Ever since attending Ross Goldberg’s virtual seminar, I’ve grown to love twitter. As someone who spends a lot of time alone, it’s nice to have that little window onto the world, to share thoughts, meet people, and develop the type of relationships that I would find really hard to do in person. As a marketer, I really love that I can connect with other marketers to share and learn, and to have the opportunity to enhance my own business in the way that is only possible on a social site such as twitter.
Sounds like heaven, right? And it may well be to people who are outgoing and find it easy to be around other people. I watch in awe as people I admire and respect banter back and forth. I make my own little tweets and my heart soars when I get a reply or a direct message. And yeah, I realize how pathetic that sounds, but you have no idea how much courage it takes for me to hit that send button. I can write no problem, but actually sharing that writing in a place where there’s a chance that someone’s not gonna like it… that’s one of the hardest things for me to do. And while I’m getting better at it and it gets a little easier every time, there are still too many days when I would much rather crawl into my little hidey-hole and stay there.
Therein lies my dilemma. I know that to have an effective presence on twitter or any other social network I need to be there interacting with people on a regular basis. I also know that I need to be sharing at least some of what I’m doing and thinking so that people can get to know me better, and lemme tell ya, that idea is almost a deal breaker here. I’m so used to being in the background, and living basically alone that I telling people what I’m up to is a totally foreign concept.
So my question is this…
If your natural inclination is to be more isolationist than social, how do you do it? How do you overcome those anti-social tendencies and interact with others on those days when you just can’t handle the thought of talking to another person?
If I’m coming across as melodramatic, I’m sorry. It sounds over the top even to me, but I really want to know. More like need to know because this is something that I struggle with on a daily basis, and it’s something that I really want to overcome.
Please leave your thoughts and suggestions in the comments. I’d love to hear your take on this, and as always, introvert and extrovert points of view are welcome. 
I’m like you. I tend to twitter more when I’m feeling more social, and less when I just want the world to leave me alone
I am working on coming out of my shell, have been working on this for years now — it’s a constant work in progress. I used to be real shy, now a better part of the time I will start a conversation with a total stranger — in person. Online, I tend to be more open and more me. I guess that’s cuz it’s easier to do when you’re not looking at the person in the eye.
Will be interesting to see what others say. Great post!
We all have challenges and fears in our lives and overcoming them can be quite a task. It is worth it however. Let me share with you a true story.
A few years ago I knew a woman who only left her home when it was absolutely necessary. This woman cut herself off from her friends,family and all others. She lived in a house where the blinds were always drawn and would not answer the door or the phone. She lived like this for 2 years. Her lifestyle the previous 8 years had attributed to it.
This woman was very lonely,sad angry and hurt and her self esteem was at the lowest level of her life. Then she found out she was pregnant. This forced her out of the house to go to Doctors appointments and deal with life as it unfolded. The pregnancy saved her life.
You’re right. It is very difficult,if you live in a cocoon,to come out. It is possible though if you want it badly enough. It has to be something that You work on everyday even if it moves you out of your comfort zone. Change is Growth.
The key is small steps. It doesn’t matter if you just smile at another in passing,or smile on Twitter or Facebook. Most people will smile back. Try it the next time you go to the grocery store. If you follow the tweets and status updates of those who are social, they don’t look at what they are saying as “Not Being Liked” or “Being Liked” they just “Are Who They Are”. And its OK.
Maybe for an example start by (RT) ReTweeting something you learned from another follower. I plan on using Tweetlater, not only for keyword research but to thank my followers for following, and to set up scheduled tweets for days I cannot, or don’t feel like sharing.
We all have days that we want to crawl in a shell,but living like that is NOT LIVING. I know, I am the woman I was sharing the story about
I have learned that not everyone is going to like me and that is now ok 
I have also learned that by being open with others and sharing,I will gain far more than I will ever lose.
Be You!
and
Be Well,
Anita
Wow. What a powerful story. Thank you so much for sharing.
Baby steps are a wonderful thing. I’m finding that just hanging out on twitter it gets a little easier to post every day. And my days of wanting to hide are being replace more often by my days of wanting to share something, even if, as you said, it’s only a smile.
Thanks again for taking the time to post this.
Lena
We get wounded, often at an early age, and retreat to protect ourselves. We are doing the best we know how. However, in building that wall, as you’ve recognized, not only do we keep out the bad, but also the good.
How do we dismantle it? One of the best ways I know to emerge from your shell is to listen to the power of your heart.
When you do, you honour yourself and do what is right for you, when it is right for you.
Anita has provided you with some excellent twitter tips, too.