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Prom Part One

Good Day Introverts, Reserved Ones and All Visitors,

Today’s entry is a topic that I had been saying that I would talk about for a long time.  Today I want to talk to you about that one event that seems so far away when you enter high school as a freshman.  Its that illustrious day that’s portrayed on television sets everywhere as the “best day ever!”  Yeah, that day that seems so surreal, that you say to yourself as you get ready, “Am I really here?  Am I really about to graduate?”  Today I want to talk to you about my experience at prom.  I have given you snippets of information about how it was in general and for me, but I have never dedicated an entire post to prom.  So here it goes.  The official last day of school during my senior year happened to be the same day as prom, May 17th.  The last two weeks of high school were very exhausting  and monotonous.  I spent the last two weeks of school completing standardized tests in order to get college credit.  During this time, I was also finishing up one of many very rigorous projects that also went towards my college credit.  So I was really focused on getting all of these strenuous tasks finished.  I was so looking forward to the end that when it came, I almost forgot to celebrate and be glad about it, but believe me, I was.  That day I stayed in school until about 10:45 a.m. finishing up my last tests and turning in my last piles of books.  No one was really emotional because we had prom that night and other senior events coming up including the senior baccalaureate service , parent appreciation day, graduation rehearsals and grad night.  Regardless of how shy and introvertish I was, I knew that I definitely did not want to miss prom.  After I finished my last test, my mom picked me up and we went home.  I had a few chores to do, but before that I sat down for the one moment that a girl may or may not get the day of prom.  I sat down and fathomed what was actually happening, I had finished my tests, completed my last day of high school, and in a few hours I was headed to prom.  Wow.  I only had a few minutes to do this because I still had to get ready.  After my chores were done, I went off to the hair dresser and got a nice formal hairstyle, next I went to my local JCP store’s make up section to get my make up done.  The make up artist chatted with me as she did my make up.  There, my aunt from a few cities away met us and bought me this pretty shade of red lipstick.  Next we rushed home to complete the next part of the prom process.  Thinking back on it, it’s so funny how stressful preparing for prom can be for a girl, but it’s a fun kind of stressful that pays off in the end.  I felt neutral, not very nervous, and not very excited, but all in all I was content with the situation.  Soon, the doorbell began to ring repeatedly as family members came to the house to see me off.  My  sister and aunt came up to my room to assist my mom with getting me ready as if I needed three people to dress me, lol! Since it was prom, however, it was perfectly normal and I was truly grateful for their help and more importantly their support.  I chose a spicy red dress that had a haltered top and ruffled bottom.  It came above just above my knees and had a beautiful floral theme of blossoming roses.  As soon as I tried it on, I felt that this was totally me.  I accented my dress with gold accessories.  When the doorbell rang a final time, it was my prom date and his family.  I waited upstairs with my mom, and aunt as someone opened the door.  I didn’t see who it was because I was upstairs.  After tons and tons of pictures,  and one video call from his sister who saw us prepare to leave via cell phone, we were off.  The sunset was so pretty that day as we rode downtown.  We chatted lightly as his mom and dad discussed the directions on the GPS system and other random topics.  He was a quiet person also and I had known him for a long time so it wasn't nerve racking or anything.  As we rode downtown to the location where the prom was to be held, we passed two proms from two other schools from the same county as ours.  When we pulled up to the doors of the fairly new hotel, my prom date’s father rolled down the truck’s window and a chauffeur greeted us.  We didn't see anyone else so we didn't know whether or not we were in the right place.  After my prom date’s father asked about whether or not we were in the right place, the chauffeur said yes and we went in.  It was before 9:00 which was the time the prom was set to start so we had to wait outside of the door in the hotel‘s upper lobby.  We were among the first students to arrive.  We checked in and stood outside of the door for a while until I saw a former classmate of mind coming toward us….

