Look it me! Do I look like a quiet person? From this picture, I wouldn’t think so.
But the truth is, I am. For the longest time I always thought something was wrong with me. I wanted to be social, I wanted to have conversations with people, but I struggled with the words, and I struggled with the conversations. I’d kick myself down.
But then, this past week, I read this amazing article, and for once, it all made sense to me.
Here is the article:
http://www.cracked.com/blog/6-misleading-assumptions-you-make-about-quiet-people/
I am an INTROVERT! I always knew I was, but I guess, when it came down to it, I didn’t always know what it meant. After reading the article above things began to make sense to me.
1) It’s OKAY to not be talkative!
I’ve battled this one for years. I’ve kicked myself down repeatedly for always being too quiet, for not knowing what to talk about, or just sitting back and observing. I never thought for a second that hey, it’s okay to be quiet, you can be. There is nothing in the world that says YOU have to talk.
The other part of why I’m so quiet sometimes is because I put thought into my words, and I don’t want to come off as some dumbass for something that just came out of my mouth. Trust me, this doesn’t always work, words just kind of tumble out of my mouth from time to time too 😉
2) Am I socially awkward?
I have my moments. I think we all do. I don’t like small talk so I fumble around with it, and then I go blank… uhhh… uhhh.. uhhhh…. 😉
But then you get me on the right topic, and I won’t shut up.
The truth is, when I’m in a social situation, it is all about comfort level for me. If I’m in a room of people, and I’m comfortable I’ll be witty, I’ll crack jokes, and I’ll be a-okay.
But get me in a room of people where I feel intimidated or not comfortable, and I clam up INSTANTLY! I do have the social skills, but in certain situations it can be a lot harder for me to talk, to assert myself, and be confident in what I am saying. That’s also the anxiety in me 😉
3) I am a social introvert!
The truth is, even in my social anxiety set ways, I love being around people. Yes, I have my moments when I want to be left alone, but more than likely, I want to be invited out to things, I want to go out to the dinner, and I want to do all the social activities that others do.
But I have my moments where, in the end, I am tired, and it does take a lot of energy to do these things. If I wake up and it’s a low energy day it is so much harder for me to go to a social activity. And I am also one of those introverts that doesn’t like being out past 11 😉 I know that sounds sad, but it’s the truth, and I’ve come to accept it. I’ve always been this way.
And the other part is after a night of social activity I need my downtime, my time to unwind. I need that “me” time. And there’s no way I can go out every day of the week, there is just no way. My energy levels just aren’t that high up.
4) I am HAVING a good time!
In the past people have walked away from me at a party or event thinking I wasn’t enjoying myself because I was being quiet, or I was sitting back. The truth to everyone is the fact that I was indeed enjoying myself. A good time to me is being out with the activity, being apart of the festivities, but I don’t need to be interacting the entire time. I also don’t need a drink in my hand, or making a joke. I’m okay with just sitting back and observing the conversation around me.
5) And the last kicker, I do struggle with the PHONE!
I am a person of the latest generation. It is much easier for me to write out what I am thinking or saying through the written word. It is far easier for me to write out an articulate message through an email or online conversation versus an actual phone conversation. Those conversations take more energy out of me, so it is much harder for me. Whereas an actual email or online conversation comes naturally for me. It is who I am. I can’t change it, but I also recognize that everyone isn’t like me in that way either, so I try to adapt, but it is really hard for me. People often wonder why I don’t call, or we don’t talk on the phone often, and this is the reason.
The other part is my anxiety in that if I call someone I automatically think I’m interrupting something, or I am bothering them. I know these are things I need to work on 😉 LOL
So yes, say it with me, “I AM AN INTROVERT AND ITS PERFECTLY OKAY.”
Photo Credit: David Smith
And I can be playful 😉
So, to all the introverts out there, what were some of your biggest struggles growing up? What have you overcome in life, etc?
And you all need to check out this Awesome Facebook group “Introverts Are Awesome.”
This story was incredibly personal to me so I really wanted to include this for #PYHO (Pour Your Heart Out) On Every Wednesday Shell from Things I can’t Say does a link up on “Pour Your Heart Out” where we can discuss something close to us, something personal, and we then link up with others. This is my absolute favorite meme, and I couldn’t write something this personal about myself without linking it up to #PYHO
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