No one "is" an introvert. Some people suffer from social impairment to such a degree that they need professional help, but most introverts are just shy and uncomfortable because they don't easily read social cues and situations. Rather than calling yourself an introvert and reinforcing the behavior, practice conversation and acting "not shy" until it becomes natural.
When I was young my teachers told my parents that I was autistic. My mother, to her credit, refused to medicate me and figured I would grow out of it. Some years later, when I was an awkward shy teen, my grandfather, a psychiatrist, told me that I could try acting "not shy" and I would get better at meeting people and handling social situations. He was right, I tried, and it worked. That short talk in my grandfather's car was the equivalent of thousands of dollars of therapy.
Years later when my younger daughter was about five she was too shy to go trick-or-treating or sell cookies door-to-door. She told me how anxious she was talking to people. I told her to try acting "not shy" -- smile big, look people in the eye, talk a little louder than usual, and listen and acknowledge what people say. She did that, it worked, she sold lots of cookies, and she started making friends and feeling more confident. Today, at 21, she says she still feels shy on the inside but no one else knows that, and she comes across as outgoing and charming.
Socializing and conversation are learned behaviors, and almost everyone can improve. Like any other skill it takes determination and practice. Remember that if you try to meet someone or make a friend or professional connection and you fail you are almost always no worse off than if you didn't try at all.
Put yourself into social situations, often. Introduce yourself, talk a little more confidently than you are used to, look people in the eye, smile. Listen when people talk to you and acknowledge what they said, even if it's just a smile or a nod. If you listen and can add something to what was said, great. Listening with interest will get you most of the way there -- don't feel like you have to respond to everything or say something fascinating. Listen and add to the converation when you have something to say. Eye contact and tone of voice are important; people who mumble and avert their eyes come across as shy or even antisocial, and that makes other people uncomfortable.
Try Toastmasters or some other safe venue to overcome shyness and social anxiety. If you can get comfortable speaking to a group you will feel more confident in casual conversation. I once worked with a professional salesman who told me he used to suffer from crippling shyness. I was surprised to hear that, because he was an Alabama good old boy with a bellowing voice, big smile, and vice-grip handshake. He told me he had overcome his anxiety through Toastmasters and practiced his smile, voice, and handshake until those were second nature. I practiced the same things and stopped calling myself "shy" and "introverted" because I learned I could behave any way I chose.