Being Outgoing is a Virtuous Cycle

This last week I had a lot going on outside of classes. Almost every day I had something in the evening to look forward to. On Tuesday I invited people over for an apéro. The following day I was part of the crew for a big-scale event taking place in my school's atrium. I was there thanks to bpm, my school's techno association. This event started at 10 P.M. and ended at 4 A.M. Needless to say that I did not feel the necessity to attend classes that same morning since we finished cleaning around 05:30.

I will be dissecting both happenings now. First of all the apéro. Inviting people into my personal space feels very comforting to me. I really enjoy hosting. It is a lovely feeling to be able to provide a comfortable space to hang out. Furthermore, I find that I communicate and thus connect best with people when in smaller groups. I noticed a direct change in my attitude within the school setting the very next day – I was a lot more ready and willing to interact with people.

Now moving on to Wednesday's Junia Boiler event. We had sold 550 tickets and we were about 60 staff members. During the event, I felt most useful when I was behind the bar. My other tasks included and were limited to walking around and checking whether people were behaving. Naturally, I enjoyed playing the barman. It was very fun to have quick interactions with people. Most of all I found that it was a great trick to initiate the conversation with something along the lines of "What can I do for you?". This is something I would like to carry with me outside of this event – shoot first.

After those two consecutive events, I felt more confident during the whole week. It is why I would argue that being outgoing is indeed a virtuous cycle. Once you get started, it gets easier and easier every time. Gotta get the reps in to feel the gains – that's some weightlifting lingo to say that consistency is key. Two things I will try to keep in mind are to try to spend more time one on one with people and to initiate contact.

P.S. The reason I refuse to translate apéro to aperitif is that an apéro is a gathering with an aperitif, but it does not need to have a direct relation to an upcoming meal. Simply getting together with a few friends around a bottle of red wine and a saucisson at 3 P.M can already be called an apéro.

This Week's Suggestions:

🎶 "Phoneline" by Pola & Bryson and Emily Makis:

It is indeed the third time I preach Emily Makis' singing on this blog. I have done so in the 6th and the 67th blog post (we're on the 82nd with today's post). Her singing brings all songs to life in my opinion. Even better, the production by Pola & Bryson is simple enough to leave Emily Makis' voice as the highlight of the track which is a skill in itself.

💡 Amazing Invention- This Drone Will Change Everything:

Once a year Mark Rober showcases some amazing engineering feat or invention. It is very interesting to get such a professional yet entertaining breakdown of a new concept. This video was especially inspiring as I am studying to be an engineer. It shows that this job can have a truly meaningful impact. I love it.

🌧️ Is it Better to Walk or Run in the Rain?:

I have wanted to know the answer to this one since I was about 10 years old and this 2-minute video breaks down perfectly why you should indeed run when it starts raining cats and dogs.

That would be all for today!