Write your own invitation

Here's the thing about everyone on this planet. We all have at least one thing to care so much about, and that's ourselves. You'll never be able to always tell what's on another person's mind, but you could at least work within your control—your mind. To connect, have a conversation or at least get the attention of someone, you sometimes have to write your own invitation.

There have been times when I would feel like I wanted to meet with someone—perhaps I find them impressive, attractive, noteworthy or something—and I chose to rather wait for them to talk to me first. I thought it was self-respect or even being humble, but I was rather sabotaging myself for something that I actually wanted.

Being extroverted—say we wanted to categorize personalities—can be energy-demanding for some individuals, so they'd rather be introverted and avoid drama. They each have their strengths, but continuously remaining in one's shell and always trying to avoid "spotlight" might not be such a great idea. Knowing when to be in and out of one's shell, I like to think, is more reasonable.

People that truly know me would say the word "shy" is incompatible with me. They think I'm rather confident and great at connecting with people, especially when I really wanted to. Deep down within myself, that's not totally correct. Not to say that I am timid indeed, but that I do have my inhibitions when it comes to relating with people—I just try to brave through them instead in order to get what I want in the end—to connect. I've learned to write my own invitation.

I value my privacy and solitude, but by choosing to be outgoing and "open" to connections, especially at the right times, I have to be really helpful in meeting interesting individuals. The key is balance, as knowing when and how to approach these things is crucial. Character, as I have seen oftentimes, can take one places where knowledge alone may not be able to.