Truth Bomb Tuesday: Most people would never guess, but my energy comes from a surprising place.
Confession time: I am an introvert.
No seriously. I am.
Now I know I don’t really look like it. I know I make public speaking look easy. I can get up in front of 5000 people and talk to them all like they’re my best friends.
(And by the end of the day, they are.)
And I can network a room like a professional. Shaking hands, making connections, sharing laughs.
I make it look easy.
But being an introvert or an extrovert is not about how “out there “you are. And it’s definitely not about whether you’re shy or whether you have a talent for public speaking.
It’s about what energises you.
And while I enjoy working a room or sharing the knowledge I’ve gathered over the years, it tires me out after a while.
And when I need to recharge my batteries, what do I need?
I need to be alone.
I need to come back into my own quiet company. I need to spend some time with my own thoughts. I need to rinse and wring my brain out in the well of silence.
And I have a lot of capacity for alone time. I cherish it. I need it. It’s what charges my battery.
And this is what makes me – Queen Bee Motormouth – an introvert.
It’s worth remembering this. We often talk about introvert and extrovert as if it means shy or not shy.
But this isn’t what it’s about. It’s about what energises you.
And so if you want to live a high productivity life, It’s worth asking yourself, “Am I an introvert or an extrovert? What is it that energises me?”
Do I need some quiet time with a glass of red and the lights down low, rearranging the crystals in my study?
Or do I need some company? Do I need the companionship of old friends? Do I need to sit in crackling conversation the way the ancient ones used to sit by a fire?
Is this what’s gonna charge my batteries?
This is what we need to come back to. Don’t worry about shy or not shy, and all the value judgements that come from that.
This is about what energises you, and only you know what it is.
DB.