1 . While socializing comes naturally for some, it can be a struggle for others. Shyness is a normal, common personality trait (特征).     1    . If you’re often hesitant to engage in social situations, you may interact with those around you in a more comfortable way. We outline four strategies for overcoming shyness in life.

You may have been shy most of your life.     2    . Working through shyness and developing increased confidence may seem like a discouraging task for you, but viewing the journey as an exciting adventure to parts unknown can be exciting and, in turn, may boost your self-esteem.

    3    . Talking to yourself in a negative way when describing yourself can damage your self-confidence. Consider replacing phrases like “I am shy” with “I am learning to be more comfortable” in social situations. This can go a long way toward moving from shyness to confidence.

Mindfulness involves drawing your attention to the present and being aware of your thoughts, feelings, and surroundings.     4    . In one study, participants in a mindfulness program experienced an improved view of their self-worth.

Getting started can be the hardest part of learning how to be more social for those who are shy.     5    . You can start out small. Try chatting with the teller at the bank or the person ahead of you in the checkout line. This can help you build confidence and work your way up to more difficult challenges.

2 . Winter goes and summer comes. The tides_______; the tides withdraw. All nature is a circle of moods and I am a_______of nature. It is one of nature’s_______, little understood, that each day I_______with moods that have changed from yesterday. Inside me is a wheel,_______turning. Like the flowers, today’s full blossom will_______, yet I will remember today’s dead flower carries the seed of tomorrow’s blossom.

And how will I master these emotions so that each day will be_______? Trees and plants depend on the weather to_______, but I make my own weather. I_______it with me. If I bring enthusiasm to my customers, they will________with enthusiasm and my weather will produce a harvest of sales and a lot of gold for me. I will learn this secret: weak is he who permits his thoughts to control his actions; strong is he who________his actions to control his thoughts. Each day I will follow this plan of battle before I am________by the forces of sadness,________and failure. I will know only those with inferior(较次的) ability can always be________, and I am not inferior. If I feel depressed I will sing. If I feel________I will remember my goals.Yet, some emotions approach me with a smile, which can also destroy me. If I become overly proud, I will remember my weaknesses. If I feel my skill is________, I will look at the stars.

With this new knowledge I will make________of a person’s anger of today, for he doesn’t know the secret of controlling his mind. No longer will I judge a man on one________. This secret will be my key to great wealth. From this moment I am________to control whatever personality awakes in me each day. I will control my fate, which is to become the greatest________in the world!

3 . Do you experience worries that get stuck in your head? Do these thoughts come with physical symptoms such as restlessness, muscle tension, or a racing heart?     1    

Your parents may help you move past anxiety by telling you “You don’t feel safe, but you are safe” and giving you space to experience discomfort and coming out the other side of it.     2     Many of these are the ones that you can apply in the moment without them being obvious to others.

● Practise mindful noticing. Mindfulness is the exercise of being aware in the moment and noticing your thoughts and feelings without judgment. Practising mindfulness can help shift your focus away from anxious thoughts and toward self-regulation. Try focusing on an object in the environment and giving it all your attention.     3     The more details you point out, the more your brain will focus on that object instead of the anxious thoughts.

●     4     More demanding than simply counting in order, randomly picking numbers requires more attention. Again, this shifts attention away from anxiety-related thoughts and onto the task of reciting random numbers, which, though boring, do not cause anxiety.

● “Silence, Bruno!”     5     Recognizing an anxious thought for what it is can help put things in perspective and give one the chance to challenge the unhelpful thoughts. Disney’s 2021 film Luca delightfully demonstrates this skill. The character, Alberto, tells his friend Luca to quiet the doubt and fight against thoughts (Bruno) in his head by shouting, “Silence, Bruno!”

4 . “I’m going to tell you a story,” I tell my class of high school seniors. “It’s a tale about love. And heart-break. And embarrassment.”

Their eyes widen. I ________ my throat. “In sixth grade,” I begin, “I fell madly in love. His name was David. He was tall, ________, kind of a bad boy—which I found fascinating. Unfortunately he had no interest in me at all. So it was Valentine’s Day. That day as I spilled my Valentine cards onto my desk, and among many small ________, I saw an enormous one, decorated beautifully. My mind ________:‘Who could it be from?’ With trembling hands, I ________ open the envelope and out fell an image of a queen, the heading of which ________, ‘To a Queen of a Valentine.’”

I give the class a ________ look. “I turned the valentine(情人卡) over, and at the bottom I saw the ________ and almost fainted: David. Then my eyes ________ up to the writing above his signature. It said, ‘To the Ugliest Girl in Our Class.’”

“Well, it ________ Valentine’s Day for me. It shook what little ________ I had in myself for a long time after. But I ________. And now I refuse to give up this holiday of love to the meanness of one ________ boy.” I smile. “And that’s why we’re going to have a party. A party that ________ kindness instead of cruelty.”

Their eyes ________. They are willing to let me take them ________ I am going. I hand out some paper so they can make cards. “Now please write something positive and sincere to everyone in the class. Even if it’s someone you ________ know, there’s always something nice to say.”

All these years, I’ve made it a routine in each of my class. After 20 years of teaching, I________few hopes that students will ________ all of the grammar or vocabulary I taught them. But if all a student ________ of one of my classes are the valentines they received one long-ago February, to me that makes it all worthwhile.