The Perks of Not Being a Wallflower

I’m not comfortable in social situations. The crowds of people — whom seem to be having the time of their lives — baffle me. They flit and float from one conversation to the next, and they do it gracefully, merrily as though they truly believe that that’s what living is all about.

I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about highly sociable people, the kind who crave community above everything else and look forward to having a full calendar. That’s just not me. I know this, but sometimes, I wish I could be, the one asking, “when’s the next party?” instead of being the one who’s too embarrassed to come.

But this past month, I learned that this introvert with social anxieties could be fine company at a party. It just took a simple change in my thinking. The way I saw it, I had 2 options:

I could sit at the table and analyze all of the other guests on the dance floor, admiring their ability to get down without a second thought, and then cursing myself for not dressing as cute as everyone else and not having great makeup and… and… and.

Or I could try to have fun, meaning that I wouldn’t compare my cool factor to another person; that I would genuinely let loose and stop caring about all those other silly things that didn’t actually matter in that moment.

I liked the second option. After all, it sounded simple, manageable and a hell of a lot more fun than sitting in my chair, further reinforcing the belief that I’m not good enough all night.

And I had a blast. More importantly though, I didn’t let me insecurities stop me from having the best time with a few good friends.

 

 

 

 

 

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