Since 6 weeks now I'm saying Hello ("Bonjour", since I'm in Quebec) to at least one stranger every day. During the first days it was really difficult for me to

Since 6 weeks now I'm saying Hello ("Bonjour", since I'm in Quebec) to at least one stranger every day. During the first days it was really difficult for me to break the ice, and it sometimes felt awkward and eventually (after 1-2 weeks) it became a second nature. I smile all the time when I'm outside and look at people more easily, in order to ease a non-awkward "Bonjour". I still have some people ignoring me or just mutter a barely recognizable response and avoiding me, but it feels good every time I'm done for the day (having saluted 1 person). It's an efficient habit to overcome shyness I think. My next goal: starting a conversation with at least one stranger everyday. And like the article says, it kind of forces me (the smiling, eye contact, etc) to not just look happy but actually feel happier. And just overcoming the fear of talking to strangers is liberating.