The Introvert Advantage

"Introverts walk around with lots of thoughts and feelings in their heads. They are mulling-comparing old and new experiences. They often have ongoing dialogue with themselves." ~ Marti Olsen Laney, Psy.D. The Introvert Advantage, p. 83

A very good friend loaned me her copy of The Introvert Advantage. It has been very encouraging for me to read. I struggle with knowing that I am an introvert, and knowing that I need to be willing to get past that and minister to the people that God brings into my life. Lately the biggest issue has been having enough energy to minister to the 10 people I live with. I struggle with how much I need to add to that. I know that my family needs to come first, but there are a lot of people outside of that group that need my time as well. Some days I just want to pull the covers over my head and stay there all day. That only works for about 10 minutes before at least one of my children joins me.

I don't want to blame biology for my short comings, that is far too slippery of a slope. Biology, however does play a part in our lives. God has given us certain qualities to be used for His glory. The encouraging thing about this book is that it helps to point out what the strengths of introverts are. It also has some great tips for keeping tabs on how much is too much for me. I know that some things are just going to take more energy then I can muster. For me being at home all day with lots of people, and lots of interruptions wears me out. I try to give myself breaks during the day, but sometimes that just isn't possible, especially when Rick is out of town. I need to make sure that I keep the schedule as simple as possible on those days. There are times that I am able to get some rest, on those days I need to push myself to reach out and take on new things. My tendency there, would be to keep right on enjoying the quiet, when really I should extend myself.

I have thought a lot about people around me that are also introverts. My mom for sure. Some of my kids, and some of my brother's kids. It is sort of humorous that I have such a mix. I am realizing why I find some of my children so much more taxing than others. Some of my children just seem easier, when really I think they are just similarly tempermented. I need to remember not to bore my extroverts to tears, and to give my introverts the breaks they need.

I am also realizing why this blog is so important to me. It is one thing that recharges me. I have an opportunity to sort out my thoughts, and see what comes out of my jumbled head. Sometimes I surprise myself with something profound. Oftentimes I am just rambling on about my day, trying to make it make sense. Frequently I sit down to write about one thing, and end up in a completely different direction than I had originally intended. I just hope that it is valuable to my children. I hope that it gives them a peek into my mind. I hope that when they tell their therapist all of the things I did wrong, at least they might have some idea why. It has been a good conversation starter. I am terrible at chitchat. A few of my friends read my blog and will make comments about what I have written. It beats talking about the weather, or baseball (no offense K-man.)

If you are an introvert I encourage you to give this book a read. It might give some insight into things you do that you couldn't quite explain. It might give you some insight into someone you love that is an introvert. It might make you more comfortable getting lost in your own thoughts, and realizing that those thoughts are valuable to other people. It's okay to be uncomfortable with chitchat, some people love those meatier, slow conversations. It's all part of God's diversity in gifts.