Become A Social Butterfly- Part 2

In Part 1 of Become A Social Butterfly, you learned that to become a social butterfly, you need to relax and go with the flow. Allow yourself to be ready to change.  The first step is getting in the right state of mind.  Now that you are on your way to accepting the fact that you are soon going to be a social guru, it's time to go on to part 2.

LEARN HOW TO READ PEOPLE

Watch how other people interact. This is a great way for you to learn how to do it. Read their body language, the tone of their voice, and their actions. If they have a large social group around them all the time, see if you can figure out what they are doing, that you need to learn how to do.

MAKE EYE CONTACT

Making eye contact show that you are listening and respecting the other person. If you are looking around or looking away, the person you are trying to speak with may feel that you are not interested in what they have to say.  Pay attention, and keep eye contact most of the time.  (NOTE:  Don't forget to blink.  Staring is just as bad as looking at the floor.)

BRANCH OUT AND TRY NEW THINGS

Try taking a new class, and doing something you are not used to. You'll meet new people, and this is a great way to practice the "New You." You'll be able to ask others about a mutual interest, and see what happens. Let your guard down, and remember to observe how others are communicating, and take some cues from those that you consider to be the most successful at socializing.  Remember: Being social is a developed skill.  Lots of people feel uncomfortable being social. It's just that there are those that do it anyway, and those that don't.

STOP AND SMELL THE ROSES

Start slowing down and enjoying life.  This is my problem. My boyfriend Todd is great at this.  He can walk into a room, anywhere, and look around, make eye contact, and start conversing with strangers.  His advice was: relax, and enjoy meeting new people and listening to their stories.

DON'T JUDGE PEOPLE

Enjoy the differences that we all have.  You will meet people that are very different from yourself.  Be honest, and friendly about learning about those differences. The most social people in school were those that could get along with the jocks and the band kids, the drama class kids, and the art kids.