To be Continued

The Beauty of Extracurricular Activities

Welcome Introverts, Reserved Ones and All Visitors as All are Welcome,

Today I want to talk to you about the great benefits of joining clubs/groups/organizations that specifically suit your interests.  Joining groups and activities that are relevant to what you’re interested in is so much fun, let me just say.  You get to be around people who like the same things that you like and enjoy each others company.  The good thing about joining special interest groups for introverts and reserved individuals is that they open up great conversations that you can effectively contribute to and feel confident doing so.  You’ll be surprised about how included you feel and how much you talk! You’ll most likely make new friends and have lasting friendships.  This happened to me this year.  Actually it was a two year process.  In the beginning of my eleventh grade year, I joined my school’s Christian Club.  It was only a few of us at first.  There were never really a lot of people in the club.  The Christian Club fluctuated and grew over the two year period; some people graduated, some joined other after-school activities, new people came etc.  Despite the many subtle changes that occurred, the group was always small and intimate.  I loved Christian Club; in fact, it was my favorite extracurricular activity.  We met on Wednesdays and talked about what we learned in Church that Sunday, how to handle things that the average teen goes through from a Christian perspective, and other matters of faith and everyday life.  We also planned and completed community service activities.  I enjoyed all of this.  Specifically, when I recall my high school Christian Club days, I remember the Jericho Walk.  We split it into two parts.  The first time we walked around the school three times, and the second time we walked around the school four times like the Israelites walked around the Jericho wall during the Battle of Jericho.   During this time, we sang uplifting songs and worshiped God together.  I’m not really one to sing, especially in the hallways at school but this was so much fun.  We prayed also.  It was great.  I talked to those around me and felt that I could be my full self.  In my mental diary of high school memories, I remember this as my favorite day of school.  Just think about it; a shy girl walking around the hallways of her school, high school that is, singing songs, smiling and talking.  That’s the beauty of joining extracurricular activities that revolve around things that you’re interested in.  You are allowed to be your full self and met people with kindred hearts, spirits and min
ds.  It’s great! You should try it.

Orientation Day

Good Day Introverts, Reserved ones and All Visitors,

Today I want to talk about a new experience that I just had, college orientation. Several of us incoming university freshman came around nine o’ clock on Saturday morning to get to know one another. At first it was awkward as are many new beginnings for everyone. I got there early in hopes of getting my student ID, but instead the university made everyone wait until the end of the event. When I first got there, I had to wait outside the door because it was so early. The iota of students that were present were standing in circles. Then we had to sit at nearby tables. When the doors finally opened, everyone filed in around the many tables that were in the large room. There were about eleven chairs at each table. At my table there were two groups of three that knew each other from high school. In the center of the front of the table sat a smiling, bubbly, facilitator. He kept the conversation going by asking several questions about everyone’s majors and home towns. Every time one facilitator left, another came in his/her place. After that the event officially started. It was packed with icebreakers and relevant discussion about what to expect once we move in. Icebreakers included a game of ultimate rock paper scissors in which the entire room participated (it’s a much shorter process than it seems), and a discussion line. The discussion line was first. During this icebreaker, we had to get into two lines and talk to the person directly in front of us for a certain amount of time, then move to the left and talk to that person. Surprisingly, this was fun. The good thing about this exercise is that we were given topics. It was interesting to learn about people whom I’ve never met and hold conversations with them. Socializing was actually fun. During ultimate rock, paper, scissors, we had to pick a partner, play a round of rock, paper, scissors, and whoever won from that round was the team leader and everyone else acted as an entourage and had to cheer that person on. It was fun actually, and I wasn’t the only reserved person there. Afterward, my mom told me that I seemed more confident about going to my university, and to tell the truth I am. I guess it was so much fun because I had been and am so looking forward to meeting new people and developing new, healthy relationships. I was speechless at first like I often am, but the icebreakers actually worked. What a genius idea, I mean I’ve done several ice breakers before, but these were different. They helped me come out of my shell even if it was only for a few minutes, it was still very significant to me. I thank God for giving me courage that day and every day that I was able to effectively express myself. There’s still a lot of things that I have to work on, but this showed me that I have it in me. We all have it in us, the ability to face the fears that try to tightly enclose us. It’s there.

