Here’s an all new Conversation Topics!
I’m sure you know one of the biggest fears stopping people from starting conversations is the fear of running out of things to say.
I’ve given suggestions before of how to keep a conversation going, but sometimes it feels good to have an ACE in your pocket. Something you can fall back on if your social mojo falls flat for a moment. Well, that’s what these Conversation Topics posts are made for. Read on….
In this week’s topics: La-la-la-la-la-la…, Oprah in PJs, and an endurance swimming challenge from Cuba to Key West–by a 61 yr old.
Avoid lulls by having something to talk about!
Crazy concept I know…so here are some recent news (and not-so-news) stories I’ve hand-picked as a resource for you. I’ve picked them because they’re the type of topics most people could either get a laugh from or have an opinion on.
Remember, that’s the point. You want to get them talking so you can use their responses to move the conversation forward. Some good things to say after you recount the story could be, “what do you think about that?,” or “have you ever experienced something like that, before?”
How do you bring it up? Just say something like, “Oh did you hear about…” Or, “Oh, guess what I read the other day?” Your enthusiasm will cause them to be curious and want to hear more.
Below, you’ll find the story headline/link and a brief description of ways you might use it in a conversation.
This Week’s Topics
The New Trailer for The Smurfs
So I’m a child of the 80’s, well sort of. I watched cartoons in the 80s (and in the 90s, but let’s not get into that right now). And yes I watched the Smurfs. So many times I’ve heard people wonder about how Smurfette was the only girl smurf or how old papa smurf was…it’s one of those things that’s in our cultural consciousness. That’s what makes it a good topic to bring up. Maybe they watched too or at least know enough about the cartoon to have a few laughs. The new movie…eeehhh. Not sure about that, but at least it has NPH!
‘Staying in PJs all day!’: Oprah Winfrey enjoys rest and relaxation at home after big finale
This is another one that is sort of in everyone’s cultural consciousness. Whether someone likes or dislikes Oprah, she’ll certainly bring up some opinions. Personally, I’d say Oprah deserves a little R & R for a while…
Diana Nyad, at age 61, prepares for second attempt to swim from Cuba to Key West
Here’s a story that can be seen as inspirational. There’s so many topics this story can lead to. It can lead to the idea of dreams and life goals. It can lead to the idea of how old is too old to do life threatening things. It can also lead to the idea of never giving up and values and life philosophies. Good stuff!
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So remember to keep these in mind this weekend or all next week to use in any conversational lulls you might encounter. After all, one secret of conversational “naturals” is to have “stock” material to fall back on.
PLUS, please share your stories of where these topics take your conversations. How did you use them? How did it go? Reply in the comment section below.
