Being shy or being extroverted? For some people, it’s not a question. It’s something that defines a part of their personality that they cannot seem to escape from. Many believe that being extroverted has more advantages. Why? Because they can access many opportunities that the other ones cannot. Harnessing your personality, whichever this might be, will make you a person that can reach success more easily.
But c’mon, with millions and millions of people, it’s not like the competition is going to get any easier, right? Being a shy person for many, it’s like living in the shadows. It’s like you’re there, but you’re not. Your image is shrouded in the light of many. A light that you are sure you possess but that for some reason, you cannot get it out there to be seen.
This is something I can relate to quite well. I was the youngest of three children. I always felt that I had to do the impossible to stand out as a son, and I tried to, but I often felt it wasn’t enough. It was actually, but I was too shy to see it. I had several friends in my neighborhood and at school, but the problem was opening to new people.
I would just freeze and start to stutter when I was introduced to a new friend, especially it the new friend was a girl. My brother was a little shy as well, and then my oldest brother was a lot more extroverted. I tried to emulate how he was, but I couldn’t. I felt that a lot of good opportunities would go past me if I didn’t open up more, so I had to give it a try.
I opened up a little bit as soon as I started high school. I had suffered from stuttering all throughout middle school. So, as soon as that problem went away, I felt a new boost of confidence because I was meeting new people and was getting to know them. I still felt a little overwhelmed at times, but I tried to make the best of it.
Everything got a lot better once I started working. I soon found myself having to do presentations and talking to new people on a daily basis. I became very confident and I guess I outgrew my shyness. It really did help me and gave me a lot of friends. What I learned is that everything in life is about cycles and for me, that was one of them.
The girl in the following video is also extremely shy. She did something that I could not have done at her age. Sing in front of a packed audience. Singing in front of a bunch of people in a living room is tough enough! The judges see her and comment on the fact that she is shy. They don’t want to tell her anything related to it, and just let her sing. When she does… she gives us one of the most special moments in ‘X Factor’ history.
Share your thoughts in the discussion. What did you think of her performance?
