By: Mike Martin
Image plays a huge roll in our lives. the way we dress, the way we walk, talk and present ourselves to the rest of the world. Interestingly the number one fear in our country is public speaking. Yes folks, in polls public speaking ranks above death (or so they tell me). I find that hard to believe but it makes for a great lead in. The third runner-up is death while speaking in public. Alright, I made that one up.
Why public speaking? It has a lot to do with image. We are concerned about what people are thinking about us. We are vulnerable. I find the most interesting thing about this whole fear of image idea, is that we are not really afraid of what people are thinking about us, we are afraid of what we believe they are thinking about us. We make it up most of the time because honestly how would you ever really know unless you polled your audience one-by-one?
Kids, starting about middle school, begin adopting the “I’m too cool” attitude and that can get in the way of trying new things….or growth as it were. Trying new things is many times uncomfortable and puts the person in a vulnerable position, and now we’re back to our traits of the number one fear in our country.
Here is one of my favorite ice breaker activities designed to illuminate this idea, and get any classroom or youth program on the same page as it relates to image as a controlling factor in life. Do this with a new group, or when you want to send the message that hey, you can let go of some of that image, have a good time and perhaps learn something new, or hold on to it and let it control your every move. Enjoy the video and the printable instructions and let us know what you think and how it worked for you!
*Note: To view the video you must have the latest FREE Apple Quicktime Player. It just takes a second, download HERE. To save the clip to your desktop, right-click the “download” link below and choose “save as.”
Keywords: teambuilding, ice breaker, leadership activities, conflict resolution, team building
Match Face Video Instructions [1:28m]: Play in Popup | Download
Match Face Printable PDF Instructions: Download
Great video. Fun times! I ought to remember that game for future group ice-breaking moments (dinner parties, etc.)
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Left by Easton Ellsworth on September 8th, 2006