In the blog post "How To Be Smooth", Chase mentions that it's not necessary to wait until you're much older and have "seen it all" to be smooth. I not only agree, but will go one step further; being "older" doesn't guarantee having "seen it all"! I spent most of my life in a small town on the East Coast before moving to LA, and even after moving, I did not avail myself of all the opportunities to build my "social muscles". I made it into my early fifties and realized I had weak boundaries and several "friends" that weren't really friends. It was only then I realized that now the real work must begin! I was able to parlay the experience and knowledge I did have into a much more fulfilling life by getting out there and having the social experiences I missed along the way.
The main piece of advice that pushed me to the next level was something I heard in a presentation by the Hollywood publicist Michael Levine- it can be summarized by three letters; FFF- Fire your Flakey Friends! It wasn't until I "cleared out the garbage from my friends closet" that I was able to meet really supportive, quality people. Somehow I was under the mistaken impression that lame friends are better than no friends at all. Boy, was I wrong! I did go through a brief period of not having much of a social life, but since nature abhors a vacuum, that began to change.
So, a final thought from this almost-senior citizen: if you're shy and in your 20's, that's a perfect time to slowly begin to mold your social skills into the shape you would like them to be. Chase offers plenty of information in his blog, books and videos: absorb it, but THEN get out there and kick asses and take names (if It's women you want to meet however, I'd advise against kicking their asses- just take their names and numbers!).
The main piece of advice that pushed me to the next level was something I heard in a presentation by the Hollywood publicist Michael Levine- it can be summarized by three letters; FFF- Fire your Flakey Friends! It wasn't until I "cleared out the garbage from my friends closet" that I was able to meet really supportive, quality people. Somehow I was under the mistaken impression that lame friends are better than no friends at all. Boy, was I wrong! I did go through a brief period of not having much of a social life, but since nature abhors a vacuum, that began to change.
So, a final thought from this almost-senior citizen: if you're shy and in your 20's, that's a perfect time to slowly begin to mold your social skills into the shape you would like them to be. Chase offers plenty of information in his blog, books and videos: absorb it, but THEN get out there and kick asses and take names (if It's women you want to meet however, I'd advise against kicking their asses- just take their names and numbers!).
