I have a skill that involves convincing people of the opposite of what they want to do in favor of what I want to do. I'm serious. I have witnesses. I've even had someone quote after one of these events: "These are not the droids you're looking for."
The key is: confidence. If you are confident that what you're doing is the right thing people tend to believe you. Crazy, no? I've been told that I'm brave or that I have moxie or other adjectives such as those. I'm not. I freely admit that it's just bluster. I again refer to The King and I. This time, though, it has to do with the song "I Whistle A Happy Tune." It's not just a great number in that movie as it was also done quite funnily on "The Muppet Show" with guest star Julie Andrews. Good times!
My mother raised us on musicals and Star Trek, so that may explain my obsession with show tunes and space battles. Or not. And speaking of Star Wars, Mark Hamill also guested on "The Muppet Show," but I have a hard time watching that cringe-worthy episode. I can tell he's having a blast, and Gonzo as Darth Nader (as well as droid and Wookie special guest stars) is spectacular. But, wow, Mr. Hamill, you were a little over-OVER-excited.
Where was I? Oh, right: making believe I was brave. It probably helped that when I was younger (and even shorter) we had a musical toy that played the song, too. And tending to believe everyone who told me anything (I was super impressionable and an advertiser's dream when I went food shopping with family and quoted the television commercials and sang the jingles for name-brand products), I took it as truthful advice. I'm a coward at heart, but, really, who isn't? It's very easy to be terrified and do nothing. I've heard that bravery is being scared, but doing things anyway. I credit my drama classes in high school and the years of being over-dramatic in learning how to ACT brave, which is not the same thing as being brave. But I can be quaking in my boots and not have my knees knocking together. Yea!
I used to sing solos in church and was always so terrified that I had a very fast, very unnatural vibrato. After I graduated college one of my friends made me sing in church often enough so that I wasn't so scared anymore. I'm still more confident in singing duets and trios, but I no longer have the bad vibrato when I solo; enough so that after I sang in a church service with people who used to sit through my musical assaults one member of the congregation couldn't stop complimenting me on my improvement. ...Uh, thanks?
So when you find yourself suddenly agreeing with me when you didn't mean to, don't worry, you're not the first. And I promise to always use my powers for good. And when you've mastered the whole cause and effect thing and feel guilty that you're using it for your own benefit and no one else's, good. Don't do that again. If you are to be benefited by using such techniques, make sure you're doing it more for others than yourself. Your powers are great and you don't want to give into the Dark Side. I do possess a bumper sticker that one of my friends gave me that states: I was seduced by the chocolate side of the Force. I can tell you truly that I've never been tempted by the dark chocolate side, though. Ick. Too bitter.
Just remember, when someone is telling you you can't enter an area because they're closing the gates you can say, "Oh, it's okay. My friends and I need to catch the train and we'll miss it if we walk around. We just need to cut straight through and we can see that the gate on the other side is still open." If you smile and say it sweetly it is most effective. I've also convinced people that I didn't need to move my car out of a parking lot exit until the other car we were caravanning with drove by. However, the biggest lesson for me was when I knew that by inviting my father to go with me to the new grocery store it would result in his buying my food as well as his. I did it anyway and then felt horribly guilty for purposely using him as I'd hoped for that outcome. That was the last selfish time. I guess it helps that I only use the skill when it's unimportant and won't hurt anyone. I'm trying to be good and I don't actually like to inconvenience people. So maybe that's the secret, confidence and niceness. Well, I never said I was a Jedi Master (even if I have a badge from Walt Disney World's Star Tours that says differently). I'm really just a Padawan.
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