For the past
three weeks or so I have been paying a little more attention to people around
me in respect to how they display confidence.
I am trying desperately to uncover the mystery to being able to perform
and present without rushing through, remembering to breathe and actually
feeling excitement and enjoyment from the experience.
I have observed
from my walks with our dog that people, mostly kids and teenagers, seem to be
distracted with earbuds in their ears and looking down at their shoes or their
eyes pasted to a phone or other hand held device, totally unaware of everything
around them. For the first couple of
days I just watched, trying to read their body language as to whether they were
just listening to a song they needed to get pumped up for the day or were
responding to an urgent email that required their instant response. Now I am no expert but it appeared to me that
most were just going through the motions of a day without thought or truly
being in the moment. Then there were the
other group who had shoulders hunched, heads down and appeared to be trying to
blend in to the sidewalk not wanting to be seen, just trying to get from point
A to B. To be honest I found it more
than a little disturbing. So after a
couple of days I started yelling over their music while jumping in their path
just to say good morning, great way to make an impression in a new neighborhood
I’m sure. The response has been a little shock perhaps but with a little bit of
a smile and the start of a few words being exchanged as the days go on.
This whole idea
was sparked by a young man in the Tuesday/Thursday classes. Every time I see this young man, whether in
class, at the Chinese New Year or in the Walmart parking lot, he seems to ooze
with confidence. When asked in class if
anyone would like to show what they got, his hand is the first raised and
sometimes the only. One cannot help but be drawn to him and secretly think, I
want what he has. The generations have
changed and the acknowledgement and respect given to one another I believe has
taken a kicking, however, this young fellow when asked ‘How are you?”, looks
you in the eye and says with extreme confidence “Very well thank you, how are
you?” As I write this I have to giggle a
little because it seems something so rare to see, especially from someone only
3 feet tall.
So I find myself
trying to get what he’s got. I don’t
want to be the one looking down at my shoes, intimidated by those that I feel
are superior or scared to look someone in the eye and voice my opinion. I want to be able to hold my head high,
believe in me and to carry myself with confidence. I want to be able to take chances and to
laugh at myself when required. I want to
be confident enough to express my thoughts and feelings without fear of feeling
small or insignificant. I want to be like the young man from Tuesday/Thursday
classes.
Alana Regier
No comments:
Post a Comment