by Lorelei Cohen

Created on: July 16, 2009

It is sometimes difficult for people to notice which people suffer from extreme shyness, and there is a very good reason for this, it is because shy people are trying very hard not to be noticed. Their world is a solitary one, and they hide within it's safety, or under the protective care of those individuals who have earned their trust.

A shy person is the person who rarely speaks out while in a group setting. In a school or work setting they are the person who must be asked for their opinion because they will very rarely volunteer it. If a shy person is out with a group of his or her peers then they are the person who is busily trying to hide behind the others, always situating themselves at the back of the pack, and trying to stay out of the limelight.

As a child I could never remember a time when I was not shy. If I could not bring myself to speak when it was apparent that I should, then my sister, or another sibling would speak for me. When company came to the house, I would usually hide, and come out only when I knew that they were people that I could trust. I never viewed myself as being different from my other siblings. It was just in my nature to prefer to live a solitary lifestyle. Shyness was just a part of who I was.

Shyness is basically the wanting to withdraw away from other people. It may be that an individual is born shy, or that events within their life have caused them to become that way, but it occurs. Some physical or emotional aspect of shy people makes them feel more content in life simply staying in the background and watching the world revolve around them.

Shyness also opens these individuals up to emotional or physical abuse because they are less likely to speak out in defense of themselves. Others find them to be easy targets because they simply remove themselves from the situation, or in more appropriate terms, they shy away from the situation. Shyness closes doors, because opportunities that present themselves, are never followed up on. Shyness steals away just so many aspects of life and living.

There are a number of reasons why you need to overcome your shyness, and all of which are encompassed within the many emotional experiences and adventures, that you would otherwise miss out on. Life is our greatest journey, and living it to it's fullest opportunity, makes it an absolutely amazing experience.

Overcoming shyness is difficult, and it takes a tremendous amount of courage and willpower, but it definitely can be done. I am living proof of that. Like everything else that we do learning to take a more assertive role in life takes practice. The more you practice than the more proficient you will become at it. Begin in baby steps and then take larger ones as you become more confident.

Become comfortable with the sound of your own voice by reading aloud or by singing along to a Karaoke machine. Speak out when you are with a group of people. Voice your opinion, and if at first you speak too quietly to get their attention, then try again. Take an assertiveness training course, this can even be done Online, and in the privacy of your home. Remember that practice makes perfect and that you are the one who must change. You must use all your will power to fight your natural tendencies to shy away within yourself. Take a Public speaking course. Do whatever it is that you must do to reduce your shyness.

Remember that the more comfortable that you become with your more assertive role in life then the less shy you will feel. Life and really truly living it is worth it.

Sources:

http://www.mentalhelp.net/poc/view_doc.php?type=doc&id=9778

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