Were you that type of person who absolutely hated the first day of school because you’d have to introduce yourself to a classroom full of strangers with a random fact about yourself? How about when you meet someone new and you want to seem cool but you can feel your face heating up and you decide staying quiet is the better option? Then there’s the worst of the worst; the dreaded word…icebreakers (cringes).
If you can relate to all the above like myself, let’s face it, we’re considered the shy girls.
Being shy can sometimes make you feel awkward or inferior to girls who are more outgoing than you. It seems like they are the ones who always get the boys’ attention, people want to be their friends because they are easier to talk to, and their voices get heard because they tend to be more outspoken. Although, from personal experience, this is not always the case. Us shy girls have hidden qualities up our sleeves without us knowing they are there. We’re mysterious, charming, great listeners, and observant. We have the ability to adapt to our surroundings because we are intuitive. We also know that we have the ability to be great leaders; we just have to take that extra step to prove it to ourselves.
And despite what people say, being shy isn’t necessarily a “problem.” But, sometimes doing those little things that you could never imagine yourself doing to get out of our comfort zone can really make a difference if you are wanting to be a little more extraverted.The smallest thing like sharing your answer in class or participating in a discussion would make you nervous. Will I get it wrong? Will I forget how to speak all of a sudden? Once you get over this tiny fear, just do it. I promise you, you won’t sound silly and you’ll secretly be proud of yourself for participating and sharing your opinion.
Say you’re out with your friends and some of them decide to do karaoke for fun…the thought of even going in front of people and singing terribly at that would normally freak you out. The next time you’re in a situation like this, don’t be the one to be off to the side and recording it on Snapchat. Go up there a join them! Yeah, it will be scary, but you won’t forget the laughs you had and how you actually did something you didn’t think you could. Leadership position? “Yeah right, they won’t even know who I am.” That’s a shy girl’s mindset. The next time a position opens up for something you have always wanted to do, apply for it. Run for it. You have the ability and there will be people who see the potential you have. Think about it. If you get it, think about all the growth you can achieve. And even if you don’t, the fact that you went outside your comfort zone speaks volumes of what you can really do and prepare yourself for the next opportunity.
So, even though speaking in front of a group of people will never not be terrifying and you will always have your awkward charm that people will love to get to know, that’s what makes us shy girls unique. We know we’re quiet and we know attention can be a bit intimidating, but we also know we have that drive in us that can be a little more courageous; extraverted. It’s the little initiatives we take that can prove we do have those sparks in us.
Xoxo,
Adri