I think I answered a question yesterday about speaking in front of a group, that has similarities to shyness. Shyness is virtually always in relationship to being afraid of being blamed, being afraid of being rejected, being afraid of the loss of friends and whatever else, we are shy of saying anything, we are scared. Shyness is a fear; it is a kind of aversion to the moment, so again the intention, bringing forth a better intention all the time.
If I am shy, let's say, I am 14 years old, I wanted to ask a girl to go to a football game with me, I was too shy, I was to timid, I was too scared that I would be rejected. I finally got enough nerve, I was ready to ask her and she told me she was going to the game with a 16-year-old. That then blew me for the next 2 years! It only helped encourage my shyness because I got this pain or rejection. Now, that is typical for kids, typical for teenagers, but the contentment within yourself could be an important aspect, to get over shyness, that goes to your intention, of course, what are we doing things for, why do we want things, why do I want something from that person.
When we are talking about shyness it is relationship to other people, right? It is in relationship to "I am going to communicate with them" or "I am not going to communicate with them". Why is it that I want to communicate with them? I wasn't too shy to ask somebody to hand me the saltshaker at the dinner table, I wasn't too shy for that. I was shy to ask the girl out, so the intention behind why you are communicating is very important.
Now as adults and as Buddhist practitioners, we are putting into you a lot of methods to develop your own inner direction, so your intentions are more pure. If you are more content - if I had been a content 14-year-old, I wouldn't have asked the girl, I wouldn't have wanted to go out with the girl, because I would have been content in my own self. If things then happen so that we decide to go out, that is fine, that is a bonus. But I would not have wanted it so much. Shyness can come when we are wanting a lot. So we are looking at our intention over and over and when your intention gets more pure, then you don't have to be afraid of rejection, you don't have to be shy to ask for something because you are not worried about the rejection.