😀 Hello, I already think you are doing pretty good because it seems like you are aware of your problem and are already actively working to make it better! Dont feel guilt ;3 everyone is worth their words, and there is nothing to be ashamed of. Feeling guilty is a gross road that you probably know is not fun to walk on. bla! I struggle with self-esteem a lot too and if there is one tip I can offer on trying to get rid of bad self-esteem is to just get rid of “self-esteem” in general. It sounds really dumb when you say it to yourself but think about what it implies 😀 You’re already on a mission for growth and evolution, seeking out experiences and people. When getting rid of that sense of needing to have a certain mask to the people around you, you start to truly live to please what goals you are setting out for yourself! Just think that if people care-why should you?! It may sound selfish to do and I’ve never been able to get it in words without it sounding so harsh, but honestly the most important person in your life is you-it’s where all your perceptions and experience make up in the first place, and as crazy as it sounds-when you start living for yourself and being happy, people are naturally attracted to you because of how happy you are 😀 I don’t want to say you become more “confident”, but it’s similar in the way that you do not care if you mess up, because you are just working on your own way, and other people are not your “own way”. You have to be authentic 😀 If you are acting authentic, then you will probably attracted people that authentically like you, no games and no masks! And if they don’t authenticaly like you-then don’t take it as a blow to YOURSELF ever! It may seem sad, but not everyone will get along swimmingly, it does not mean that you are a jerk, or they are a jerk inhearantly, it just means you probably don’t offer each other a way to grow. it’s equally as important to remember that is completely ok as it is important to make relationships that will help you grow if you struggle with shyness and self-esteem. The main thing you want to remember is to just give up stressing what other people may think about you, and start living for you, when I did that I saw amazing changes in my life-I’m talking from personal experience here, people who I was terrified of before actually became good friends and I lived with little fear of other people-and I would just love for everyone to do the same 😀 I hope this can help somehow, I’m also pretty shy and very nervouse to comment here 😡