I was shy well into my 20s. My problem initially was that my parents weren't very social people and never taught me the social skills I needed. This combined

I was shy well into my 20s. My problem initially was that my parents weren't very social people and never taught me the social skills I needed. This combined with low self-esteem (which I think built-up from the low social skills), made me a really shy person. The real problem is that opportunities can and will pass you by when you aren't social (in most companies, you most likely won't get promoted). I wasted a lot of time at home, because I avoided social situations at all cost. You won't know what you miss as a shy person until it's too late. How did I fix it? 4 years of forcing myself into social situations. I joined a few groups on meetup.com and just recently started my own. This is what it takes. You need to push yourself. Some people can't do this on their own and actually need therapy.