*Dusty J's house is a beautiful piece of real estate right by the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Los Angeles. Many people would have to work years and years to even contemplate buying such a lavish property. Luckily, Dusty's upbringing his brought him a good amount of money in the bank, allowing him to buy it on his twenty-first birthday. Nowadays it seems to be the only place besides the ring that he wants to spend his time at. It's not that he isn't outgoing, he's an attractive professional athelete, he can get in pretty much anywhere he wants to, but lately he just hasn't had the desire. Now, after a recent trip to the mall, he never wants to again, it would be too humiliating for him, yet only three people in the world would even know about the story. Greg Dixson emerges from the downstairs basement where he had been watching some soap operas on tv, or as he tells Dusty he's doing, "working out", as if anyone would believe that for a second. While he was down there, he also printed out some information about self confidence issues to give to Dusty. After what happened earlier in the day, he felt this situation finally needed to be approached, but he needed to strike subtely, which as always he failed to do. While trying to slip the papers under the new issue of Sports Illustated on the coffee table, Dusty spotted him and grabbed the papers. He eyeballed Greg, wondering what he could have possibly been trying to hide from him, his best friend and roomate. Dusty looks down at the papers and silently reads them.*

The desire to be more confident is often one of the key aims of people seeking to improve their performance, either socially or professionally. Lack of confidence is not restricted to certain stereotypical types of people, and you are not alone with your confidence issues; many people have insecurities and areas where they wish they could have more confidence, even those people who outwardly appear not to know the meaning of the words anxiety or worry. Nobody is confident all the time in all situations, and we have put together the following confidence coaching tips to help you improve your own self-esteem and positive approach to life.

*When Dusty gets done reading the printout, he looks at Greg, staring a hole right through his cameraman. Greg innocently smiles, mistaking himself for a pretty girl, then realizing that a smile wasn't going to get him out of this proverbial traffic ticket. Dusty throws the papers back down on the coffee table without taking his eyes off Greg...and that's when he lets it be known how he feels verbally.*

Greg, what is this? Please tell me you gave me this for my own independent research rather than you thinking i've got some sort of mental issues, please tell me that.

Sorry Dusty, I can't. Did you see yourself today at the mall? That was one of the worst displays I have ever seen, you're not being yourself man, and I don't know what else it can be, I think you have some major disorder.

Greg, we have been through this before and you've beaten it dead with a stick, I do not have an anxiety problem, and this stupid piece of paper has nothing to do with what happened today, okay? Just chill out and let me deal with it myself, it was a fluke, I just lost my composure for a short period. I'm back on my feet and better than ever.

Back on your feet and better than ever huh? Then explain this to me Mr. Cool, how come I had a better shot at it than you did? I had to bail you out, think about that for a minute man, I, Greg Dixson, had to speak FOR you, Dusty J. That isn't the world we live in, hell my greatest fantasies are even short of that, and it happened, and surprisingly, i'm not happy about it, i'm just worried about you.

You did not bail me out Greg, I wasn't in any kind of danger.

It's okay man, i'm not some kind of shrink, i'm a real person, you can talk to me openly, i'm your best friend, be real.

I am being real, and i'm asking you to please drop it right now and never bring it up again under any circumstances.

I think you need to go see a doctor about this man, please, i'll even go with you. Dr. Pendansky is not more than ten miles up the road, you need to address this issue, get it out in the open, make yourself vunerable, or else there is no way you are going to overcome this problem.

That's just it Greg, I don't have a problem, so why don't you leave me alone? If you want to talk to me about something, then please talk to me about...basketball, the World Baseball Classic, wrestling, my matches at Aggravated Assault even. But don't bring up issues that I don't have, okay?

I'm calling Dr. Pendansky... just come and see him, i'll go with you, we can talk to him and after that i'll shut up about it for good if you still think there isn't a problem, okay?

Okay fine, call him, do whatever you want, i'll go, we'll talk, we'll finish, you'll know I don't have a problem and so will Dr. Pendansky, and then we'll be finished with this for good, no more questions asked Greg, i'm counting on you to stick to your word okay?

You've got it buddy, I am a man of my word, count on it.

Then go ahead and call him.

