I am introverted and my memorable braver moments are when I am alone. It's kinder weird but that's my default environment.
Talking to people in events? It's scary. I would rather do something else than that. Not that I don't think about someday appearing randomly. I have even had foreplay moments of what I would say when am there.
But I can't quite figure out what to say next or behave in front of mean-looking people. I freeze instead. My posture is no less of an alcohol addict trembling to hold onto an empty cup. And I fumble a lot, like a child struggling to spit out words.
This has been an ongoing internal war of fear dragging me along the losing path. But yes, I long to get out there, to hang out, to appear in small gatherings, to engage in one-on-one conversations.
Because I couldn't wait any longer. The calculatable, sufferable cost of not putting off social anxiety was much more obvious; missed opportunities, shallow relationships, stagnant career...
So, I fight on
As a beginner, I chose an almost no-brainer approach: attend an event prior to the kick-off time and warmblood myself with casual talks, here and there, on the sidelines. It sounds obvious but it helps alot fill up my own little well of social confidence.