Most shy people try to console themselves with words like “I'm not shy. I'm just a quiet person.” How funny, because those two concepts - that of shyness and quietness - though they may seem similar, are from two different worlds. A quiet person has no problem mixing with crowds, but will only speak if they have something worth saying. Otherwise, they just shut up and listen. The shy person on the other hand, is bursting with the desire to speak, but is unable to because of the throat-clamping feeling of anxiety.

It's easy to overcome shyness! All you need to do is acknowledge that you are shy, and that you want to take steps to curing the defect. Here are seven tips for you to overcome shyness:

* Learn to love yourself. Appreciate that you are shy, but not retarded. Do not let the feeling that you are socially redundant because you are shy permeate into your mind. Your shyness is not a disadvantage therefore you should come to terms with it. This is the first step to banishing shyness.

* Seek out your discomfort. If you do not exercise your conversational activities, you might not lose of the feeling of shyness. Another step to overcome shyness is by deliberately seeking out social events to attend. The more you subject yourself to these events, the more you are forcing your hand - it might be stressful, but eventually it would be worth it.

* Don't run away from the situation. If you felt your last social conversation was a disaster and you have sworn never to have anything with it again, then you are running away from reality. I advice you instead to look at things differently and stay on course, it will definitely be worth it!

* Try to calm down. The thing with shy minds is that are constantly thinking: thinking up worst-case scenarios in any discussion event. As a result, with a mind so filled up with bogeys and visions of conversation disasters, it is not surprising that you become tongue tied. Take breathing exercises and empty your mind of these thoughts instead.

* Practice in mild settings: a family gathering may work the trick. Try to see how you can get along with members of the family - with whom you are more amiable - and by doing this you are building up for the grand scenario.

* Imagine a situation, and imagine what you could possibly do to feel more at ease. I have discovered that mental visualization tends to work the trick.

* Try to think more of others than all the ways you can mess up the situation. Listen to them and consider what they are saying. That way, you can get a hold on the conversation and you wont' have to stutter to respond to them.

These skills should be practiced, and you should bear in mind that it is not an overnight thing, as it will be slow, but surely you will snap out of your shyness.

Moni Arora is a personal development trainer and internet marketing consultant. Discover how you can Overcome Shyness as quickly as today by visiting http://www.MasterShyness.com where you can sign up for free tips on how to overcome shyness.