*Greg nods and walks back into the kitchen to get the phone, and begins making the call to Dr. Pendansky, a well respected psychiatrist located nearby Dusty's house in Southern California. His credentials include an extensive, impressive list of celebrity clients including George Clooney, Jennifer Aniston, and Gary Coleman...okay, Aniston and Clooney are impressive. Greg dials up the good doctor while Dusty paces around his living room wondering what on earth brought him to this point...calling a shrink? That's not the way to go. Who needs one of those guys anyway? Only loonies need that kind of professional care, not professional wrestlers, a famous professional wrestler at that. After pacing back and forth a few more times he sits back down in his recliner and tries to clear his head of all the hoopla surrounding his life right now. In the kitchen, Greg finally gets through to Dr. Pendansky's office, after unsuccessfully hitting on his seceretary, he gets his chance to speak to the man.*

Hello Dr. Pensandky, this is Gregory Dixson, you don't know me, but I have a friend who goes to you and says that you are just amazing. I was wondering if you could squeeze a little time in today for my friend Dustin. He's really stressed about a lot of things right now and i've always seen an underlying of a self confidence anxiety type of issue, and he's just stressing himself out and biting my head off at every chance. I was hoping you could convince him of his problem and maybe give him some type of medication for it?

Well Gregory, I can't convince your friend of anything he himself won't admit to having. If he doesn't see that he has a problem then there's nothing I could do for him. Besides, we normally don't take same day appointments, i'm afraid he's going to have to wait to see me, we are quite full here and my schedule is jam packed.

Did I mention that we'll pay double your regular fee per hour?

Bring him in at 4:30.

Thanks doctor, we'll see you then.

*Greg hangs up the phone, satisfied that he is finally going to get his good friend the help he has always felt he needed. To celebrate, he decides to eat a piece of cake leftover from the party they went to the other night. In the living room Dusty has decided that taking a nap might be the best medicine to cure what ails him. As he slips off into la la land, he is awoken only moments later by Greg, much to his displeasure. He looks up at Greg and scowls, thinking "This better be good."*

I just booked your appointment with Dr. Pendansky, and it's going to be at 4:30, it's currently 3:30, so leave in about a half an hour, i'm going to go take the videos back to the video store, can I count on you to be there?

I gave my word to you didn't I?

Awesome, okay man i'll see you then.

Alright man, see you later.

*Greg grabs the videos and heads out of the house to Hollywood Video, leaving Dusty alone with his own defeatist attitude and self doubts to roam free without interruption for the next thirty or so minutes. To calm himself, Dusty goes over to the computer and opens up his private e-journal. He started the journal a while ago and has been keeping it and updating daily since to ease his mind of all the pressures of life, wrestling, and everything else. It's the one thing besides talking to Greg Disxon where he can let all his feelings hang out in the open.*

Dear journal,
Hey, how's it going? I have been through some big stress today, there was an incident at the mall, which i'll tell you about later tonight, and then Greg got on my ass about it. He's been pushing all the wrong buttons lately, but I think he's onto something, I think I might have a self esteem issue, but I just never really took notice until now. I know it might sound a little childish, but it's true, maybe it was just naivety all this time preventing that thick skull of mine from comprehending how I truly feel. He booked an appointment with a Dr. Pendansky, and he's supposed to be this big shot psychiatrist who works with all the top stars about their issues. Supposedly he is the best that money can buy, and no doubt even though Greg booked it, it'll be coming out of my bank account, that's fine though, I just want to stop feeling this badly.

It seems that Aggravated Assault has thrown me for a bigger loop than I thought it would have. I've beaten multiple people in one night, competed in War Games all by myself against teams of other men far outnumbering little old me, but this the biggest match of my life coming up, and then I have to wrestle in the other biggest match of my life in the main event, talk about "Let's Play Two" huh? There's you a whole new meaning right there. You see, i've never had a problem with one match, but two? I'll be worn out by the time I make my entrance for the main event, when i'm competing for the ultimate prize in the company, and i'll be mentally out of it if I lose the Television Title in my match with Violent Bryan, it's a lose lose. I'm drained if I win, drained if I lose, and drained enough to where I don't think there's a snowball's chance in hell of becoming World Heavyweight Champion, and journal, that is what I want more than anything in my life, it always has been.

I have been blessed with parents who would buy me anything and everything I ever wanted and enough money to where I never even had to give professional wrestling a try, but I did, and now that I did and have made a name for myself throughout the years, I want nothing more than to be the very best this company, this business has to offer. I want to be what my theme music suggests, number one. Numero uno, nobody else better, i've got to win, but I don't know if I can, I don't know if I can even approach people, even President Kraven anymore, i've got more self doubt that Pamela Anderson has had sex partners, and it's not looking any better.

Well journal, thanks for listening as always, and i'll see you later tonight or tomorrow, after the "doctor" examines me.

*Dusty saves his journal and closes the laptop after checking that it is now time to head down to Dr. Pendansky's office. He gets up and grabs his car keys and the piece of paper with the directions to the office that Greg wrote out for him. He leaves the house and hops into his career, making the nifty little ten minute drive down the road. When he arrives he sees no sign of Greg Dixson's car or even his wide body. Dusty parks and continues to look for his friend, eventually spotting his car. Dusty walks into the big brick building and spots Greg talking to the receptionist up front, checking themselves in no doubt. Dusty sits down on the circle shaped couch, in the middle is a table filled with magazines to read, Dusty decides to check out the latest issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated, longly regarded as the best source for information on pro wrestling. Greg sits down beside him moments later and looks over Dusty's shoulder about the article he's reading. Dusty looks up from his magazine and sees Greg right there, which scares the crap out of him, he nearly jumps out of his seat.*

DAMNIT GREG! I didn't see you there, you could've given me a heart attack.

