Thoughts to Build On

such as being self-conscious and embarrassed around peo-
ple and therefore not being a fluent conversationalist, you
do not have to go to a psychoanalyst to learn the hidden
psychological cause in order to be cured. It is not necessary
to probe back into your childhood to learn that your mother
spanked you undeservedly for your being "forward" when
you were a child. That knowledge, even if correct, will not
completely cure your self-consciousness. But practicing
conversing with everybody at every opportunity about
even the simplest subjects will cure your self-consciousness
and make you a fluent conversationalist-whether your
mother spanked you or not. (For more information on how
to become a fluent conversationalist, re-read the previous
Chapter 32: "TALK ... A Way To Success".)
Participating frequently in interesting conversa-
tions, not only is good success training, but is good health
therapy as well. It stimulates your interest in people, in
ideas, and in life generally. It gets you involved. You
participate. That's the key word: PARTICIPATE! ...
because participation is the sure antidote for withdrawal
-and withdrawal is a mental illness which will progressive-
ly cause you more and more trouble, more and more unhap-
piness. Participation also is the sure antidote for mental
depression which is, or can rapidly become, a serious mental
illness.
So TALK is a means of staying healthy or
becoming healthy. TALK, of course, will not cure every-
thing-but it will cure many things and it will help in many
ways to relieve the tensions and stresses of life, to help
overcome fear, self-consciousness, withdrawal and depres-