This weekend, my family and I headed north to San Francisco for my dental interview at UOP. It was a super fun experience overall, and it was great to see the city again after so many years. The last time I was in SF was in 2019, and we did all the typical touristy things like seeing the Golden Gate Bridge, going to Fisherman's Wharf, and having ice cream sundaes at Ghirardelli's. However, since I had been to SF so many times when I was younger, this time I made sure that we avoided all the previous locations and explored parts of the city that we had never seen before.

We arrived on Saturday night and stayed at the Intercontinental SF, which was conveniently located right next to the dental school. The hotel was very nice, and there were a bunch of people from UC Berkeley as well, due to an MUN conference happening during the same weekend. We decided to try a Chinese restaurant called FANG, which was recommended by the hotel staff. The food was amazing, and the restaurant had a very diverse menu with plenty of vegetarian options.

The next day, we explored the area around our hotel. We visited Salesforce Park, which was beautiful, but had a disappointing meal at Sweetgreen. We also stopped by Happy Lemon, which I had been missing dearly. I didn't realize how much of San Francisco there was to see. My sister compared it to a calmer, cleaner version of New York, and I fell in love with the city's vibe. We walked everywhere and even visited Chinatown, which was probably the most San Franciscan place we saw. The shops were plentiful and people were bustling around, making it a fun experience. We also passed by Union Square and went to the eight-story Macy's, where I bought some suit supplies and we ate at the cheesecake restaurant on the top floor because we were getting overwhelmed by the amount of food options available in San Francisco.

The next day was the big day. I woke up early at 7 AM, chugged a Celsius, and headed to the fitness center to work on my legs. I followed my routine, but also did some bench presses to pump up my chest. I find that working out before important events gives me extra energy and confidence. After having some breakfast, I suited up and headed next door to UOP. We were greeted by one of my mother's friends, who is a professor at the school, and she gave us a brief tour until I had to check in for my interview. Once I checked in, everything felt natural. I connected easily with the other applicants, which helped me calm down and feel confident.

I realized that feeling natural is a sign of confidence, not courage or lack of fear. Investing in my social skills has paid off, as I was able to naturally implement tips and tricks from the books I've read into my actions. It seemed like most of the other applicants naturally gravitated towards me, and it was fun talking to them and learning about their unique perspectives and interests. I now know that I can connect with anyone from anywhere if I really try.

Improving my Social Skills:

Questioning my “Social Anxiety?”

I am no longer socially anxious, because I have realized that I no longer need to be. There is no reason for me to fear social interactions because they will never go wrong, and if they do, I am confident in my ability to turn them around in my favor. I just realized that no one is going to threaten me, because I am perceived to be threatening myself. The biggest epiphany I had was when I just asked myself: “How would I act if I didn’t have social anxiety?” This completely changed my mindset right then and there and I started to apply it to other beliefs that were hindering me from getting what I wanted. I recommend asking yourself: “How would I act if I did not have X?” and see what is does for you. Additionally working out, getting physically bigger, healing childhood trauma, and doing inner work were all treatments I used to cure this unnecessary fear as well.

Reading Books

Other than watching countless videos on improving my social skills, I have also read 3 books that I have found very valuable.

“How to Instantly Connect with Anyone: 96 tips and tricks” by Leil Lowndes

This book provides a wide range of tips for social various situations. I read about half of it last year, started implementing some of the tips, and saw great results. These tips are effective, so I recommend reading the book if you want to learn more tips and tricks.

“Psychology of Selling” By Brian Tracey

This book is a guide on how to sell, but the truth is that we are selling ourselves every single day of our lives. When we try to connect with someone, we are selling ourselves. In addition to providing great sales tips, this book delves deep into our own perception of ourselves and how our self-beliefs manifest in our lives. Reading this book changed my perspective on self-beliefs and taught me that change begins with our own beliefs.

“Psycho-Cybernetics” by Maxwell Maltz

This book helped me challenge my negative self-beliefs and understand how our perception of reality shapes everything. If you believe you will be successful, then you will be. Conversely, if you believe you will fail, then you will. This book delves into the topic of perception and made me question my own beliefs about myself and the world.

Having Friends with Great Social Skills

I am fortunate to have been surrounded by people with great social skills. Most of my friends are very sociable, and this has definitely rubbed off on me. As a very observant person, I have studied how they conduct themselves, how they greet people, and how they perceive themselves. I am very grateful for my friends, as they have taught me so much, and I hope that I am also able to teach them some things.

In conclusion, investing in my social skills has greatly improved the quality of my life. I no longer feel socially anxious, and I am confident in my ability to connect with anyone. By questioning my negative self-beliefs, reading books, and having friends with great social skills, I have been able to develop a natural ease in social situations. This has not only helped me in professional settings like interviews, but has also enriched my personal relationships. I am grateful for the progress I have made and I look forward to continuing to grow and improve my social skills.

Thank you so much for reading, let’s grow together :)