Growing up I was a fat kid who would come across as creepy because I tended to stare a while at girls I found attractive. In my senior year of HS (in last year of college now) I lost a lot of weight and I have been told several times that I was handsome/cute.

But I still have scars from the times growing up I would be bullied and made fun of by people. I had friends growing up so I wasn't a social moron, but I know that girls I found attractive found me creepy because of the whole staring thing.

Now throughout college I was a coward when it came to approaching women. I tended to have irrational fears about holding eye contact with a women looking at me or in my direction for fear of coming across creepy because of how I used to be.

I wouldn't chat them up and if i did, I didn't escalate to getting her number etc.

How exactly did you guys get over this dumb mentality and just became comfortable with yourself?

Also do you guys ever have fear not about the girls reaction, but simply others who might be watching you hit on the girl? This probably falls in same category of being comfortable with yourself which I need to get to