How do people get over being shy??

I used to be painfully shy, when I was a little girl I used to hide from my own relatives, but I think I came out of myself when I started to volunteer at a nursing home, I did just about anything to cheer the old people up, make them laugh, keep them happy then I started to do things to cheer the relatives up because I knew what they were going through, I had just been through the whole thing with my mother, little by little when I realized I could make a difference I forgot about my shyness, I am now having the best time of my life, doing things that I should have been doing in my younger days... just remember nearly everyone is a little shy amongst strangers but some are just good at covering it....I hope things work out for you...:)