Article: Just like any other skill, being sociable requires consistency and practice in order to master. This means you will have to get out of your comfort zone and force yourself to interact with other people on a regular basis. Avoid compartmentalizing your life and separating your "social life" from the rest of your life. If you truly want to be a social person, you will have to be social in all aspects of your life, from work to school to family. Get in the habit of striking up casual conversations with the people you meet on a daily basis, including bank tellers, baristas, and cashiers. Spend your free time with friends, when possible. If you are the type of person who spends a lot of time partaking in a certain hobby or physical activity alone, then consider inviting a friend along next time. Always accept social invitations. Avoid making excuses like being too tired, having to wake up early the next day, or feeling unattractive. While some excuses are legitimate, others are simply used to avoid interaction. Learn to differentiate between honest excuses and dishonest ones. Everybody wants to be around people who are optimistic, upbeat, and happy. Even if you don't feel positive all of the time, you should at least act positive when talking to other people. For example, if somebody asks you to tell them about your life, focus on sharing the positive qualities of your life rather than complaining about the negative ones. Making your life sound positive will instantly spark peoples' interest, and they will want to hear more about you. If you want to seem interesting to others, you will have to show interest in them, especially when you are in the middle of a conversation. When you are talking to somebody, listen to what they are saying rather than worrying about what you should be saying. Make eye contact, nod your head, and ask them follow-up questions. Avoid constantly checking your phone or looking around you while you are in the middle of a conversation. These types of things come across as rude and suggest that you are uninterested in the person and conversation. If you are at a party or other social function, how you position your body sends a message to other people. If you want to be approached by others, you should avoid standing in the corner, crossing your arms, staring at your phone, and frowning. Making eye contact with others and smiling shows them that you are friendly, open, and non-intimidating. Plus, everybody looks more attractive when they smile. If you are constantly waiting around for people to call you or invite you places, then you are wasting your life. Relationships are built upon a mutual effort; if you want to show people that you value their friendship, you will have to reach out to them and initiate opportunities to spend time with them. Keep in touch with friends, even if you don't live in the same town. Pick up the phone and call them, send them a text, or e-mail them asking how they've been. The best way to make new friends and expand your social circle is to say yes to new opportunities to meet others. Accept invitations to parties and social gatherings, take trips to new places, and talk to strangers in cafes, on the bus, at school, on airplanes, etc. While meeting strangers may seem intimidating, think of it this way: if you don't know them to begin with, then you really have nothing to lose if things don't work out. On the other hand, you never know when a stranger can turn into your new best friend, business partner, or love interest! It is hard to remember what each and every person you have met so far likes or what he or she is interested in. So, when you go home make notes of what this person likes. Research it properly and when you meet them again talk to them about it. You will be surprised by the number of friends you will make by just learning what each one of them is interested in It may seem hard and time consuming at first so start by your classmates or colleges. Remember to not get carried away. For example, do not go as far as stalking the person on social networking sites. Just knowing by how much points did Barcelona won with and the next time they are going to play in a match is enough. Even that person will continue the conversation so you don't have to worry about reaching a dead end.

What is a summary?
Get practice. Be positive. Be fully engaged. Watch your body language. Initiate interactions. Embrace opportunities to meet new people. Make notes of what people may like.