Well you would be in luck, we're at a hospital.

Reality check Greg, this is a mental hospital, they wouldn't have any clue what to do if someone all of a sudden had a heart attack, there's no Doctor Grey here.

But there is a Dr. Pendansky, and the receptionist told me that he will be down to see you in a matter of moments, shouldn't be a long wait.

Good, I just want to get this stupid thing over with already, I need to be at home training for my matches at Aggravated Assault.

Well this is about your own mental well being, Aggravated Assault is going to play second fiddle until we figure out what your malfunction is buddy.

There isn't one, but whatever you say.

*A man emerges from an office across from where Dusty and Greg are seated. He appears to be about 45 years old, brown hair with a full beard. He looks towards the direction of Dusty and Greg then proceeds to walk over to the waiting area to greet them.*

Hello there, Drew Pendansky, nice to meet you.

*Dr. Pendansky shakes hands with both Dusty and Greg.*

Hello Dr. Pendansky, i'm Greg Dixson, I called earlier and this is my friend Dustin.

Hello Dustin, it's nice to meet you, hopefully we can figure out what's going with you today huh?

I'm only here as a favor to my friend, doctor.

Oh, well I see. Step into my office guys, see what we can't figure out here.

*Dusty and Greg follow Dr. Pendansky into his office. Dusty looks at Greg and shakes his head, Greg gives a reassuring hand gesture and nods his head. Dusty takes a seat in the chair directly across from Dr. Pendansky's, and Greg chooses the couch which is normally reserved for patients.*

So Dustin, tell me some stuff about yourself, I only got your name and a suspected problem from your friend Greg.

Well doctor, i'm a professional wrestler, I wrestle under the name of Dusty J. I currently work for Matt Kraven and his International Championship Wrestling Association company. Financially I am more than comfortable, and as you know i'm here to see you at the request of my good friend Greg Dixson.

Good stuff. So Dustin, or Dusty?

Whichever you prefer to call me doctor.

Okay, Dustin. Dustin, do you think you struggle with anxiety issues? Self confidence problems?

No...I don't think I do. I have some problems sometimes like everybody else with self doubt and stuff like that, but a problem? A condition? I say no way, there's no way, it doesn't run in the family, there is nobody I could have gotten that from.

Well Dustin, while it can be spread down genetically, it doesn't need to be, anybody can get it, it's just luck of the draw really.

Oh...I didn't know that... well either way, I don't think I have a problem at all.

Well Greg, do you know any examples of this kind of behavior? Confidence issues? Anxieties?

Well he has two big matches coming up for ICWA, one against a guy named Violent Bryan for the World Television Title that he's defending, and one for the ICWA World Title, where he'll be wrestling three different wrestlers in the same match, it's a really brutal cycle, and he's been really stressing over it and wondering if he could possibly win those matches.

But anybody in that situation would be worried as hell doctor, that doesn't mean I have a problem.

There are also a couple of other instances that suggest my hypothesis is more than just folklore. We were at the mall today...and...

Greg, don't you dare tell this story...

Dustin, to evaluate you, we need to have you out in the open, we need to hear this. Greg, if you'll continue?

So we were at the mall, and Dusty, being the name that he is, attracted this girl, this gorgeous blonde bombshell in a tight white tee shirt, and she started talking to him, and talking and talking, then eventually it was his turn to talk back, as general courtesy dictates. Now normally he's really good with women, he never really has had a long term steady girlfriend except for once in high school and i've always just assumed that it was because of his committment to professional wrestling and being the very best there is in that field, but when he went to respond, he choked over his words. He's fine when an attractive female fan wants an autograph and starts small talk about wrestling or whatever, but it seems he got overly intimidated with this nice girl who seemed to be very interested in him. After about a minute or so of saying a bunch of words but not really saying anything at all I had to tell her that he had taken some medication earlier in the day and that the drowziness side effect was kicking in, it's all I could really think of. She seemed to believe me, or else she was trying to spare his feelings, but that's what happened today.

So Dustin, is it that you were intimidated by this girl who Greg says was very attractive? Was that it? Did you feel that she was out of your "league" per say?

