A little shy, I think...

As I sit in a room full of people, strangers, actually. I shrink down into my chair, hoping no one notices me, but interested in listening to what is going on around me. I look up and smile, hoping I will just blend into the background. A few people around me are starting to say some pleasant hellos, and I smile and say hello back. I start to sweat a little and my heart starts to race as more and more people say hello. I look up and then sort of look away quickly. I'm not good at looking people I don't know very well, in the eye. I feel uncomfortable, like they can see inside my soul if I let them and I don't like to feel that open to people who don't know me.

If you can believe it, yes, that is me in a crowd of people. I am not an introverted person, I am just shy. Though introversion and shyness overlap one another. You see: Introverts don't mind being alone, they aren't bothered by social situations, where shyness is a form of anxiety characterized by inhibited behavior. It also implies a fear of social judgment that can be crippling. (A little information I read in an article in Time Magazine, The Power of (Shyness) by Bryan Walsh. Thank you Bryan!)

So even though I may look like I am cool as a cucumber in social situations (don't I?), I am usually... Okay, well, I am almost always faking it. So now you know my little secret. I think as I have aged, I have become more and more shy, self conscious, and also get anxiety when it comes to meeting new people. My first thoughts are vain and superficial: Will they think I am pretty or ugly? Will they see my flaws on my face when they are looking at me? Do I have anything on my face, up my nose, in my eyes, or in my teeth? Do I have bad breath? Then I worry about: Will I say the wrong things to them and make them not want to talk to me? What if I say something dumb? and the list goes on... Yes, those are the things I think about when I talk to people I don't know, and sometimes, even when I talk to people I do know. Silly, yes, I KNOW...

But there are ways I get through some awkward feelings, such as, giving myself a pep talk like Stuart Smalley from Saturday Night Live, "YOU are good enough, you are smart enough, and doggone it - People like you!!!" - what? You don't know who Stuart Smalley is? He's like the coach of all coaches - HA HA HA Just kidding... Seriously though, I have made some personal goals for myself to overcome those feelings of angst. I take time out to breathe, I take a quick moment to think of a positive perspective, another way I get through is to put a smile on my face, and know that no matter what, that usually always helps. Like a picture, a smile is worth a thousand words.

Do you ever have times when you may not feel confident? What ways do you get through those moments?

When you overcome obstacles in your life, whether big or small they help to shape you and make you a better person inside and out. What obstacles can you put on your priority list to overcome?