I'm OK..you're OK

Introvert- noun
a person characterized by concern primarily with his or her own thoughts and feelings ( opposed to extrovert).

About a month ago I was channel surfing mid-day and I stumbled upon the Hallmark Channel to a show called Whatever with Alexis and Jennifer. They had a guest on, who wrote a book talking about the topic of introverts. Her name was Dr.Laurie Helgoe and her book was called Introvert Power. A little bell went off in my head after just listening to her for a short bit. It was special.

It seems all my life I was characterized as "shy". From a young age it was a "character trait" that others have magically given me. My earliest memories from childhood, for me, relive a time of free-spiritness and generally fun times. I can vividly recall, though, times of severe separation anxiety. When I was seven, we moved into a new home in a whole new city. The first day of school in second grade, my mom loaded me on a school bus and off I was to an unknown place with uncharted experiences. I was terrified! I survived. I had always been "guarded" though, even as a child. I wasn't always the one to show up with a wide smile from ear to ear. If I had a dollar for every time someone (mainly strangers) told me to smile, I would be one rich lady by now! That comment though (SMILE!) even to this day drives me just about batty! I guess I never understood that I wasn't smiling, even though on the inside I was as happy as a clam.

From watching Laurie on that show, it opened my eyes to the fact that, though a bit shy, I am really more of an introvert! I began doing a bit of research and learned some interesting facts on introversion. Such as, introverts prefer the inner world of their own minds, rather than the outer world of sociability (me!) Often confused with shyness, introversion is different. The shy person finds it hard to connect with others. Where, the introverted person seeks time alone because they want that time alone, they don't necessarily even need those connections to feel OK.

I know many extroverts. Heck, my youngest daughter is a shining example! We couldn't be more different. She craves people, almost always! She gets bored easily being with herself. She feels more "complete" when she can share/be with her peers. For extraverts, activities boost their mood. They get bored by too much "aloneness". Bingo! She is a social butterfly that often has to be perched, due to her Mama's introverted ways. I have always been envious of those people that can talk a mile-a-minute and always seem to have something interesting to say. They seem to draw people to them like a magnet. They can bound into a new situation like nothing, never having to think things through or have any fears. I have many friends like this, thank goodness! We even each other out. Our bond of friendship is balanced in a great way.

My middle daughter is seeming to take after her Mama! She has always, even from the youngest of age, been VERY introverted. I would be saddened when family members, friends, and strangers would comment on how "serious" she was always. She didn't (and still doesn't) show her emotions much, mainly happiness. Though, she is a very happy girl... I can relate...I know! She loves the solitude of just being and can be more than content just "watching" than joining along. I get it now. I get her. I get ME!!

Living in, what appears, a world of extroverts is challenging to say the least! But, armed with the information that it is "very OK" to be introverted is refreshing.