I'm Not Shy, I'm an Introvert

I am an introvert.

This means that when people first meet me, they often think I am 

a. shy

b. stuck up or snobbish

c. disengaged or disinterested in what is going on
d. not happy

when more often than not, the exact opposite is true.

It can be really frustrating at times to feel so misunderstood,
or to feel pressure to be something different than I am.

One of my sisters teased me for checking this book out from the library.

(even though she is also an introvert)
But it was actually very enlightening.
It was a great reminder that, although I am often surrounded by extroverts
who don't always understand my quiet behavior,
it's okay to be an introvert.

It's okay to be quiet and reflective and enjoy time alone.
It's okay to be happy with who you are,
even if you are different from the majority. 

As the author put it so well...
"There is nothing wrong with me. I'm just an introvert!"

I think one of the biggest things I learned from this book was that

being an introvert and being shy are different things.
While they can go hand in hand, they often do not.
 Being introverted is not a matter of being shy,

it is a matter of energy. 

Extroverts physiologically and emotionally derive their energy 

from outside stimuli- like other people. 

Introverts are the opposite, as they feel drained by outside stimuli,

and turn inward to renew their energy.

I was recently watching some home videos of me as a child.

Someone commented on the fact that I was pretty loud and talkative as a kid.

When did that change?

 Although I did briefly consider the possibility that a traumatizing event in school

turned me into a shy, socially awkward kid somewhere along the line,

I don't really believe that's true. 

I have always been an introvert. 

When I was a kid, I thrived on time alone 

because my imagination could run wild.
Time-out was not a punishment for me.

I was energized by reading books, listening to music, and writing.

When I was with my family- that was small at the time-

or in a situation where I felt confident and comfortable,

I was anything but shy.

The same is true for me today.

I can be loud and talkative if I want to be.

I am not necessarily a shy person,

even though I do tend to be more quiet in social situations.

Not because I am having a panic attack about talking to people--

but because I process information quietly,

and tend to only say something if I think it is really worth saying.

...And because it can be hard to get a word in anywhere 

when extroverts are controlling the conversation.

"It is the chiefest point of happiness that a man is willing to be what he is."

(Erasmus)

There is nothing wrong with me.
I'm just an introvert.