Urm, I think since you're online, talking to people you've never met in person, you're already taking steps to over come that last one.
That's true for me. I was never the type to make friends easily, too shy. I tend to be quiet around people I don't know until I warm up, sometimes takes a week of consstant contact, lik work for instance. But since I've been online, I tend to be more out going and not as shy as I used to be. Also, acting and or singing helps with that. Both helped me almost conquer my shyness. I was painfully shy as a kid, but as I got older and involved with things like choir and drama, I came out of my shell more.
