Dear person,
I know that there is a lot of pressure put on you to make friends and speak for yourself. I know that others will never really understand how hard it is for you to talk to someone new because you are afraid of being made fun of or people not liking you. i also know the fear of thinking you might be all alone in this world so you know you need to make friends but then the cycle of fear repeats. I understand that you are more of a listener, not a talker. And that is okay. But just know, you don't have to be afraid, you are perfect the way you are and you will find people who love you for you.
To those who want to reach out to others but are afraid to, don't be. There are plenty of people out there who will love you for you, just be the person you are and don't try to impress. You should never have to beg someone to be your friend. There will also be people who don't like you or who will try to bring you down to build themselves up, but don't let them. Stay positive and walk away from those who want to hurt you, they aren't worth your time or your friendship, believe me.
Now to those who just like to sit and observe, that's fine too. You don't have to be talking all the time and sometimes all people want is someone who will listen to them. Don't feel like you have to talk all the time in order to be interesting or be a good friend. Your friends will understand that sometimes you just like to sit back, and that there is nothing wrong with that. the advantage of being quiet is that people will come to you when they need someone who will listen.
Now to everyone else, if you know someone who is shy, be friendly but also don't be pushy. No one likes being forced to talk, so please don't force shy people to talk if they don't want to. Be friendly and kind, but like with anything don't be overly friendly that they feel uncomfortable. Be encouraging, be loving, and be supportive and hopefully with your friendship they will start to feel more comfortable and want to put themselves out there more. If you show people that they are loved, then that could mean the world to them when they constantly experience or hear stories of hate and cruelty. The smallest word or act of kindness can mean the world to someone trying to find their way in the world. I know for me it was hard at first, I didn't think I fit it well and I was afraid to talk to people because I had self esteem issues, but then people were nice to me and I made some friends and that helped me build my confidence and now I am a lot less shy then I used to be.
So to the shy girl or boy-- know you matter, that you are unique, that there are people who want to hear what you have to say and who care about you, and that you don't have to be afraid. Also know that building up confidence takes time, so don't get discouraged if you have some set backs. And most importantly learn how to love your self and believe it, it will be the most important thing you ever learned.
Sincerely,
A fellow shy person