　

　

Without Fear,

Unashamed Introvertish Girl

The Beauty of a New Beginning

Good Day Introverts, Reserved Ones, and All Visitors

Today I want to talk about the beauty of a new beginning. There are limitless possibilities to new beginnings. In most cases, for those of us who are reserved and sometimes even for those of us who are not reserved, new beginnings can seem very scary and intimidating, but in many cases, especially for introverts and the reserved, new beginnings are just what we need. New beginnings happen on large scales and small scales. New beginnings can be moving to a new city, transferring to a new school, getting a new job, joining a new extracurricular activity and many other new experiences. Instead of thinking of a new beginning as a major change into very unfamiliar territory and mass uneasiness , its helpful to think of new beginnings as new opportunities to reach higher heights. It’s a chance to make friends and form bonds that you may not have had before. Think of all the things that you wanted to accomplish in your past situation (town, school, job, extra-curricular activity) and make it a goal to accomplish them in this new experience. New people mean new experiences and new experiences, good, bad and uncomfortable mean new growth. So instead of thinking of new experiences as something to be scared of, think of all of the new opportunities and doors that now have the potential to be opened only if you let them. At the end of my eleventh grade year, the sponsor of the school dance squad which I had been on since tenth grade asked me to be the captain, THE CAPTAIN of the squad. I was already reserved, introvertish, and soft spoken so this was something major. On top of that, it was basically a whole new squad than the year before. I barely said anything in the practices in the years before, so this was major. I prayed about it and felt approval from God that it was only right. So guess what, I was captain of the squad this past year. It was a GREAT challenge. I don’t think I ever talked that loud before in school or engaged in that many conversations. I had to lead a bunch of teen girls. Some of the things that I had to deal with were those who took my commands lightly, those who tried to over talk me, and those who tried to be the captain even though they were not chosen to be. There were many ups, downs and hectic moments, especially during homecoming. However, looking back I can only smile and think about how much fun it was. Naturally, it took a lot of energy out of me because I wasn’t used to talking and socializing so much, but it was rewarding, and I met so many great people in the process. I learned more about people and myself. I gained some strength, faced some fears and lost some weaknesses. Not everything will be pretty in the process of entering into a new beginning. In fact, we messed up during the homecoming pep rally, and guess what else, we had to perform the next day at the homecoming game with all of the alumni, teachers that didn’t usually come out, several families, the marching band and the cheerleaders. It was a very emotional and significant time for all of us! But we got to school early that day and worked extremely hard practicing. We changed the ending and the dance routine looked great. The homecoming time period was stressful but fun. I smile thinking back on the beauty of that new beginning. So before fear and doubt tries to come into your mind and block your view of the beauty of a new beginning, think about the limitless possibilities that they hold.

　

Getting to Know You

Good day Introverts, Reserved Ones, and All

Today I want to talk about meeting new people. I know I’ve talked your ear off about the fact that I’m about to go to college….but I’m not done just yet. This is a major move for anyone in this position especially introverts. One thing that I noticed, about this process is that lots of incoming freshman, not only those from my university, but from all universities was that on all three of my social media platforms, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, everyone has already started to meet one another. How about that? Social media is really serving its purpose. There are Class of Seventeen (my college graduation year) groups everywhere. I’m apart of one, on Facebook, but that’s about it. I also find large groups of my classmates by hash-tagging them on Twitter. From what I’ve twatched, everyone seems to know who they want to hang out with already. I don’t. So I followed two people from my class on Twitter. It felt kind of weird and I was really reluctant to do so. I haven’t gotten any follow backs or anything yet, but I just added them a few hours ago. From this I realized how fierce the socializing is. Think about it, people are closing in their social circles already even if they are digital. I really didn’t see the need to get to know all of these people who I probably won’t even ever see or have classes with. It’s not like I have a mean intent; I just simply didn’t understand all the fuss. I guess that’s part of being an introvert. I want to meet new people and have new friends, but hopefully I don’t come off the wrong way which is what I have done in many instances. So I have decided to learn from my mistakes. I have decided to be a little more welcoming, but at the same time ensure that I don’t lose myself meaning forget who I am or try to be someone that I’m not. I don’t really like the process of digitally meeting people, but that’s only my opinion. To each is own. I’d rather just seize the moment at orientation. So that leads up to the main point. There is a lot riding on this orientation that I’m attending this Saturday. We’ve all most likely been in this position. I can recall the beginning of many events where I was in a new setting and I just sat there while everyone else maybe slowly but surely, or maybe quickly began to socialize, and as time progressed I realized that I wasn’t close to many people in that particular group. I plan to change that in college. During orientation I will still be true to myself, but I will join the group of socializing peers. From the times when socializing was successful, I remember a few of the questions that I asked and the phrases that I said. Good things to ask a person when you first meet are about their origin (where they are from, past schools, jobs whatever seems fitting for the occasion), another thing to ask about is clubs/organizations that they may be apart of or plan on joining. It’s also important to give a little back to the conversation to let them know that you are there with them and that your mind is not somewhere else. Do whatever is most comfortable for you but don’t be afraid to take a little risk. Pray for courage and the words to say and let your light shine. There is a great, truequote that my cousin used in his speech last Sunday it says, “The biggest risks are the one’s not taken.” This quote has several origins it seems and several people have said this quote in many different ways. Its true. So take a risk that if you know is taken could immensely change your life in a POSITIVE way. No use in taking risks that could change your life immensely in a negative way. You’ll know which is which when you really stat thinking about it.

