Desensitization

"Anyone can become desensitized to any stimulus, if exposed to it enough."

This thought echoed through my mind yesterday as I was working. Why is this relevant?

Growing up, believe it or not, I had an intense anxiety of social situations. Looking back, it was because, for many years, we lived way out in the country, where my only contact with other people was school and our antenna TV. As I grew older, I cherished my time alone, self-absorbed in front of the computer or in my room. I had friends, but never let them get too close. When I took up running, I realized this was also an escape from reality of social situations. I took out my frustrations on the track.

It wasn't until college that I made a conscious effort to get over this. I tried alcohol. This made me talk to more people, but not very well because I was a dumb drunk!

I finally did some research and used the process of systematic desensitization to help me get over this problem. Check out http://www.guidetopsychology.com/sysden.htm for more details about the process. Basically, I forced myself into uncomfortable situations until they weren't uncomfortable anymore! Instead of sitting at the house on the computer, I went to the bar/club. Instead of sitting at the bar/club not talking to anyone, I made myself start with ten conversations with women and men. I then upped this to 25, and made the majority of them with women because I found them harder to crack. I then forced myself to dance.. etc.

Now, only a few years later, I am a CONCERT and PARTY PROMOTER!!

My whole point is this: most people live their lives in a hypnotic state, in fear of change. I am living proof that if you have a fear, you must face it down and desensitize yourself to it as soon as possible. That is the only way you are ever going to get over it.

CASE IN POINT: The Olympics. Some of those people on the high dive and balance beam come within INCHES of a major injury every time they perform a flip or dive. However, they have become so desensitized to this fear of falling or hitting their head that they could do it with their eyes closed. Wake up people!

"You're going to die. This is as good as it gets" Tyler Durden
Carpe Diem

Tre