The best that can happen

In the last few weeks I've had several invitations come my way, and I thought, "That looks pretty cool! But.... I'm not sure if I'll know anyone there / I'm not sure if new people will be nice / I'm not sure how to get there / I'm not sure what to wear, etc."

These days I am trying my best to put these minor anxieties aside and just do the thing that looks cool or interesting. And for the most part it's been a great success! I'm proud of myself for getting off my butt and getting out of my comfort zone recently.

When I attended a fundraiser for a show recently, I knew I'd only know two people there -- but I went and had a blast and enjoyed the company of the new people I met. Same can be said for a college alumnae networking event I attended -- I only knew one person who'd be there but I met several wonderful new friends. I also participated in two Earth Day events: a town hall meeting and a tree planting, and I felt fabulous after both and also made new friends.

Turns out that none of my worst-case scenario predictions came true in any situation: I didn't spend an evening standing in the corner alone, or wear the wrong thing, or say anything stupid. I wouldn't consider myself shy in social situations -- and certainly not with people I know well -- but in the past I realized I've shied away from situations where I wasn't sure what to expect when I got there. But now I'm finding I really like meeting new people, and when people are coming together for a common goal, almost everyone is willing to talk with me. And when I get going, of course I LOVE to talk!

So anyway, I'm going to continue to push myself to try some new things even if they're a little intimidating. It's always easier to sit around and do nothing, but a little bit of effort to get out there can go a long way. The best that can happen is pretty great, and much more likely than the worst that can happen anyway.