　

Right Here With You,

Unashamed Introvertish Girl

Appreciating the small things
Good Day Introverts, Reserved Ones, Those who want to learn more about us, and All Visitors, J

Today I want to talk about celebrating the small things in life. Have you ever heard the saying “You don’t really know what you have until its gone?" I think that phrase was created by someone who learned the painful lesson that we should appreciate and celebrate the different little things in our lives. I’m old enough to know that not everything is in our lives is positive; however, I believe that if each of us thinks hard enough that we can all find something to be grateful for. Once you become grateful for what you have and learn to appreciate those things, you begin to shine and overall do your best in all other areas; once you’re grateful for what you have, then you will see that you will be blessed with more. Be grateful for the friends that you do have, the conversations shot or long that you manage to have daily and you will find that these things will become even greater and better quality. When we are ungrateful for the good things that we do have, we don’t see their value and we fail to put time and attention to these things or people. From this day forward, I plan to take time out to appreciate and invest more time into the little things and relationships in my life that I sometimes take for granted. I’ll let you know how it goes!

An Introverted Goodbye/Keeping in touch

Good Day Introverts, Reserved Ones, All of those who want to learn more about us, and All visitors,

Recently, I have had to say goodbye to a lot of people and activities that I have gotten used to and comfortable with. I have said good bye to the members of the dance team, the national honor society, my Taekwondo school, people that I had several classes with and soon, by the end of the summer, people from my church, including the kids that I have been blessed to work with for several years. I’ve just graduated high school and things are about to be very different. I’m soon to be in the process of developing a new normal. Sometimes for us it is hard to adapt to a “new normal” but that’s not what I’m talking about just yet. Before we enter into a new normal, I want to talk about staying in touch. As I sat down and read my year book after graduation practice, I saw a couple of signatures with people saying we should keep in touch and toward the last couple of weeks of school (the most nerve racking if you ask me), mostly all of the seniors and everyone with some type of connection with a senior were talking about keeping in touch and the effects of going separate ways. The list of people to keep in touch with including peers and older adults became quite extensive. For some of us, skills like keeping in touch are very difficult and can be confusing. This situation has come up before, but now its more serious than ever. Although this is difficult, I believe we can do this. J The first step, that will make this process less complicated and more conquerable is to make a list of everyone who you need to keep in touch with. Making a list will help you to stay organized and help not to forget about anyone. Also, looking at the list a few times will help you to think about each person, your relationship with them and what you will talk about when you call. Another step is to develop a schedule of the times when you will call each person. This can be done using a wall calendar, a phone calendar or any type of calendar that you own. This can strengthen the relationship and let the person you are communicating with know that you are truly interested in them and that you truly care. This is what I will be doing through out college so that I can keep in touch with those that I need to and at the same time strengthen our relationship. We can do it!

