A story about myself.

I know I have already done my intro, and I have been here for a while now; I still consider myself new however, and still think a story like this could change at least one or two people (I know there are plenty who can relate):

I am a recovering social recluse.
I spent ages 17-21 playing video games and being anti-social.

At 21 I realized:
I missed my chance to be a kid.
I wanted to have sex more than once a year.
I wanted to have friends that were not just voices.

At 21, I realized that there is no better feeling in the world than being social. Meeting people, whether sex be included or not, is more rewarding than any level up...than any item drop..than any 2am coffee shop bitch fest about the World. Meeting and talking is healthier, and a lot of the times much easier than Gaming.


You can still be a geek - hell, I am not gonna lie, I definitely am. But you should embrace the geekness; leave your house, your video games, your Magic the Gathering and Dungeons and Dragons. Embrace the fact that humans are social beings. Once you take that first plunge, you will see. You don't have to change who you are, you just improve upon it.

At 22, I took the step to become a better person. I did a lot of reading; I'll tell you, none of what I read was applied to real life scenarios though. I have not done any PUA stuff yet. I was never really shy either, I just didn't care to be around people. But you have to start from the beginning. Be comfortable....enjoy smiling at people and just saying hello. You will learn a lot. A journey to become a PUA doesn't always mean you must become a player; sure you'll get laid, but you don't leave people in the dirt.

Their slogan I guess (and which I love): Leave 'em better than you found em.


My updated status (from beginning of my self-improvement journey; July 2007):
Four new girl friends (not girlfriends)
two new guy friends
ten n-closes
three k-closes
one hj-close

PLUS!!!! I don't despise everyone and every thing now.

~~Good Luck noobs~~

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[color=red:7c51ae7520]email is a better option: thelockestar@gmail.com[/color:7c51ae7520][/size:7c51ae7520]

Yeah,I feel you man.I've just recently come to that realization.I'm in high school,and I'm pretty much in the house all weekend playing video games.

Well, im an ex computer game addict. I literally used to play upwards of 5 hours on a slow night and on weekends probably 10+ hours a day if not more.

WoW, CS, DoD...you name it.

Then i realized that WoW was awaste of time, it was not fun any more (hadnt been for years). I came to my sences and realized that i was scared of the world and was embracing video games as an escape from reality.

Shortly after quitiing i came accross The PU artist and then The Game. Since then i have delete WoW from my computer, cancelled my account.

My new game addiction is the game of life, i spend every min enjoying it and trying to get better at it. Becomming better physically, mentally and socailly.

While i considered myself to be a good person before i look at myself as an unfinished masterpeice, with so much work ahead of me. However i love this idea because if i was as good as i could be now, whats there worth living for?

For me its about being able to enjoy the social settings i despised before, taking the socail anxeities i had before and tossing them out for the joys of meeting new and intresting people.

After only maybe 1-2 months of proactivly changing and working towards my PUA and life goals i notice an immense difference in myself. Its amazing and i cant wait to see were it takes me.

GL guys.

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-Ka-
"Be the same, only better."

It is good to hear that one by one, people are realizing that a conversation from some person that you may or may not know in a week is a much better feeling than Arcane Blasting some shammy (hahahahaha)

But be careful Ka, it is not a good idea to turn life into an RPG. Sure, don't take things too seriously, have tons of fun...but if you turn life into virtual reality, then what is reality? You will easily get caught up in it....

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[color=red:7c51ae7520]email is a better option: thelockestar@gmail.com[/color:7c51ae7520][/size:7c51ae7520]

I can relate with you in a lot of ways with too much gaming and not enough socializing. A lot of those games are so addictive you just forget how much better being social is. I've moved away almost completely now, and congrats to you for doing the same!

For now im content with treating it as such, because i have so much growth to acheive yet. The best part is that it will spill out into all aspects of life.

I have noticed recently, especially in my last outing, that most of my interactions were not only more PUA or alpha, but also came accross naturally with no effort.

Also id say i take life much more seriously now then i did wasteing away playing games. I realize now that to be happy i must elevate my health, wealth, and social lives together. The nice thing is that there are spillover benifits when working on one. However working on all three is crucial.

If i must be obssessed with being better at something i prefer it to be life instead of WoW or anyother video game.

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-Ka-
"Be the same, only better."

damn we are on the same page! When I quit gaming, I quit smoking...and I started exercising and eating better. I have always read, but I now read more. The things you miss when you are sucked into falsity.

