Hi, my name is Matt and I’m an recovering extrovert. I’m also a closet personality profile taker.
I LOVE taking personality profile tests to learn what kind of person I am: DiSC (High D and I), Myers Briggs (ENFP), Kolbe, Strengthfinders, Temperments (Choleric), Enneagram. I have done them all, and every time I find a new one I jump in and take it.
Every single one of these instruments I have ever taken has pegged me as an extrovert. The classic way to describe an extrovert is someone who GETS energy from dealing with people (whereas an introvert LOSES energy when they deal with people and gets energy from alone time). But this differentiation is problematic and reductive at best.
We all have moments when we do not want to be around others. And, contrary to popular belief, we all also have moments when we love being centerstage and having everyone’s attention. “NOT ME!” you introverts might argue, but hear me out.
My wife is a classic introvert. She has an amazing ability to be around people for long stretches of time and, God knows, with three small kids the minutes of alone time she gets are few and far between. This tends to drain her. Not catastrophically, but slowly and undeniably over time.
But there are moments when she is addressing a crowd at a fundraiser or presenting at a convention and she is on fire! When she comes down from the stage, sure she is tired, but also incredibly energized, stoked and a little euphoric. “Impossible,” you say?
Not if what you are sharing is your WHY.
We all get tired of talking about our WHATS. I do this and I do that…blah, blah, blah. Even full-blooded extroverts like me get drained by this kind of interaction. But when you are sharing a deeply, passionately held belief, then time stops, the veil is parted and we all transform into our own versions of Tony Robbins.
Why? Because when we believe something deeply in our hearts, it takes more energy to keep it in than it does to share it.
In fact, no matter what your personality profile is, whether introverted or extroverted, you may find that time with other people, while sharing your WHY, gives you more energy.
So, the next time you find yourself bowing out of a conversation with the excuse that you are an incurable introvert, ask yourself: Is there anything I believe in deeply that could help this person?
Or if you are on the fence about a social event that you are not sure you have the energy to attend, ask yourself: Is there any passion of mine that is trying to get out and be shared?
If you struggle to tap into this part of you, then take the time to get a clearer idea of your WHY.
What passionate belief are you dying to share?
