"Start small. Many people are afraid to make phone calls, or to approach a clerk in a store. Begin by practicing these little habits. A clerk in a book store an

"Start small. Many people are afraid to make phone calls, or to approach a clerk in a store. Begin by practicing these little habits. A clerk in a book store answers hundreds of questions a month. There’s no reason to be frightened of asking yours." I used to be afraid of stuff like this. Then I started hanging out with new people, some of whom are even worse than I was. It's really helped. I ask them why they don't just do something. They confess that they're afraid. I ridicule them, knowing that I would also be too afraid in their place. Then I have to do it myself to demonstrate that it's not hard or scary at all. Unfortunately I haven't yet applied the general rule.