Snippets of Me

A year ago, I did something rather uncharacteristic and wrote a whole piece about myself. I was hoping to have something more concrete that I could use when somebody asked me to 'tell them about myself'. I'll admit that I got kind of carried away with the whole self-discovery blah-de-blah, but some interesting things did emerge that strike me as being very true about myself (and that I don't mind sharing with my readers). Hope this gives more insight into the craziness that is my mind! (Beware, these are just pieces from the longer article that I wrote, and may at times make no sense at all!)

I love people. Being around them, learning about them, helping them, loving them and learning from them. Yet, it gets tiring sometimes you know? The energy in the people around me most definitely rubs off on me. So sometimes, I like to retreat into my space, and be with my thoughts and music and writing and dreams and silence.
People are surprised when I need time for myself. "But... you're so social! Why do you need to be alone?"
Because I can at the same time be my best friend and my worst critic. 

I think that's my way of self-defense sometimes. In a serious or tense situation, I'll step forward and be the immature person. Or the naive person. Because reality is no fun sometimes. 

There is something important I've learned though; not all successes are successes, and not all failures are failures. Life is definitely easier when I'm trying to live up to my own expectations; and yet at times, harder.

Having grown up so fast, I welcomed with arms wide open the chance to be young. And careless. And free. To make mistakes and enjoy them because I made them all by myself.

I'd like to call myself an old soul, and yet I never want to grow up.
Tea is one of my weaknesses. I’m not a morning person, but my day always starts up with a nice cup of Kenyan tea (with milk of course).

A common thing I do is make a list of whether or not I should do something, get opinions from other people; and then go along with my gut instinct anyway.

In line with my Piscean spiritual nature, I love elemental things. Being at the beach during sunrise, watching the stars, or just gazing at the moon are things I really enjoy. My room this year faces East, so in the morning I get beautiful light pouring into my room. I’m not a morning person at all, so anything that makes mornings great is appreciated. 

Someone read my palm when I was younger and said that I would become a famous author. Haha. One day maybe. Tonight, the papers I have to write for psychology are looming threateningly over my shoulder.

Introvert Extrovert Binary

I'm in the middle of reading 'Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking' by Susan Cain. This is a very interesting read for someone who has always considered herself an extrovert. I love people, I have no problem introducing myself to strangers, and too much time alone can drive me crazy. Plus, I rated E on the MBTI; a definite extrovert, right?

Unfortunately, there are parts of my personality that I simply could not explain with a simple, "I'm an extrovert." I refused to believe that I may be introverted, because this trait has always been portrayed quite negatively in the media and our culture. I'm no shy, awkward, antisocial character! Therefore, of course I couldn't be introverted. 

However, reading this book has helped me realise something extremely important; introversion and extroversion do not exist on a binary scale. I don't even think that they exist on a linear spectrum, because in my case especially, I have proven that it is entirely possible to be an extrovert with many introverted qualities. 

What qualities might these be, you ask? I work well while brainstorming and in team meetings, but when it comes down to getting things done, I am much more productive alone. This does not mean that I'm not a team player; rather, I understand that in a team, there are certain things that should be done together and certain aspects of work that are best tackled alone. 

While I love going out and dancing, or spending time with friends and family, some days, I love being able to curl up with a glass of wine and a good book, and enjoy my own company. On that note, I definitely feel that enjoying one's own company is one of the most important things you will ever do in life. How do you expect others to love and tolerate you, if you cannot do so yourself?

I have quite a lot of friends, and do enjoy hanging out with many of them at a time, but for quality time, I prefer being with them in smaller groups. As someone who has individualisation as one of my top strengths, this enables me to be there for my friends individually in ways I cannot be in a group. 

When new people meet me, I am immediately labelled an extrovert. And indeed, if I was asked to pick between the two, I would definitely go with extrovert. However, it's a fun journey getting to explore my introverted side with them too!

I would definitely recommend Quiet as a read for people who want to learn more about the two parts of themselves, and how best to succeed using these qualities, as well as for employers, teachers, friends and family members of people who are not 'all the way extroverted.'

Have a quiet day, won't you!