Unashamed Introvertish Girl

Don’t Be Afraid to Take a Punch

Good Day Introverts, Reserved Ones, and all of those who want to learn more about people of this nature,

Recently, I had my last martial arts class before I go off to college. I’m not stopping martial arts, I’m just not going to be attending classes regularly like I usually do. My martial arts organization has many locations and one of them is inside a multi-activity center with lots of other types of activities, especially dance. As a result of the fact that this extracurricular activities center has so many different classes with so many different students of all different age groups, every year a showcase is held to show off what each student has learned to their family and friends. As I waited back stage for the Taekwondo class to be called to go on stage, I recalled something that my Taekwondo instructor told me all the time during sparring. I was a great blocker, I blocked not all, but many punches and kicks. That was okay, but what he used to always say to me and other members of the class was, “Don’t be afraid to take a punch.” I thought about that for a while during my time backstage. When I first stared sparring, I was always blocking but I rarely moved my arms from the blocking position to throw a punch. This simple statement about sparring made me reflect on my own life. I’m very shy sometimes and I’m very introverted sometimes, but mostly shy. Many times my shyness crippled me and stopped me from doing certain things such as joining conversations or going to social gatherings. In middle school, almost everyone had some type of party to celebrate what seemed then as such a great age, the big one three. There were always fancy little invites being passed around or text messages(pretty new aged for back then.) When I got invites, I was often too scared to attend these events. I would turn the invitation over so I wouldn't have to keep thinking about it and how I was not going. When I got to high school I thought to myself, “Why was I so scared to go to a little party or join a little conversation?” Its funny now, but during the time when you’re facing these types of things they can be painful. So I thought about the piece of advice that my Taekwondo instructor gave me, “Don’t be afraid to take a punch.” In life many times we are so afraid of “taking a punch” and getting hurt or knocked down by people, situations or circumstances that we miss out on things that had we just taken a little risk, would have been very beneficial to us and actually very easy once we took the first step. For those of you who are very shy like I was, and sometimes still are, don’t be afraid to take a risk every one in a while and step out on faith. Not in me but in God. Just try it, it’s a lot easier than you thought once you just do it.

　

Unashamed Introvertish Girl

Dress to Relieve Stress

Good Day Introverts, Reserved Ones, and Everyone who wants to learn more about us!

Today I want to talk about the power of taking more time out to pay attention to your style. Don’t get me wrong; I’m not about to give you fashion tips, but I will explain to you the importance of putting just a little more time in your style choices. Its really easy actually. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to do this either. When you pick out the clothes that you really feel good in, it is an attitude booster. There’s lots of nice clothes out there, but when you find the apparel that is right for you, you’ll notice there’s an instant boost of happiness and confidence. I’m not saying go out and become bankrupt in order to become happy. There are always thrift stores and other stores that sell clothes at a reasonable price. Outfits do not have to cost a large sum of money to look good on you. To me, buying clothes is a process of finding what complements you, makes you smile at yourself, and look at yourself with high esteem. I am not condoning conceit in anyway; however, I am promoting confidence and awareness of self identity. I don’t think you should find self-identity in the clothes you wear at all; that just leads to a life of confusion. Instead I’m saying, make this what seems to many of us a menial part of life into something very useful. Finding clothes that are absolutely for you can bring out your personality and help you with self expression. Many of us reserved one and/or introverts do not often express ourselves to the majority, an I’m not saying do this to prove a point or anything, I’m just saying use it as an outlet. When I went prom dress shopping before my senior prom, my mom and I had just walked into a store full of beautiful dresses. There were long dresses, quinceañ era dresses, rhinestone decorated dress, fluffy dresses, baby baptism dresses, sleek dresses, wedding dresses, you name it. They all looked so pretty, but then my eyes stumbled upon this awkward looking red dress. It was sort of hanging off of the hanger. It felt like the dress called my name, so I told my mom I wanted to try it on ant it was beautiful. It was a knee length red dress with wavy ruffles at the bottom and a fitted halter top. It had roses on the front and roses on the back. I felt it was just right for me and my personality, and I felt good in it. When shopping with this frame of mind you do not have to be preparing for a formal event, it can be anything, a baseball game, a movie date or whatever. Do what makes you feel confident and what makes you feel you. Be who God created you to be in every area of your life. The next time I go shopping, I’ll keep this in mind!

Summer Parties

So its summer time. Lots of thing are going on every day and especially during weekend. You may have even been invited to a few yourself. If you haven’t then you’re not alone. I don’t get that many invites either. But when I do, I try not to get too nervous about it if I plan on going, because guess what, introverts can still have fun at parties. If your absolutely freaking out then don’t go; it takes time to get comfortable with these types of things. However, if you are ready to start attending these festive social gatherings, I have a few tips on how to enjoy yourself.


