I am very really ever so picky about who I let come close to me.
Accept imperfection with humour and excitement.
"How perfectly normal of you "
I'd say there's maybe one person in the whole of the world who actually knows me through and through.
Keep it that way because we listen first speak last(but make no mistake we always get the last word :)).
to become more comfortable with trusting people
...care less about the consequences. Getting hurt is a part of journey of living.
making a new friend
Stop defining where a friend begins and a casual acquaintance ends.
I'm aware that I need to be able to let someone get closer to me than I usually would. but I'm stumped
Express your confusion with a lot of people. People love it, their future friends.
How do you personally let people get close to you?
I tell a lot of stories...and nod listentivly toward theirs :P
Is it something you do, share, do you trust first and ask questions later, do you bond over shared interests or is it something more intangible?You do any of that even seeking the intangible your forcing it IMO. Your an awesome person...so if your quiet speak up...if your picky, enjoy stuff you dislike...if your bossy, stop and listen...if your weird ~ tone it down. In short constantly challenge yourself toward balance and invite others along for the ride. You don't have to be picky about who comes along just rude to the those your find intolerable. :P
And if any or all of this post seems very unhelpful, impractical or trite. I am not surprised because more often then not questions like these boil down not to lack of wisdom,explanation or ability but patience. When you practice(that mean live) the tried and true principles of being open/friendly (in the sense of getting that other new friend)...no matter where you start you always get there. When you practice being well...what ever it is you are now (picky?) that your challenging...your going to get even better at that.