Imagine that you are surrounded by millions of sharks that keep circling you. There is only you, the ocean, and a bunch of hungry sharks that want to eat your face off. What would you do ? Personally I would freak out, try to escape, or accept my fate. You may be wondering how in the world do sharks correlate with overcoming shyness, and how I learned to be less awkward. Funnily enough, being surrounded by millions of sharks is the best way to explain what shyness feels like, especially if you have never felt shy before. Not everyone feels the same way when they are shy, some people only feel minimally uncomfortable, while others would rather become a hermit then talk to strangers or people they don’t feel comfortable with. I am part of the please-let-me-become-a-hermit group. Even though I “overcame” shyness, I can’t help but feel at least a little uncomfortable. Shyness combined with awkwardness equals an “anti-social” hermit person.

Overcoming shyness and awkwardness was a struggle. It wasn’t because I was scared to put myself out there and become a “normal” person, (someone who is a social butterfly,) but it was because I didn’t know where to start. I knew I should have started off small, so that is exactly what I did. I started by saying hello to random people that I meet, rather it is in the hallways at school or in an isle at a grocery store. When you start off by saying hello to others, they are less likely to strike up a conversation, but more likely to