Shyness is defined by Websters.com as easily frightened and timid. Ha! Those words don’t even begin to describe the feelings of anxiety many people struggle with when it comes to attending any type of social function.
I have good news for you. First, you are not alone. I wrote my first book, The Fine Art of Small Talk, on this very topic, after suffering through many miserable episodes of sticking close to the corner and hoping nobody noticed me. In fact, several well-known celebrities claim to be extremely shy, even though their livelihood depends on their life in the spotlight. Lady Gaga notes: “I feel a bit like I did in highschool, like I don’t really fit in.” Yes, the outlandish, showstopping, attention-seeking Lady Gaga is SHY! Barbra Streisand disappeared from the spotlight for almost thirty years because of her anxiety and stage fright. Tom Hanks suffered a painfully shy childhood; singer Adele was so petrified at her own concert that she escaped from a fire escape, after vomiting from her fear of performing.
US News recently asked me, along with several other authors, for some advice on overcoming shyness. Check out the articlehere; and the next time you are considering the fire escape, remember that you are not alone. With a few easy tips, you, too, can be making small talk with another person, instead of cowering behind that fake plant in the corner.