Tip 1: Go with someone you know well, who you trust and understands your personality.
When I was in middle school, we had an eighth grade prom (I will tell you about my high school prom in another post. It was fun, but I’ll tell you the rest later.). It was one of the most fun nights of my life back then. I was with about six or seven of my closest friends. We all loved reading, studying and pretty much all of us placed in the school science fair that year. The point is, we were alike, we had similar interests and we understood each other. Not all of us were introverts but the fact that we all liked the same things dispelled shyness and provoked stimulating conversation. The eighth grade prom started around seven o’ clock and ended around ten o’ clock. It was on a boat which traveled a few miles on a local river and then turned around. It was a very memorable night. Every time I think about this event a clip plays over and over in my head of my old best friend on my left and my principle on the right teaching me the Cupid Shuffle ( a line dance). LoL!


Tip 2: (If you’re going to a party where you don’t really know anyone.) Locate a generous looking person or group of people that you will feel comfortable hanging out with for the duration of the celebration.
Although it is often times difficult to determine who you should go up to and hang out with at a party, this suggestion is worthwhile. It can make a world of a difference as it relates to your overall party experience. All you have to do is briefly scan the room and look for someone who you feel you may like to mingle with. Use good judgment when going about this process because depending on the type of party and the crowd of people at the party this could be dangerous. Just so you know, I’m not one to attend the wild and crazy parties, so the type of parties that I attend, when I do go, and when I am invited are pretty controlled and mellow. Keep in mind that it is best to do this with two or more people for safety reasons. Nothing to be alarmed about, just something to keep in mind. This method, is however very effective when used. In tenth grade, when I went out on a whim and decided to go to the homecoming dance, I sat all alone for a while. A few people that I knew came up an said “Hi,” and asked me if I was okay and everything then went on their way. Later, a girl from my Algebra 1 class in ninth grade and her friend came up and started talking. I was grateful that someone finally took interest. Not that I was sitting around waiting for someone, but you know what I mean. Anyway, the girl let me walk around and mingle and everything with her and her friend. In this instance, it was sort of the other way around but it still shows how there are very considerate people out there, and all we need is to give ourselves a little push sometimes. I will always remember this kind gesture.


Tip 3 : Use the old “Hi” and “Bye” routine.
Sometimes when I’m at a large gathering, and I get tired of sitting down the entire time, I’ll make my way across the room and in the process of doing so I greet those whom I may know. It doesn’t have to be long and drawn out it can just be a simple “hello.” That way you can interact with others at the party and nine times out of ten, the more talkative party goers will say more that “Hi” back to you. Your simple greeting could strike up an entire conversation started by the person that you greeted. If it doesn’t, that’s okay too. This is also good if you add a “How are you,” to the greeting because it shows that you have an actual interest in the person with which you are speaking.


Tip 4 : Say a prayer before you go.
Saying a prayer before you can do wonders. It can calm your nerves and grant you assurance that no matter what happens at this social gathering you will remain confident an love your self! This one is my favorite, btw.


　
These are just a few tips that have worked for me during parties and small social gatherings. Do what’s best for you and what makes you comfortable. I hope you benefit from these suggestions!

　




　

Good Day Introverts, Reserved Ones and All!

I hope all is way and that your finding joy in everything that you can! Its been a while since I have posted but I writing to tell you that I have not quit! More new, interesting, mind-expanding and helpful posts are coming your way this summer. In the next two weeks more post and more specific posts are coming your way! Stay tuned! In the mean time enjoy The Power of Introverts a Ted Talk by Susan Cain!



