When your brain rehearses disaster scripts at parties, try this: track what’s real, ditch the doom loops, ask curious questions. 20 years of face-plants distilled into a cheat code.
The story
Social buzz turns my brain to static,
I overthink scripts in my head,
I drop the future, track what’s here,
and clear words flow, fears are shed.
Ever notice how social spots crank your inner critic to eleven? You rehearse doom loops: they’ll judge, laugh, ghost. Your body goes rigid like a baby giraffe on ice, screaming “keep away.” Super understandable. Also pretty unhelpful.
What if clear communication was your cheat code? I’ve been tinkering with this for about 20 years, teaching empathy that actually sticks, mostly through trial, error, and me face-planting in social situations. It unwinds tension, sparks real chats, and flips the script toward confidence.
What if you tried staying present first? Notice their words and energy, *right now*, like your brain is a slightly buggy minimap. When the “what ifs” fade, your shoulders usually drop, and you look a lot more poised.
What if you owned your feels without shame? Past slip-ups can mean, “I wanted connection and my *strategy* got weird.” Then you can aim that curiosity outward: what’s lighting them up lately? Boom, focus shifts, you level up.
If you want low-stakes practice, you can use my EmpathyBot.net chats or groups. People tend to respawn calmer in crowds, talks, and even on stages. Introverts, your listening-ninja vibe shines here, family, biz, parties, more harmony with less drain.
Chapter 7 of *A Practical EmPath: Rewire Your Mind* has the full toolkit. It’s on Amazon. What kinda connections do you crave?
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