Combatting Shyness

Are you afraid to call attention to yourself? You'd like to be a star, but you feel shy. I have a simple piece of advice for you:

GET OVER IT!

Of course I know it may not be that simple for you. It's difficult to overcome a lifetime of shyness. That's why I encourage you to make small changes in your behavior to start. But you have to start. The key is to take action. Stars may feel shy, but they don't act shy. Nor should you.

Here's one way to overcome shyness: Start a conversation with a person by asking about them. Most people want to talk about themselves. Ask them about their families, their jobs, or their hobbies. You'll find that many people will talk about these things with very little prompting. You don't need to talk about yourself. I will bet that at the end of that conversation the person talking to you will have formed a very favorable impression of you. Try it on one or two people to start. You'll be amazed at the results.

After awhile, people will begin to seek you out so they can tell you the latest thing that's happened to them. You'll be the center of attention. You'll be a star.

Take stock on Sundays

Today is Easter Sunday. For Christians, it's a day of celebration and reflection -- a day to take stock of their spiritual lives.

Don't wait a year before reviewing the success of your transformation into a star. Review your progress at least once a week. What actions did you take last week to achieve your objective? What obstacles remain in your path? What do you intend to do in this coming week to achieve your goals?

Write these things down. Review your lists from the previous weeks. Make sure you're making progress. If you're not making progress, take a long, hard look at yourself. Have you put these principles into practice? Or are you just dreaming, without doing?

Make a weekly review a regular part of your routine. As Will Rogers said, "Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there."