My Life as an Introvert

Introverts are people who are energized by being alone and whose energies are drained by being around other people. They often avoid social situations for this very reason.  Please note that they do not avoid social situations because they don’t like people….if the average introvert is like me, then they truly like people. Just not en masse, and not for extended periods of time. I don’t judge a social situation by who will be there or how fun it will be, but rather how easily I will be able to manage my energy during and after the event. I hate feeling left out, but I hate feeling overwhelmed and exhausted more...it seems it's always a fine line I walk.

I enjoy being alone as it gives me time to be with my thoughts. I am considered reserved and reflective. I take my time to formulate my thoughts before speaking them. I am often left out of conversations for this very reason. I am not shy, but I am ‘slow-to-warm’ when meeting new people. I prefer to have a few close friends rather than many. If I don’t get enough time to be reflective with my thoughts I get a bit grumpy and begin to shut down socially. In that way I can be a bit of a bear…when it’s time to hibernate, outta my way!

The need for small talk escapes me. I cannot fathom the fun in large, noisy parties. When I find myself in such social events, I’m usually the one in the corner or somewhere on the periphery. Feeling trapped scares the daylights out of me.

Am I a hostage to my personality traits? Not in the least. I know who I am and what to expect from my sensitivities. I am just an introvert…nothing more, nothing less. I am a problem solver and a free thinker. There's rarely a subject that doesn’t hold fascination for me…my mind never seems to shut down, and I prefer it that way. One of my greatest joys is finding the time to just take that mental journey into the unknown…

I have learned to embrace an adventurous attitude…the thrill of discovery is all around in the ordinary and the extraordinary. I seek the new, and the never seen in my everyday life. I require nothing but my imagination to amuse myself…well a bit of solitude and a distant, far-off horizon helps too. I am an introvert pure and simple. I am enough. I don’t dislike people, I just like being with myself more.