28. How To Break Free From Being Shy to Finally Being Seen

For once, I was running on time, meeting a friend for lunch. Clothes were on, makeup was done, hair was finished, and I had about 20 minutes to spare before I needed to leave to catch my train.

What could I do in those 20 minutes?…

That was the first time I ever showed up on camera to the community on social media, Instagram, to be specific.

It wasn’t planned, I didn’t really know what I was going to say, but what had taken me 4 years to pluck up the courage to do, I suddenly felt compelled to do in the heat of the moment on a random Wednesday afternoon and hit the record button.

So believe me, I know. That tightness in your chest that you feel every time you feel called to speak up, or post online, or walk into a room full of people and introduce yourself to someone is frightening, but it isn’t always because you're shy.

Yes, being shy is a personality trait, but there’s more to it than just being shy.

When you feel the urge to step forward, but feel as though something is holding you back, it’s because you are ready to be seen, but for so long you’ve trained your mind to hide.

You want to express yourself through your voice, your inner power, even your style, but before you’ve even uttered a word, you feel like something is shutting you down. You want to be confident, bold, and influential, but instead you shrink…

And the fear sets in.

You start wondering:

• “What’s wrong with me?”

• “My life would be so much easier if I were a confident girl”

• “What would it take for me to just put myself out there?”

But before you get frustrated with yourself, you should know that there’s nothing wrong with you, and the good news is, being shy is something you can easily overcome.

I’m not talking about ‘fixing your shyness’ because there’s nothing wrong with you in the first place. Instead, in this article, I’ll show you a framework to step into who you really are and finally find the confidence to be seen.