Comments on t h e r a p y: social skills poll and FREE gift book givaway

so it's too late to enter?

2009-10-01T11:17:34.213-04:00

so it's too late to enter?

Thanks for all of your input! I did a random dr...

2009-06-22T16:52:18.576-04:00

Thanks for all of your input!

I did a random drawing for the winner and the winner is Eddie Taylor.

Congrats Eddie - you will be getting your book in the mail soon.

:)

It took me awhile to puzzle this out ... I don'...

2009-06-16T21:17:56.210-04:00

It took me awhile to puzzle this out ... I don't feel real successful in social situations, so I ended up thinking back to the times where I felt like I did well and looked for the patterns.

What I found was that I try to relate with people, see what we have in common.

But it's odd to see WHAT I look for common ground in. When most people talk about this, I get the impression that they mean activities, hobbies, and etc. Those mean very little for me, personally.

Instead, I look for emotions and values in common. It's when I start looking at those that I have the easiest and most successful time talking with new people.

Some examples of things I mean ... frustration at computers (I do some tech support, so I get this a lot), happiness that the work week is almost over (and shared misery come Monday morning), hope for a new adventure begun, pride in an accomplishment, etc.

It's finding that common emotions that thread through life that helps me out ... if I can do that, then everything seems to fall into place without me forcing it. I respond according to the emotion ... I grumble along on Monday mornings, share grins on Friday afternoons, marvel at an accomplishment, etc.

It's easy to do when I already feel that way ... but if I don't, then I have to put myself in their shoes as best I can and look at the situation, and think about how frustrated I'd be, or how excited, or whatever, and try to grab the emotion behind it ... which can be quite difficult.

I listen.

2009-06-15T22:55:01.958-04:00

I listen.

I love people, sometimes I ignore strangers becaus...

2009-06-11T19:17:50.426-04:00

I love people, sometimes I ignore strangers because I know they would rather talk to Beth...Does Jeff ever do that to you?
ET

I do 1-4, but honestly I am one of those people th...

2009-06-11T07:37:43.646-04:00

I do 1-4, but honestly I am one of those people that has "please share all of your problems with me!" stamped on my forehead. Walmart clerks tell me their life stories. What is up with that??