Unashamed Introvertish Girl

Laughing when it hurts

Good Day Introverts, Shy individuals, and all :)

Today I want to talk about something that’s not specifically an introvert issue but introverts, shy ones and everyone can benefit! Lately, things have been getting more and more real. That’s a slang phrase meaning that a situation or circumstance has become more serious and/or intense. I just graduated from high school on Monday and I am officially, officially in the real world, and its true what they say, its cold; however, joy has been warmth so far. I have learned that yes life is tough especially if you have difficulty expressing yourself thoroughly or socializing. The world, most of it, most of the time, sadly doesn’t care. There are a select few individuals that may go out of their way to make you comfortable, but that is rare. At this time in life, people my age are on elevators that move really fast. You're either going up really fast, going down, or busy trying to catch an elevator. People are getting good jobs, the best scholarships, the nicest cars, entering into great relationships or busy trying to do these things. Thank God I have not really seen anyone on an elevator going down, but if you're not setting goals for your self this is probably happening. Those with no goals are on an elevator going down, but its moving so fast that they probably don't even realize it. This is a time where you must be patient, not idle, but patient, patient and active at the same time. Introverts and reserved ones this applies to our situation also. Don’t spend time pouting, getting jealous, or crying; instead, keep moving. Imp learning that you cant go through life without laughing at certain things. If you really think about it, once in a while, you'll find that life is really funny. It sound crazy, to laugh while you waiting in a job, or a car or a best friend, but it works. Imp learning that God didn't create us to be stressed out all of them time or constantly desire what someone else has. He has provided relief in the midst of intense situations. I did this today! I laughed when it wasn't even that funny; but it helped me. I was in one of my extra curricular activities and we had just finished executing a physical combination of moves. I got each move down pack on the first try. I moved quickly, swiftly and neatly. I even got these techniques down pack before those who were on a higher level than I got the moves down pack. When we finished I was proud of myself. I even smiled a little. After this the instructor of the class complemented one of the other higher member on one of the techniques they did during this combination. I had to laugh at myself and my situation. It pretty funny to me. I give glory to God for everything that I can do, even physical actives. I laughed about it when it was all said and done. It gave me extreme energy; it was like fuel to keep going. It also helped me to be more happy for my class peers. It made me want to try harder. So find something funny in your life and laugh about it. I’m sure, of you don’t think too hard, you can find at least one thing.

　

With Laughter,

Unashamed Introvertish Girl

Preaching to the Choir

When I was about seven or eight years old, I sang in the church choir. Around this time, I was on the extremely quiet side and shy, but still brave. At this time, for some reason there were only two other people at choir practice they were both much older than me by three to six years. For the entire time choir instructor taught one song. The two older kids stood a little in front of me and sang amazingly. I don’t remember what they sounded like but I do remember their facial expressions and the way they rose their head to project sound. That in itself said a lot. I on the other hand felt I was working hard until the much older girl stood behind me and pointed her finger downward toward me rapidly and half mouthed and half whispered to the choir director,” she not singing." I felt bad. I guess it was a little frightening being around such older kids mad being on the reserved side. Nothing was coming out when I opened my mouth. The small amount of people intimidated me. At the end of rehearsal, the choir director said, in a serious and somewhat frustrated tone, if you don’t want to sing, tell your parents not to bring you next time. I never went back until one summer when the church had a youth explosion and basically all children in the church had to participate. This was one of the first moments I realized that was different from others. I had been an avid singer in the choir for about two years before this, but this was different. The kids were older and there where a lot less people. I know the director did not mean to offend me or make me upset, but I never went back to being a regular choir singer. I did not stop serving God. Instead I joined the dance ministry at church. I danced from the middle of third grade until the middle of eight grade. I was a little stiff at first and faced many challenges during this time but I tried my hardest. Around the end of seventh grade I started working in the church nursery and I was very good at it. It didn't require excellent social skills or lengthy conversations with peers. I felt comfortable consulting with adults by asking question about how to handle certain situations with the kids and observing how the experienced nursery workers handled the children. It was easy to interact with the children by complementing their art work or encouraging them to share instead of argue over toys. Today, I still work in the nursery and still enjoy each Sunday that I volunteer. From this I learned that everyone is good at something. Its just a matter of having the patience and perseverance to discover your niche and listen to what God is telling you to do. You don’t have to have dynamite social skills or be an avid talker to find hobbies, extracurricular activities and careers that you love and excel in. God has given each of us unique talents and gifts whether you’re reserved, shy, or an introvert. Don’t stop participating in life. Get out and do what you’re meant to do!

　

In Sincerity

Unashamed Introvertish Girl

　

　

　

A commute to chipotle and a walk to Wendy’s.

