[grawprog]

I'm sorry I can't remember the exact title but i read a book on non-verbal communication a while back that was really helpful for learning to read body language and helping me adjust my own body language to come across as more friendly. It's really surprising how much just changing your posture and paying attention to your facial expressions really helps with talking to people. It also helps you pick up on their emotinal state whether they're nervous or anything. Any book that teaches those concepts should help.

Also, not really a resource but something a friend of mine told me years ago that always stuck with me and really helped me with the way I am around people. She told me being shy and introverted isn't much different than being arrogant. It means you're more concerned about the way your words or actions will be perceived by other people instead of actually paying attention to other people. Most people, even extroverted people, get nervous talking to people, especially strangers. The way I see it other people are just as nervous talking to me so it is kinda selfish to sit there and be introverted and make other people reach out to me or talk to me. I've tried to keep this inind over the years when I meet or talk to people and it's helped. Even if i'm uncomfortable in a situation just understanding that whoever i'm talking to probably is also and it helps me relax and usually being relaxed helps the other person relax and where I used to have a lot of awkward conversations with people I find they flow more naturally now the less I worry.