ANECDOTE
I was surprised when a well-known influencer told me she’s an introvert.
She said, “People don’t believe it because I’m such a public person, but I find it exhausting to be ‘on’ all the time.”
I told her, “I can relate. I got clarity about this last year. I had flown cross country to speak at – and attend – a conference. By the third day, I was running on empty. I remember looking at the afternoon sessions and realizing what I really wanted was go up to my room and take a nap.”
She laughed, “You just described how I feel. What did you do?”
“Well, the little voices in my head argued for a while. The FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) voice said, ‘You didn’t fly all this way to take a nap. You can’t meet new people in your room.’ The other voice said, ‘I’m tapped out. I need alone time.”
She asked, “So, which voice won?”
“I ended up going back to my room. And I’m glad I did. I was able to recharge and come back downstairs for the evening program, raring to go.’
I’ve learned… There are three kinds of people.
Introverts – who are energized by solitude.
Extroverts – who are energized by socialization.
Ambiverts – who are energized by a balance of both.
I’m an ambivert. I enjoy being around people AND not being around people. It’s not an either/or – it’s both – and it’s essential to my well-being.
Wild author Cheryl Strayed says…
“Alone had always felt like an actual place to me, as if it weren’t a state of being, but rather a room where I could retreat to be who I really was.”
From now on, don’t apologize for needing “room” to be who you really are. And don’t compromise it. It’s not indulgent, it’s an investment in being your best self.
ACTION
Ask yourself which category you fall into – introvert, extrovert, or ambivert?
Consider how often you apologize for being yourself. Do you compromise your personal needs to meet social expectations? Next time an opportunity presents itself, challenge yourself to embrace your true self (sans guilt!)
Here’s to being better.
Until next time,
Sam Horn