Shhhhh

That’s me. All three. To the casual outsider, there is no difference between the three. But to those of us who are one, two or all three, there is a definite distinction. I am married to a sometimes quiet but mostly outgoing extrovert. My children are a curious blend. My oldest is the opposite of me- he is much like his dad only more chatty. My middle kid is a shy extrovert- something that is not easy to be. And my youngest is most like me- he is a quiet introvert but he’s not shy in the least. Raising these distinct combinations has given me much insight into dealing with these different personalities in all areas of my life.

I used to think that I was just shy but over time I identified the different components and it gave me a deeper understanding of who I was and why I act and react the way I do. With this understanding came self-acceptance and the realization that I don’t have to change myself to suit anyone else’s needs, including society’s perception of quiet, shy and/or introverted people.

I have spent my life being misread and misunderstood by people who mistook my silence for everything it isn’t. It appears that in recent years it has come even more into question, even by people who have known me for a long time.

I have so many thoughts about this but being me, I prefer to let someone else say it.

• “Quiet people have the loudest minds.” -Stephen Hawking
• “Sometimes it feels better not to talk. At all. About anything. To anyone.” -Unknown
• “I think a lot, but I don’t say much.” -Anne Frank
• “I stopped explaining myself when I realized people only understand from their level of perception.” -Unknown
• “Watch out for people who are always bragging about who they are, a lion will never have to tell me it’s a lion.” -Unknown
• “A quiet mind is able to hear intuition over fear.” -Unknown
• “We must find quiet moments to seek greater light and truth.” -Cheryl A. Esplin
• “The quieter you become, the more you can hear.” -Unknown
• “Sometimes, not saying anything is the best answer. You see, silence can never be misquoted.” -Unknown
• “Often the most powerful statement is your dignified silence.” -Unknown
• “I prefer tongue-tied knowledge to ignorant loquacity.” -Margaret Donnano
• “Lighthouses don’t go running all over an island looking for boats to save; they just stand there shining.” -Anne Lamott

And finally from Susan Cain, author of Quiet-

• “Don’t think about introversion as something that needs to be cured… Spend your free time the way you like, not the way you think you’re supposed to.”
• “Introverts are capable of acting like extroverts for the sake of work they consider important, people they love, or anything they value highly.”

Have a good one!

-Kat

Q is for Quiet

I am shy, introverted and quiet. All are three are different. I’m sure there are people who will say they are one or two of these things but not all three and then there are some like me who are all three.

The shy part keeps me from putting my foot in my mouth and saying something I’ll regret most of the time. I’m too anxious about having the attention on me. I worry too much.

The introverted part tends to be where most of my big time thinking occurs. I tend to process everything I hear- depending on the quantity, it might be delayed and when I’m recharging it will pop into my head. Down time is vital to my existence. The longer I am in highly social situations, the more exhausted I get and the more introverted I get.

And I’m just quiet. I don’t have much to say unless I’m one on one with a person. Besides, growing up, weren’t we told that if we don’t have something nice to say, to say nothing at all? Circumstances in my life lately have had me living by this credo. And so there is many a time when I open my mouth to speak and upon (very fast thinking) and closer consideration, I decide that it is better left unsaid.

Although I feel that I am often misunderstood and people can’t really read me or even know me, I’m okay with how I am. Being all three has given me a major advantage at family gatherings and board and committee meetings. I hear everything while everyone is talking- sometimes all at once- and most everyone else present hear very little because you can’t really speak AND hear at the same time.

Thanks to posts written by Deborah at Notes Tied On The Sagebrush, I have been introduced to Susan Cain’s book- Quiet: The Power of Introverts and The Quiet Revolution. Until recently, I lumped those 3- quiet, shy and introverted into one group. It has been incredibly therapeutic to sort them out and learn more about the introvert aspect of my personality.

And for the record, I DO think that quiet people have the loudest minds. We have just as many words to say as anyone else. They just pile up into a huge mess and then it gets really loud in there!

What about you? Are you quiet, introverted and/or shy?

Kat Got Your Tongue- Introvert or Extrovert?

Welcome to the Kat Got Your Tongue Challenge!

I hope you’ll please  join me!

I am an introvert. (Surprise!) Actually I’m the double whammy- introvert and shy all wrapped up in one quiet bundle. I don’t say much if there are more than 2 people in the room (outside of my family). I don’t like crowds. I need downtime after a social setting. Any socializing that lasts 6-8 hours probably could have been done in less than 2.

This article pretty much sums up how I feel-

An Introvert’s Open Letter to Extroverts: 5 Things You Should Know About Me

Thanks for joining in last week- Dani at BloomingSpiders, Meredith at Meredith’s Musings, and Emma at Once Upon a Littlefield.. We ended up with one ability to speak all languages and two flyers! 🙂