Can shyness be completely overcome, or at least reduced The answer is positive. Here are some specific helpful steps toward building self-confidence and overcoming shyness: 1. Recognize your personal strengths and weaknesses. Everyone has both. As self-acceptance grows, shyness naturally diminishes. 2. Set reasonable goals. For example, you may be timid about being with a group of strangers at a party. Don’t feel that you must talk with everyone. Concentrate on talking to only one or two people. You will feel more comfortable. 3. Guilt and shame are destructive feelings. Don’t waste time and energy on them. Suppose you have hurt someone’s feelings. Feeling ashamed won’t do any good. Instead, accept the fact that you have made a mistake, and make up your mind to be more sensitive in the future. 4. There are numerous ways to avoid complaining about yourself. Avoid describing yourself as stupid, ugly, worthless, a failure. Stress the positive. 5. Accept criticism thoughtfully. Do not regard it as a personal attack. If, for example, a friend complains about your cooking, accept it as a comment on your cooking, not yourself. You are the same good friends; perhaps your cooking could improve. Each one of us is a unique, worthwhile individual. We are interesting in our own personal ways. The better we understand ourselves, the easier it becomes to realize our full potential. Let’s not allow shyness to block our chances for a rich life. 1. Shyness can be (46) or (47) . 2. At a party, you need not to talk with (48) , but concentrate on one or two people. 3. After you hurt someone’s feelings, the more useful thing to do is to (49) in the future. 4. Others’ (50) is not a personal attack, but a comment on your work.