Better than a free hug

[Angela]

Do you remember the Deluxe Hug guy on youtube? (He stands next to the free hug guy, and charges $2 for his higher quality hugs -- very funny) -- I encountered him this afternoon when he stopped me and and invited me to dance. No music, just dancing. It was charming, and I loved it.

You folks who are working on social courage, I recommend this! (I sure hope I didn't get punk'd. )

[vMike]

haha awesome, that guy is funny

It does take some impressive social courage to do this.

[seeker5]

Bleh. I saw the video a while back and thought he was making fun of the Free Huggers. Maybe you had a nice experience with him, but I saw that video with him purposely impeding on the other free hugger as him making fun of the free huggers. Not nice at all.

[vMike]

I was just checking his other videos, funny stuff

[Angela]

Originally Posted by seeker5

Bleh. I saw the video a while back and thought he was making fun of the Free Huggers. Maybe you had a nice experience with him, but I saw that video with him purposely impeding on the other free hugger as him making fun of the free huggers. Not nice at all.

Well, I think that free hugger was taking himself veeeerrrry seriously -- he could have used some lightening up and learning to laugh at himself, in my view. He could have really had some fun with it. I would have stolen some hugs, for instance, or asked the cops to bust him for prostitution. Maybe start offering extras so he could compete!

Anyway, it was nice to have a little unexpected dance break in the middle of my errands.

[seeker5]

Originally Posted by Angela

Well, I think that free hugger was taking himself veeeerrrry seriously -- he could have used some lightening up and learning to laugh at himself, in my view. He could have really had some fun with it.

He could he could.

That doesn't change that the intent of the video and it seems of the deluxe hug was to make fun of the free hugger.

[Angela]

C'mon, seeker5, standing around a farmers market, holding a sign offering free hugs? It's FUNNY! It's playful! It's begging to be poked fun at! Yes, I will say it: he was asking for it.

That's part of the risk of taking on something so goofy: people might make fun of you. And that's part of the opportunity, too: you get to find out how courageous, flexible, engaging, and BOLD you can be -- and how much FUN you can have.

This deluxe hugger is not mean-spirited. He's just laughing at something that's funny, and he's saying YES, AND to it. It's improvisation, it's saying yes to what you're given, and then escalating it. It's even funnier that the free hugger is so solemn, taking himself and his work so seriously, as if he's performing some sacred religious ritual.

Have you ever taken an improv class? I highly recommend it to you!

[run_fly]

that's great!

Another way to work on social courage (I did this once at an airport that had major delays)

Is to have a conversation with a girl and your goal is to try on one of there rings. Somehow I got 1 ring on I think I tried 3 or 4 but at the time I had the courage to ask 1 girl to try on the ring the rest I got scared

I think traveling alone is another way to build up courage.

Very much worth it.