Hi Hope... congrats on your successes. It gets easier with practice. I still deal with those automatic messages because I don't give myself enough opportunities to practice. One thing that really helps me is to replace the worrisome thoughts with these truths:

If you really knew how seldom people noticed you, you wouldn't worry so much about what they thought. People are generally preoccupied with themselves so you can assume that they have little time to even notice you.

My brother has always insisted that the best way to overcome shyness is to be the first to offer a smile and a little bit of small talk. It works and when I practise his advise I feel soooo much more at ease.

He taught me this many years ago when we shared an apartment on the 24th floor. He would find me waiting at the elavator for a chance to get on a car up alone because I didn't want to be stuck in one with anyone else. The silence was deadly and I was sure they were thinking horrible things about me. A smile and a little conversation about the weather can magically turn those thoughts away.