I read a comment the other day encouraging people to reach out and engage others in conversation. I see the merit in this and yes, it did motivate me to reach out a bit further and say hello to someone I didn't know, to introduce myself, and chat a bit. This happened after the Women Helping Women race I did last weekend and I just felt compelled to say HI to an amazing woman I see running all over town. It was nice to formally introduce myself but yet, there is a time when that wouldn't have happened.It isn't always easy to reach out and say hello to someone. Okay, for some it may be a natural ingrained talent and/or personality trait but for some it isn't. They just may be that girl in the corner and today I am writing this, and drawing attention to this, since I was that girl in the corner.
It took many years and many steps of confidence building to get to where I am today and no, I won't say I am a social butterfly with a zillion of friends. I have a few dear friends close to my heart but amazingly enough, through techonology and blogging I can honestly say I have quite a few non-traditional friends. These are the ladies and gentlemen that I interact with on a regular basis sharing tips, advice, and encouragement. But still for some, that may be easiser said then done. Personally, I would love to up my game some. I would love to respond to each and every comment but I must be honest....I am finding it hard to find the time to do so. I need a better strategy. In a real life face-to-face conversation I would never leave someone hanging. I need to investigate what technological features I can adopt in my blogging to make it easier to comment directly to you. I have roundabout ways, I get it done....just not 100% of the time. I want more.
But back to that girl in the corner. I hear when I was little I was so talkative that I never stopped talking. As I got older, you know, those teenage years, the talking quieted and this is probably where I felt the bulk of my shyness. It was hard to reach out to others. It was scary. I was concerned about what others felt and didn't trust they would return my sense of friendship. Things never stay the same. Trust me, they don't. And this can be good.
As I entered college I did more public speaking for classes and started to feel more confident in me. If I knew my topic, I could talk on forever. I began to find my voice again. It is crazy that years later my public speaking trials in the classroom would transform into leading camp classes and teaching kids on field trips about whales. Go figure! I was now speaking to 100 people at a time and yes, at times I had to wing the lesson as things didn't go as planned. It is a bit different then reciting a planned talk in college. You really need to know you voice and topic.
Fast forward a few more years and I started a blog. I strive to post daily but in all reality, if my message that day is blurry due to life I won't post. I intend to write when my mind is open and feels confident in this is the story it wants to tell today. Sometimes the story evolves into something completely different than I originally dreamed as I write.
Like this post. It has been in my mind for days. To encourage you to not only step out of your comfort zone every now and then but perhaps to take it a bit further. Why not go to that girl in the corner and introduce yourself? Perhaps she just needs a little encouragement to get over a personal hurdle. Who knows what that one moment could blossom into in more ways than one. You may help her over a hurdle and that is it. Or you may meet another amazing friend who will continue to support you and encourage you throughout your life.If you have never been a really shy person you may not understand how hard it is to overcome those sensations of fear. That's okay. Fortunately I feel my shyness is mild but it still exists. There are still those questions running through my mind like "what will people think now knowing that I was once a shy girl in the corner" or "am I odd in feeling a sincere friendship to my non-traditional friends"? But I continue to choose to not listen to those voices of doubt and speak my mind because I am certain somewhere, somehow, someone will benefit even if it is just me by setting an example of living a life I would be honored my daughter will follow one day.
Daily Gratitude: I am thankful for family.
Daily Affirmation: My opinions and feelings are worthy.
