I started to enjoy small talking when I stopped thinking about it as some special ritual. E.g. I have friends who are for the lack of a better word "weather nerds" and their interests rubbed off me. Since I now find weather interesting, every time someone starts a small talk about the weather, it is a chance to either learn some data point, check on my own knowledge of the subject, etc. I love when older or well travelled people start to reminescence about weather in different times or locations -- I can immediately try to solve a small puzzle in my mind -- "wait, why exactly is there so much cold wind in this region exactly?"

I can find many things interesting, the world is fun to explore.