We all have them. Those times when you are not ready to speak up in a crowd or to give a report to a demanding boss. I hated standing up in class and giving speeches or even speaking. Who hasn’t been in the situation where they simply are not prepared and you have to ‘wing it’ or face the truth and admit defeat? I’ve been there.

As I grew older I developed the skills to better equip me to deal with these situations. Life experiences helped, of course, but also acting. In High School I joined the Drama department by accident. Yes, you read that right: by accident. As a youth I was great at ‘moral support’ for my friends. One such friend wanted to audition for a play. So I went along for moral support. She auditioned and then I was asked to go on stage. I could have refused but I did not want to be appear stupid so I did as was asked. I got a part. It was a big part. And I was good.

That is exactly where my journey to self-awareness began. I learned to protect the shy, introverted 6-year-old inside and display only poise and confidence. It worked.

As the years went on I got better and better. My confidence grew. I learned to prepare my self for any possibility I could think of. At parties I had topics lined up to speak about. This is where my Daily Quips originated. Of course I never wrote any of them down but those situations were the genesis.

I learned to do things that frightened me. I spoke in public. I had techniques that allowed me to appear just as I wanted to be seen. I had years of performing on stage to make it all work.

But some situations require a different approach. Wisdom comes with age. Sometimes the honest approach is to admit that you do not know. That is tough. Now, I have more respect for an individual who openly admits that they do not know the answer. There is no shame in that. I will admit that it was a hard lesson for me to learn. But I did learn it.