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[color=red:7c51ae7520]email is a better option: thelockestar@gmail.com[/color:7c51ae7520][/size:7c51ae7520]

i can relate to this too, i used to moan like a biatch about not having a girlfriend etc but all i did on with my spare time was gaming and i even passed up goin out with friends jus so i cud play more on WoW. i too have canceeled my account and feeling much betta for it!

i kinda agree with Locke about the RPG thing, im kinda new to the Game and i got into it so i could talk to HB's and have good, fun interactions.

Tho after reading "the Game" and seeing what happened to some of the people in there, im a bit worried of letting it obsess life and turning life into a RPG.

Illusion, that's the danger of becoming "social robots". To prevent that, simple . . . have some other interests outside of The Game. Make yourself an interesting person.

Ka and Locke, I say congrats to both of you, because I personally see growth in both of you, and I know you both can go far.

Anyone can go far with this, if they apply themselves.

my growth is all verbal though...I have yet to do any application. I'm safe behind my screen! haha. just doing a little more research (aka procrastinating) before I head out and throw down.

scratch above

edit:

Knowing what to say and do is different than being able to say...and do.

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[color=red:7c51ae7520]email is a better option: thelockestar@gmail.com[/color:7c51ae7520][/size:7c51ae7520]

While you DO have a point Locke, also remember this . . . your inner growth is happening, and once you get over your AA, which is what the problem actually is at this point, what you are internalizing will start revealing itself. You've just got to get past the AA.

As the G I Joes say, "knowing is half the battle." The other half is getting over your AA and just applying what you know.

I like you have the same issue, i have only aproached a few sets, and while i have yet to have any kind of negative interaction my anxeities still keep me from pushing on.

Im working on inner game big time, got a lot of revamping to do when it comes to that, but im taking it in strides and cant wait to break through that barrier of AA and be able to really use everything i know.

The forums are excellent though and help drastically, because as far as forming new patterns go your brain knows little to no difference between repeatative imagineing and actual memories. In other words both have a positive effect on your mental.

Hope this helps.

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-Ka-
"Be the same, only better."

it's not so much approach anxiety as "leaving the house and going out" anxiety. I can socialize great in commonplace. At work, around stores, whatever.

Do I prepare stories, games, things to say and do? Or do I just roll?

My problem is when I approach, I don't feel like I can just roll. Instead of now just chit chatting (like you would at work or whatever) all the attention is on you. YOU are expected to entertain this group, and keep their attention. I don't feel like I have enough to say to make strangers instantly feel like I am a MUST HAVE.

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[color=red:7c51ae7520]email is a better option: thelockestar@gmail.com[/color:7c51ae7520][/size:7c51ae7520]

Shit gato, you ARE the man! You start a set, you're performing for them on a certain level. Note how most routines have a level of magic/mysticism to them - Perform for them and have fun doing it.

Seriously though, from self-confessed gamer shut-in to a hj-close! Shit! You're getting adulation from the AFC crowd no matter what happens. Want to leave it there? I didn't think so...

BadKarma . . . ummm, what?

Locke, I know what you're saying, that it's anxiety about leaving home and actually socializing. But, even if you break that down to it's core, it's really AA also. What is AA? It's your fear of approaching and opening a set. Well, that's what you are afraid of in general, for any social setting. So, it's still AA, just maybe a deeper form of it at the moment.

Being social really brighens things up though. In fact, this will be your hardest part in your journey, seriously. Conquering this part right here. What you have to KNOW in your mind is that people, in general now, are not gonna remember you trying to talk to them and stuttering or fucking up in some other way. They won't remember 30 minutes from now the guy that tried to tell them a story or a witty line and froze because he forgot it. They'll be on to subjects that are actually important to them.

Your AA is really just important to you. Others don't care. In fact, you may even open a set of girls that's nice and sweet and will think it's adobrable that you are TRYING to talk to them.

Yes, you will crash and burn some. But you will also succeed some. And, if you want to put up another "safe guard" in your growth, only start opening girls that you believe you will never see again, or at least not anytime soon. That way, if you do crash and burn, so what? Those girls are gone. It doesn't even matter.

Same goes for guys that you want to just be social with. Same principle.

P.S. Yes, Locke, you DO need to work ahead of time in your head some stories, quick ones, to tell to people for when you START socializing. Later, you won't have to worry so much about this, but right now, formulate some to start with.