My Own Skin

 When I am in a group of people and feel uncomfortable I sometimes say it is because of something about the group or persons in the group.  It may be what they say, or how they look or some other thing out there.  But over time I have found that when I am uncomfortable it is not because of anything on the outside.  It is because I am uncomfortable in my own skin.  Self-centered fear is inside stuff as opposed to some real thing on the outside to fear, like an oncoming train.  I have learned to sit there in my discomfort and surrender it to God.  The discomfort always seems to go away.  And if it does not it might be because I am full of fear and shame or whatever, that has nothing to do with the group.  So I talk to some stranger after the gathering, in spite of wanting to run out of the meeting as soon as it ends.  Works for me.