Title – The Places I didn’t Go To.

The places I didn’t go to,
The people I didn’t meet,
The sights I’ve never seen,
Fears I couldn’t defeat.

Friendships I’ve never made,
Complements I’ve never taken,
Always being afraid
The words I’ve never spoken.

Songs I’ve never sang,
Food I’ve never tasted,
Friends I’ve never thanked,
So much time wasted.

Dances I’ve never danced,
Successes I’ve never flagged,
Risks I’ve never taken,
Achievements I’ve never bragged.

Sweating, mind goes blank,
Blushing, uncontrollable shakes,
Speaking quietly, avoids situations,
Heart pounding, dwelling on mistakes.

Breathlessness, mixing up words,
Stomach in knots, mumbling,
Dizziness, dry mouth,
Panicking, head pounding.

Putting myself under pressure,
I should be a quick thinker, confident and chatty.
Never giving myself a chance,
I should look normal, calm and happy.

Abandon safety behaviour,
Change my thought process,
Mind reading is unreliable,
Assumptions just a guess.

Focus on successes,
Trust more what I know,
Remember no one’s perfect,
And confidence will grow.

Sometimes let my guard down,
And try something new,
Try doing things differently,
We all have a different view.

Conversations I hope to share,
Parties I hope to go to.
Remember what’s done is done,
There is so much more to do.