You are Blessed to be an Introvert
Strengths of Introverts
“All sorrow has its root in man’s inability to sit quiet in a room by himself”- Blaise Pascal
Few years ago, I came across The New York Times Bestseller “Quiet-The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking” by Susan Cain and reading it not only changed my life forever but turned my beliefs upside down. I used to think that introversion (and ambiversion) is a weakness, while it turned out that introversion is a strength, in fact a blessing in the digital world.
Inspired by the book, I included #IntrovertBlessings in my Twitter profile and started promoting the concept as well as the hashtag. Or rather empowering introverts and creatives became my lifetime mission.
Background
The world is a beautiful blend of personalities and preferences that make us all unique allowing us to bloom into authentic individuals. An introverted temperament in an extroverted society circles into evolution of many theories and debates on personality. This article is all about celebrating introversion and appreciating the fact that introvert personalities bring a lot of flavour and dynamics to the table, be it the work front or personal life.
To begin with, introverts attract more people because of a feeling of calm and peace that evokes out of an introvert’s presence. A few other things that count as a bounty of blessings of an introvert life are as follows;
Think & Feel Deeply: Introverts are more likely to keep searching for deep passion and purpose. The purpose driven perspective allows introverts to think about things around them deeply and experience world differently. Besides, introverts are more likely to be strategic thinkers because of deep thinking habit.
Live Well on Less: Simple things bring joy and zest to introverts. The ability to take note of the beauty in simplicity and high thinking is what sets an introvert’s soul on fire and take on life with a great perspective.
Never get Bored: To be around people is the greatest source of energy for extroverts and highly sociable individuals. Introverts feel at ease with their emotions as well as thoughts and enjoy their own company. The love of alone also gives introverts independence as well as perspective.
“For the introvert, conversation can be a very limited forum for self-expression. When a song moves you, a writer “gets” you, or a theory enlightens you — you and its creator are connecting in a realm beyond sight or speech.” -Laurie A. Helgoe
Listen, not Hear: The hallmark of good communication is to listen more and talk less. Active and empathetic listening can be far more powerful than hearing. Introverts, by nature, listen and observe more. They are rather keen observers of their environment.
Great Leaders: While extroverts enjoy attention and applause, introverts do not wait for applause. Introverts are more likely to be intrinsically driven and focus on tasks even if they don’t get constant positive reinforcement. They are self-starters and look for reasons within to live, lead and inspire.
Find it Easy to Meditate- Introverts are naturally inclined to go within and that makes it easier for them to meditate. Reflection and introspection are as natural to them as water is to fish, and it aids them in continuous personal development. They actually love to evolve and grow all the time.
Creative, Sensitive and Empathetic- Creativity requires attention to subtleties and the sensitivity to subtleties make introverts very successful at creative professions, be it writing or music. Introverts are also likely to excel in any profession which requires empathy, ranging from nursing to storytelling.
Dreamers and Doers: There’s never a dull moment in their heads because they have a rich inner world. While most people struggle between dreaming big and living their dreams, these dreamers often bridge the gap between the two be being dreamers as well as doers.
Foster Relationships: Owing to the small social circles they thrive in, introverts excel at cultivating close relationships. They light up with propensity for meaningful conversation. Many extroverts enjoy thoughtful conversations and close connections too. But to introverts, deep conversation is just as natural as large crowd is to extroverts.
Stay Away from Office Politics- Introverts speak and interact less and that keeps them away from avoidable office politics. Introverts are also more likely to think before they speak and therefore usually they do not put their foot in the mouth.
Living Life: Whether it’s enjoying a meal, or nurturing a new relationship, introverts like to slow down and take things at their own pace. At times, the world they live in seems to be incredibly fast-paced while they take their own time in processing things.
However, this supposed weakness can also be a blessing in disguise. Because life is all about savouring and taking it all in, one moment at a time. Isn’t it?
Note- The first mention of extroverts and introverts came in Carl Jung’s book “Psychological Types.” But while Carl Jung detailed how these personality types were different, he also made sure to stress the fact that no person is 100% introverted or 100% extroverted.
(with inputs from Rishita Shyam)
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Brief Profiles
Dr Amit Nagpal is a business storyteller, bestselling author and digital storytelling coach. He specialises in brand storytelling (on social media) and executive presence. You can write to him at amit@dramitnagpal.com.
Rishita Shyam is an MBA in Marketing and Media. She is naturally inclined towards taking a deep dive in marketing & communications and having deep conversations with people.
*Image Source — www.storymirror.com
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