A few months ago, I wrote a piece titled How to Show Up When Social Situations Feel Hard.

I received more positive feedback on this than anything I’d written in a while, so I decided to turn it into a series. Over the next four weeks, we’re going to explore the major areas where our Waiting in the Wings self holds us back. We’ll also talk about one shift you can make each week to move toward becoming a Confident Connector. You can build stronger relationships, feel more at ease in social situations, and create opportunities that might have felt out of reach before.

A lot of people I talk to want more connection in their lives. Nothing crazy or earth-shattering. Just more human, in-real-life connection. Almost always, they can tell you exactly the reasons why they’re not joining in and, on some level, most of them make sense:

“It’s easier to stay home.”

“People already have their groups.”

“I don’t want to feel obligated to host or reciprocate.”

“I’m an introvert.”

“I’m single and being around couples is complicated.”

What they have in common, though, is that they keep people stuck inside themselves.
Not because they don’t want connection, but because the cost of stepping in feels too high. Your brain’s main job is to keep you safe and to avoid situations where the outcome is unclear. When you’re stuck in your head, everything feels like a decision you have to solve before you arrive:
Will I belong? Will I owe something? Will it be exhausting? Will it hurt?

I’d like to offer that curiosity softens that edge.

Instead of trying to figure out everything ahead of time, curiosity asks a different question: What might be true that I don’t know yet?

Are those friend groups actually closed or just familiar with each other?
Are there actually expectations or will they just be happy someone showed up?
Will this drain me or might one conversation surprise me?

Being curious doesn’t mean forcing yourself into situations that don’t feel right. It means leaving room for your assumptions to be incomplete. Curiosity gives you something to do instead of overthinking. It lets you arrive without deciding how the whole thing will go. For people who feel different, tender, or out of practice, curiosity matters. It lets you join without having to explain yourself first. You don’t have to become more outgoing and you don’t have to offer anything beyond attention.

Connection can start with interest.

Sometimes the most generous thing you can do for yourself is stop asking whether you fit and start noticing who’s in front of you. That shift is often enough to get you out of your head and into the room. And that’s where things can begin to change. Let curiosity be your bridge from hesitation to connection.

Ready to move from hesitation to connection?

If you want to strengthen your social confidence, the kind that helps you show up, notice others, and create real human connections, I’d love to support you.

Whether you’re deepening friendships, expanding your network, or building stronger teams, there are tools, workshops, and guidance to help you step in with ease.

BOOK A CONNECTION CALL