Queen of Small Talk

My friends constantly tease me about being the queen of "small talk"/talking to strangers. By having this quality, I have made friends with a letterer from DC Comics, made friends with tourists visiting my fair city and when I visit their fair city I email them for recommendations, made friends with people at conventions who follow my fandoms, and so on. Put it this way -- I have made my own network of friends or gained some valuable information/learned something new by following these steps. 1: If you are sitting on a train or a bus and you see someone reading a book, smile and talk to the person/comment on the book they are reading at the moment. Try to keep it on the positive side! Unless you can be hilariously funny, the first time you come contact with a stranger; especially a stranger; is not the greatest time to start complaining about your day, your boyfriend/girlfriend, etc. 2: Just start talking about an interesting news item you might have read, a recent movie you saw, or a book that is getting a lot of buzz. When I met the letterer from DC Comics, he was wearing a Superman t-shirt so I asked him if he watched Smallville. He was also reading a comic book so I talked to him about that too. The point of the matter is -- be observant. Do not just in your iPod or put your eyes in a book. You might actually meet someone interesting! Unless of course you are having a bad day and you really just want to be your loner self, then of course you can do that too. 3: Have a genuine reaction to what a person says. Make sure you have the spirit in which the comment was offered. For example, if someone makes a joke, even if it is not that funny, try to laugh. As they say -- fake it 'til you make it! 4: Have eye contact. I know that when I am talking to someone new I try to look them straight in the eye and act interested. I hope this helps you! Let me know your results! Also if you have any advice about this, feel free to leave a comment below.

Finding Your Inner Kid

Back in February in all places Cosmopolitan I found this article about "finding your inner girl" which then sent my creative muses on a rampage. In this article it says that experts say it pays to reclaim some of the qualities you had back when you did not care what playing in the snow did to your blowout. For me, this translates to the time of innocence and play and to the point that the world was rose-colored and you had your ideals. I also learned that by playing pretend or doing any of the stuff you loved when your toy chest was still G-rated is a proven way to chill and enjoy life. Here is how I let my inner kid free as I want to enjoy my life as best as I can because you know what they say -- you only get one.

Steps to Finding Your Inner Kid

1: Go ahead. Eat the last cupcake. I bet your eight year old self had no problem with being selfish when the situation arose for it to be. Besides, why pass up frosting? That is the best part!

2: Write a fan letter. I do this all the time for David. It is an excellent way to connect to someone. Write it to someone you idolize -- a former teacher you had, a favorite co-worker, or if you are feeling brazen that boy or girl you have your eye on. Sign your name too!

3: Sing or dance like no one is watching. You did not care what others thought of you when you danced or sung or when it came time to show off. Reclaim that spirit!

4: Ask a lot of questions, but do not be so egotistical about it that people think you are being a know it all.

5: Get onto a swing! Pump those legs! Don't worry if you will fall -- a lot of playgrounds now have rubber mats to break your fall.

6: Imagine what you want to be when you grow up. Dreaming that you would grow up to be an actress, rock star, writer, princess, firefighter, gave you the drive and inspiration then. There is absolutely no reason why it can not do the same power to you now.

7: Have a ridiculous celebrity crush. Mine is Zachary Quinto, even though he plays for the other team. It is fun to fantasize and hey now that you are all grown up you might have a shot!

8: Play in the snow during the winter/Blow bubbles and pop them during the spring. I always played in the snow and blew bubbles then when I broke my ankle that fun stopped. Now that I work with kindergarteners, that inspiration came back. So what if you get wet and turn red? Your clothes will dry and your face will go back to normal in due time.

9: Take a nap. This is my absolute favorite thing to do especially during rainy days. If you are tired, do not reach for that energy shot. Take a nap! Your body will tell you if it is tired. Powering through tiredness will only make your body and health worse. Is that what you really want?

10: Say " I love you" to your parents. No brainer. Do it. Do it right now.

11: Enter a contest. I imagine when you were a kid you would have crazy races in your playground that would push you to do your best. Get that same rush now. Enter a local run, a baking contest, an upload your best YouTube video competition, passes to a movie you are dying to see, and so on.

12: Buy a piece of jewelry for yourself and your best friend. Since you have some cash now, it of course does not have to be one of those best friend half hearts that ultimately turn your skin green thus you not wearing it. Give your best friend a piece of jewelry you know he or she will appreciate and it is a fun way for both of you to remember how important you are to each other.

13: Ask people their favorite color. A student of mine asks me every day what is my ultimate awesome favorite color. I would turn around and say purple and she beamed with delight because she loves purple as well. I want that same delight too. It is an acceptable way to determine whether or not people you know have things in common or not.

14: Do not look in the mirror in the morning. Did you criticize yourself when you were six years old? I did not think so. Look only in the mirror to inspire yourself and to say affirmations to make yourself happy, not to criticize.

15: Be amazed, not annoyed, by your body quirks. Right now I am dealing with a torn knee. I was annoyed by it at first because I am in a lot of pain but do you know what else it means? It means time to pamper myself and to enjoy the things i like slowly instead of rushing.

So what about you? What do you do to find your inner kid?