Joan6466
Active member
Good situation for all of us to think about! I think your analysis is quite good- I see that one inhibitor is your impression of your voice strength. Is that your perception that it is too quiet, or have you gotten that feedback, such as, "I can't hear you.."? I would probably start at a smaller step, i.e. passing someone in the hallway- where you can practice a greeting- "Hi-John- how are you?" It's a way of acknowledging another person, gives you a chance to practice your friendly look,your voice strength, and your reputation. Little steps can change others' impressions of you--that you are a friendly person- so many times people who are shy are thought of as aloof and indifferent. You will get there. Remember to always praise yourself for the attempt- or even the thought-(that time I almost said hello - good for me--I'll get better as I go along)- and practice OUTLOUD what you might have said, after the event, with yourself. It's a way of getting it imprinted on the brain.By doing this, some day you'll automatically greet someone- "hey-how's it going?"- and as you're walking away, you'll think, oh, my gosh, where did that come from? Cheers to you.