by Lorelei Cohen

Created on: June 22, 2009   Last Updated: June 27, 2009

We are the silent voice that is rarely heard because we are afraid to speak out. Locked within our shyness, we miss out on so very many opportunities of life and living. We just quietly remove ourselves to the shadows, and watch the world from there, but that does not have to be the case. We can be strong, vocal and unafraid. It just takes inner strength, and a strong willingness to fight to overcome the tendency to retreat, and hide within the safety of our world of silence.

Time, dedication and a willingness to change one's very thoughts, ideals and attitudes toward living, can effectively change a person's life forever. I have done it and you can too. Shyness can be overcome. You can change your life forever! You just have to fight your natural tendency to want to hide away within yourself.

Read aloud to yourself or to a friend, and practice singing to a Karaoke Machine to help you become more comfortable with the sound of your voice. Practice joining into conversations. Speak your opinions in conversations.

Even if at the beginning you are terrified or feel very uncomfortable within conversations, new places or situations; just keep forcing yourself to keep going through the motions of an active lifestyle, get out there and do it! The more that you participate, the more comfortable and confident that you will feel, and the sooner you will overcome the tendencies that force you into shyness.

Practice being in unfamiliar public places with friends, and also when you are alone, this will help you to become more comfortable among strangers or places where you might otherwise feel insecure.

Take an Assertiveness Training Course:

Envision a swinging pendulum on a clock. The starting point or center is where the pendulum lies before it swings left, then back to the center and then to the right. To the left is the passive person, in the center stands the assertive person, and to the right is the aggressive person.

The "Passive person" does not stand up for their personal rights. This individual is submissive and allows others to bully or coerce them into doing things that they may not want to. The passive person may also on occasion, swing into the realm of an aggressive person, in an attempt to achieve their rights; thereby swinging too far right on the pendulum, and becoming a passive/aggressive individual.

The "Assertive person" stands up for their rights without infringing on the rights of others. They stand up for and demand their right to achieve their

• 1
• 2
• 3
• Next Page >>