Embracing the Introvert

I'm an introvert. Not such a hard thing to admit to the world, right?

Not so much. At least for me.

I've been in denial about it for a couple years. In my mind, I had to be an extrovert to be better at my job, to be the person people wanted to be friends with, to move ahead in life. I would push myself to take on tasks and roles outside my normal comfort zone, thinking that if I just push myself through these situations, they will become my new norm. I thought I was growing, thought I was developing into a person I had to be, that society was telling me I needed to be to succeed.

It lasted for a while, until one day I realized just how exhausting it was to put on this persona every day. Quite ironic when you realize the actual definition of introvert is someone energized by spending time alone. 

So I backtracked. Am I quieter than I was before, choosing to be less outspoken and part of every conversation? Yes. Do I spend more nights at home when I've had an exhausting week and just need some time to myself? Heck yeah. But I'm still succeeding in my job, still meeting new people and starting new friendships, still moving ahead in life. Turns out you don't have to be the life of the party to actually thrive.

It took me a while to get to where I am, but I'm here. Happy, content, being honest with myself, and probably watching recorded shows at home all alone to recoup from my long day at work.