Erica Zia

No one feels good when they also feel shame.

That's why it makes sense to reframe it out of your life.

As I mentioned early, a reliable way to become immune to embarrassment is to intentionally put yourself in the embarrassing situations.

For example...

Volunteer to give a speech, sing karaoke in front of coworkers, experiment with your fashion and hairstyle, chat up an attractive stranger, that sort of thing.

Don't try to avoid embarrassment, invite it.

You'll get some good stories out of it and each mini shame toughens you up for the next one.

So take some social risks, flame out in front of witnesses, repeat.

You'll be amazed at how quickly you can murder your ego by ignoring its screaming needs.

The usual frame is avoid embarrassment.

The reframe, invite embarrassment and use it as a club to kill your ego.

If someone asked you to deliver a priceless work of art across the street, you might balk at the suggestion.

If you were to slip, trip, get robbed or assaulted, that priceless art might get damaged.

How comfortable would you be carrying it?

It makes sense to be on high alert to focus on protecting the valuable art.

That pressure creates a feeling of anxiety.

Now, suppose I asked you to deliver an ordinary potato across the street.

If you drop it or damage it, no big deal.

It was only a potato.

Think of yourself as the potato and not the priceless art.