Thread: Need Help With Shyness

Wow, just moved into your new place. What fun. What a fresh new start. New starts are always good, which means you can make changes much more easily. I was very shy too growing up and only had one close friend in my class. I didn't talk to ANYBODY. But when I moved out, I made a change. I met people in my area by putting myself in places where people were. I started dating my neighbor, and he was so funny! I appreciated what people would give to me if I would let them. Just being able to meet a new personality and a different outlook was adventurous. I always reminded myself, "I've never met this person before, so they have no idea how shy I USED TO BE." I could be a different person with everyone I met. A changed person. A not shy person with lots of friends. I watched a movie one time and I'll insert a quote because it was something I always remembered when I stood next to someone in line at the convenience store.

"Hey. Could we do that again? I know we haven't met, but I don't want to be an ant. You know? I mean, it's like we go through life with our antennas bouncing off one another, continously on ant autopilot, with nothing really human required of us. Stop. Go. Walk here. Drive there. All action basically for survival. All communication simply to keep this ant colony buzzing along in an efficient, polite manner. "Here's your change." "Paper or plastic?' "Credit or debit?" "You want ketchup with that?" I don't want a straw. I want real human moments. I want to see you. I want you to see me. I don't want to give that up. I don't want to be ant, you know?"

We need to quit living our lives looking down at our feet and let others just pass us by. And we walk with our heads down for a number of reasons. Shyness, sadness, loneliness, embarrassment, business, whatever...remember that you are missing out when you do that. And people don't bite. If you've never met them before and the confrontation doesn't quite work out, well then, you probably won't ever see them again and you can continue to try and be someone elses friend. Onward little tomato!