When people approach me in social situations, I’m very natural, charismatic, confident, sociable, and fun to be around. Some examples: being invited to events/parties, co-workers coming to my office for small talk, being invited to lunch/dinner, girls asking me out on dates, etc. many people tell me that they think I’m an extrovert and I have the ability to “light up the room.”
But when I’m in social situations where I have to initiate the socializing, I’m SUPER awkward and don’t really know what to do with myself. I struggle with initiating conversations with people, asking friends to hang out, asking out girls, etc. And if I’m at an event or social situation where I don’t know anyone, I feel so awkward and uncomfortable to the extent that I usually just leave.
Why do I do this and how do I fix it?