature is so peaceful and soothing in contrast to suburbia, and it's fantastic exercise.
I drop by the store for a protein bar before heading home and suddenly I'm the alpha in the room, dousing these poor shoppers in my manly musk and showing off how active I am, flirting a little with the cashier maybe, brain swimming in adrenaline. And then it's actually building confidence moment by moment instead of tearing it down.
Food for thought for anyone like me who loathes the gym and still is looking for good exercise.
There's flirting and then there's flirting. There's a smile and some harmless smalltalk/jokes in an interaction that lasts under a minute, then there's making compliments out of left field, suggestive jokes and innuendo.
One is completely within the realm of normal everyday interactions, and the other can come off as creepy in those situations.
Everyday interactions can feel flirty if you're high from adrenaline and the person happens to be attract(ive|ed) to you. The key is not to try, just be yourself, and interpret it as real flirting that could lead anywhere; they have a lot of these interactions on a daily basis so they usually forget them within a few days.
But the fact that's these interactions are so ephemeral doesn't mean you can't derive a little confidence from it. Small moments like this can make a substantial difference over time, just like even short regular walks with little to no incline have been proven to make a substantial difference to health, even if it won't turn you into an athlete.
I drop by the store for a protein bar before heading home and suddenly I'm the alpha in the room, dousing these poor shoppers in my manly musk and showing off how active I am, flirting a little with the cashier maybe, brain swimming in adrenaline. And then it's actually building confidence moment by moment instead of tearing it down.
Food for thought for anyone like me who loathes the gym and still is looking for good exercise.