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unsatisfactory?
Start with small risks, experiences that take you just outside of your comfort zone. Risk taking is an acquired skill and as you begin to take small risks, you will gain confidence and will trust yourself to undertake larger risks. Fear distorts our perspective and we have trouble evaluating how risky something might be. Taking small risks provides you experiences that allow you to be more objective as to what is at stake and you learn that many ventures aren't as risky as you imagine. To practice risk taking diminishes fear. You can become a better risk taker by committing to taking a small risk daily for a month. Everyday take a small step over that demarcation line into that scary unknown territory that lurks just outside your comfort zone. Every time you venture out of your comfort zone, your comfort zone is permanently expanded and can never shrink back to its original size.
I always tell myself that if a contemplated action makes me feel uncomfortable, it is probably something I need to do (make those phone calls, introduce myself to that stranger, tell a friend that what he or she is doing irritates the hell out of me, say no to that person who is intimidating or whose feelings will be hurt).
If you are a shy person, you may need to commit to starting a conversation with a stranger every day for a month. Next time you are waiting in line to buy a ticket for a movie, turn around and talk to the person behind you, regardless of age, sex or attractiveness. Make small talk with the person waiting at the bus stop or sitting next to you on the bus. If they don't respond, that's OK; they might also be shy. The next time you see that person, just smile and say, "Hi" or "How is it going?"
If you are not assertive and have compulsive people-pleasing tendencies and you find yourself constantly saying "Oh, that's OK," when really it isn't or "It really doesn't
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