Lauxa, you might want to try forgetting about how wonderful you are, and practice a focus on how loveable, interesting, and vital the people in the room are.
When you hold such a focus in your mind, your self-consciousness fades away and people become magnetized to you. Many people feel reluctant to introduce themselves and will be grateful to you for taking the initiative.
As for your kids, they're a blessing, because they give you an automatic move-on cue.
I don't like to head straight for the bar & buffet when I first arrive. I'll usually go straight to the host, say hello and ask him if there's anyone I would especially enjoy meeting and why. Then I can go up to that stranger and say, "Our host asked me to introduce myself to you because we both spent time in the Algarve (practice nude yoga, have sisters in the army, grew up in hippie communes, are interested in personal development, etc.)
|