Well...I guess I kinda did. I've never been too good at approaching strange women and just striking up pleasantries, it's just never been my thing. Even my high school relationship was brought on due to outside factors, not a meet and greet can I call you type thing. She was very pretty, too pretty for me if you want my take on it, I just see all these guys and i'm thinking to myself "she could do so much better than a chump like me, why even bother? Because i'm on television? Or could she be crazy enough to really be into me?" I just didn't think that there was any way in the world somebody that gorgeous could really want to talk to me, i've always been that way, and I don't really know why, it's just habit I guess. I grew up in a wealthy family and around all these beautiful people, but I never really had the guts to ask the pretty girls out when I was getting older into my teens and now my adult life, it's just something I think i'm unable to do.

Well after hearing that story it appears Greg's diagnosis may be correct, you have a self confidence issue. Tell me, are there any other situations that make you feel like that? Like you couldn't get what you want for whatever reason?

In wrestling, actually.

In wrestling? Really? How is that?

Well every time i'm about to wrestle I pump myself up a lot to mentally prepare myself I guess. I never have the attitude that "I am going to win this match no matter what." It's always the opposite, "I'm going to lose no matter what I do and how hard I try, I don't stand a chance and I know it, who am I kidding anyway? It's over, I shouldn't even show up, I know it's over." I beat myself before I even get a chance to go out and do my thing in the ring, and I hate that, but there's something that makes me feel that way every time no matter who i'm wrestling or what i'm wrestling for.

Well do you feel that same way about you upcoming matches at...Aggravated Assault is it?

Yes doctor, I do. I'm wrestling a total of four people in two different matches and I couldn't be more on edge than I already am, it's mind numbing to think about all the pain my body is going to go through, and all the loss I can suffer. Losing one match on any given card is horrible enough to me, but the thought of losing two on the same night on the first pay-per-view in the history of the ICWA? I don't think I can handle the thought of that. It's like a snowball effect, one match bad, two matches worse, Television Title defense bad, World Title Match worse, one opponent bad, three opponents worse.

*Doctor Pendansky records all of what Dusty says and then looks over at Greg, who has his right elbow on his knee and chin resting on the palm of his hand. Dusty deeply exhales, drained from telling the story that disturbs him so much, the story of his professional life.*

I just want to be the very best there is Doctor Pendansky, nobody better, nobody tougher, stronger, or more talented. I want to be the guy that can go out there each and every night and hear the fans chant my name, cheer for me, and go home saying "Damn, that Dusty J put on the match of the night AGAIN. There is nobody better in this business today than Dusty J." I'm not greedy for money doctor, i'm greedy for love and admiration and the respect of my peers and fans everywhere. Maybe that need for love just overloads my systems and makes me unable to communicate with a pretty girl, I don't really know. And maybe my quest to be the best in my profession distracts me and swirls through my head day in and day out to where I no longer can focus on the match and how to win, but to instead focus on how not to lose and escape with what little self pride I have left. I've won titles, i've main evented major pay-per-view events, i've beaten the best damn wrestler ever in my old foe Nemesis, but it still doesn't matter, I want more, a lot more, I crave it, I need it, I can't survive unless I get it and a lot of it, and when I don't, when I fail, it tears away at me inside. It's like a manisfestation of my pride, disabling me from thinking straight and making me jump through hoops in hopes of impressing someone, but instead getting tangles up in them and falling flat on my face. It's a brutal cycle Doctor Pendansky...and I think I can finally see what Greg's been talking about this entire time. I need help doctor, I need it bad.

I am glad you feel that way Dustin, because I think you need it too, and Greg, thank you for bringing him in here, I think we can help him, this is actually growing to become more and more common among the 18-35 year old male demographic. Dustin we're going to give you some medication, take it for about a week and then we're going to ask you back in here and see how you progress with it. Greg we're going to make you our watch dog so to speak, the man to make sure he is taking the medication and then perhaps do a little monitoring, see how he reacts to attractive women, or his thoughts or possible fears about his impending matches at this Aggravated Assasult pay-per-view. Can you do that for us?

Of course Doctor, anything to help my friend out i'll make sure to do to the best of my ability.

I know you will. Dustin, can we count on you to take the medication daily as directed and to make an effort to break out of this slump of yours?

Yes doctor, no problem, I will, I promise you.

Well then I think we're done here. Listen it's been great meeting the both of you and we'll talk again next week, and hopefully even more than that in the future, okay?

Of course Doctor.

You got it Doc.

Then i'll see you guys next time, have a good day. Oh, and Dusty, good luck.

Thank you Doctor Pendansky.

*As Dusty and Greg depart the good doctor's office, not much is known how the medicine and counseling will help Dusty J, only time can truly tell that. As so it will tell the story of Aggravated Assault. Dusty J versus Violent Bryan, two old acquaintences from EFW squaring off for the World's Television Title, and Dusty J getting his first crack at the ICWA World Heavyweight Championship against Austin Briggs the defending champion, Raine Dawson, and Reginald L. Johnson.*