The Genius of Audacity: Recap

• Author’s dad is a working class first generation American immigrant. He wanted to give his son a better life. He didn’t know how, so he asked somebody who does: his boss’s boss.
• Intrigued, the boss decided to meet with him where he then got an opportunity to enroll his son to a good private school.
• His dad once saw a bike being thrown away in the neighbourhood. He stopped his car, knocked on the door, and asked if he could take it and fix it for his son. The lady after hearing this explained that her kids are old now that’s why it’s being thrown away. She even offered to give another bike that she wasn’t using much anymore.
• Asking doesn’t only benefit the asker, but the giver as well, for having the opportunity to help someone else.
• Getting over the fear and anxiety may be a balance of risks: you either face an uncomfortable situation for a chance of success or stay as you are. The worse that can happen is a rejection.

Tips to get over fear

• Find a role model - bring that outgoing friend of yours to events and observe how he/she behaves.
• Learn to speak - practice, practice
• Get involved - start by joining hobby groups you’re already interested in. Take on leadership roles when you feel comfortable
• Get therapy - if the fear is something more, professional help is an option.
• Just do it - the worse that can happen is they say no. Set goals to make a connection with someone new every week.

Script for self-introduction:

1. State the situation
2. Communicate your feelings
3. Deliver the bottom line
4. Use an open-ended question