How to Stop Feeling Awkward When You're Actually the Most Magnetic Woman in the Room

Years ago, I was standing in the corner of my own house, feeling like a complete outsider.

We were hosting a party in Portland. Our place was packed with people -- laughing, drinking, vibing together like they'd known each other forever.

The thing is... they had.

They were all my roommates' friends. And I was the awkward girl hovering near the kitchen island, pretending to be very interested in the snack arrangement.

I felt invisible. Uncomfortable. Like I didn't belong in my own home.

Every time someone would glance my way, I'd look down. My heart would race. My palms would sweat. I'd overthink every word before it left my mouth.

"Should I say something? What would I even say? God, why am I so weird?"

The anxiety was suffocating.

I remember thinking: "Everyone else makes this look so easy. What's wrong with me?"

Here's what I didn't understand then:

It wasn't that I wasn't magnetic. It was ...