I've never been the most socially active gal.
A crowd of people talking scared me for awhile. A college party with people chatting and dancing, so not my scene.
But, on a stage in front of 10,000 people... I'm right at home!
Granted, as kind and sweet (and not to mention smiley) I am around people, I've always been more of an introvert, preferring the company of solitude, or with my cat. I consider myself the "wallflower", the girl who observes, sometimes the shy one, but often by myself. I could never understand the sake of this chit chat business. I thought that it was unnecessarily fake, that it was just a waste of time.
My dad, of course, has pointed this out to me. Again and again, he said it was part of growing up, and it hasn't been until I've been out here on my own that I've really come to change my perspective.
I recently got a job as a part-time sales associate at my favorite company, and a huge part of the job is speaking with the clientele. It's going above and beyond and engaging in a 'no ordinary conversation.' I've only been working there a week, and already, I've been amazed at where simple conversation takes you!
It's amazing, opening doors to conversation. It can be something as simple as complimenting their style, to asking where they're from, or maybe even just a smile. And the second you make that connection, the doors open and a connection floods forth.
You always here stories about networking and the whole 'it's who you know' and I have to agree, it's true. You could be standing in the bus and you notice a label on someone's bag, comment on it, and that person could be the boss at your dream job. You truly never know where you're going to meet people, and you especially never know what can happen with conversation and the opportunities that can come with it.
It's also not just about the opportunities that can come with it, but the effect of a good conversation. It can change your opinion, make you see things from a different perspective, and inspire you in ways you never even dreamed possible.
Not only have I learned so much about people, and how they work and what makes them tick, but I've learned a lot about myself, too. My perspective has totally changed about this whole socializing business. Granted, there are still some fake situations in socializing that I'll probably sill have to engage in (Dad's voice in my head telling me 'It's all part of being a grownup"), but for the most part, I'm excited for what I'll learn just by opening up conversation. And if the content you're discussing is of the fake nature (and maybe the people), stealthily remove yourself to find some better conversation worth talking about.
And so often, we're too caught up in our phones, or avoiding eye contact, or spending too much time looking down at the ground. And we're losing communication skills as a generation! But I'm telling you, you never know what's going to happen if you lift your head and are the first to say hello.