Good Day Introverts, reserved ones and all :)

Have you ever had to sit, walk, or go through and process, serious and/or non serious alone, I have. With many strange looks and nasty-ignorant comments accompanying me. Not to put to much focus on myself, but the thing that trips people up with me, is that I'm a bold introvert. I stand alone a lot of times but I walk with my head up, I’m on the dance team (I'll tell you more about that later), and when people stare, I look back. But anyway, its okay to go through some things alone, be mindful that God is right there with you so you're not really alone, but more like the earthly version of alone. I know that God is with me and that he has a plan for me. That keeps me going. The same goes for all of us. Also, although its very difficult when you first start doing so, forgiving those who make these comments and trying to understand why they are the way they are helps to eliminate bitterness. Today I am at graduation practice. They gave us two hours to go out for lunch on both days. Today is day two. This wasn't just any old lunch break. They let us go off of campus for lunch. On day one I started out of a fast food restaurant right by my school. The place was right around the corner but I know my mom wouldn't want me to walk alone, and I figured it was best to walk with a group for safety reasons. A girl from my classes that has a jeep asked me where I was going. I told her but she and her friends wanted to go somewhere else so I said okay. It was a really nice gesture from a trusted and responsible peer. I thanked her at least three times. When we got there, she dropped us off at the front of the restaurant. When she came back into the restaurant after parking she had a concerned look on her face. She said something about her car to her main girls in front of her. It sounded like she said someone was smoking by her car. How terrible, I thought, but didn’t think too much of it. Later, I heard correctly and realized that she said her car was smoking! I sort of panic internally and stopped eating politely. She got some guys from the auto mechanic program at our school to look at it and they said it was nothing too serious. We weren’t stranded. This day, I was reminded that there are still people out their who care about you and have interest in your [our] wellbeing despite our major differences from the world. I don't know what level of introversion or shyness you are on but for whatever level you are on I just wanted to say don’t give up on yourself or the possibility of one day having great, times with close/best friends. Many of you may already have these types pf relationships but not everyone does. Remember that God is always with you and has not given us a spirit of fear but of power, of love and of a sound mind. Don't stop taking wise chances in life! Don’t stop believing!

　

　

With understanding,

Unashamed Introvertish Girl.

Labels and Brand Names

Good day people! To the introverts out there an even those who aren’t introverts, have you ever felt like a person or a group of people didn’t know you adequately so in an attempt to do so they gave you a name that wasn’t even yours? I don’t literally mean a name like Thomas Jefferson or Maya Angelou, I mean like a label that describes who you are. With introverts, shy people or those who just are very loquacious (talkative), we sometimes face this problem. Because sometimes people don’t know us to an adequate extent, they feel the need to tell us who we are now and who were destined to be. This act is unintentional most of the time and meant to cause no harm but beware my fellow introverts and non loquacious persons, the effects of this can be harmful. Sometimes when this happens and we began to listen to everybody's opinion of us day by day and night by night, we can forget who we really are and who we're are truly destined to be. I'm not saying that helpful advice should be rejected, but I am saying that one should remember who they truly are in the midst of advice. Don’t ever forget who God created you to be or the gift that He has given you specifically. Others may not be able to see these extraordinary gifts and talents yet, but if you stay true to who you really are, they will see these amazing things in due season. Lots of people, when I told them what I wanted to be after college chuckled. It was not meant to be disrespectful but I guess they found it extremely ironic. After college, I’d like to become a broadcast journalist, and so far, though many have given me their own labels and brand names, my dream is not deferred. Stay tuned to part 2 of this topic!




Lots of Love J

Humble Beginnings

Like very few people on this earth, I am what many consider an introvert. I can identify with many of the characteristics and situations that those who have labeled themselves as introverts. I find myself nodding and smiling as I hear the awkward and uncomfortable situations that others have been in.  This was especially difficult to deal with during my preteen years. I would be invited to sleepovers where there were people that I didn’t know, or huge engagement from friends of the family and get talked about, scornfully looked upon, or laughed at by the adults and children that were there. This caused intense pain during those middle school years and I thought there was something wrong with me because I had never ever seen anyone like me. I have the utmost respect for the different beliefs (religious, cultural, etc) and would never want to offend anyone, but I am not afraid or ASHAMED to profess my spiritual beliefs. I say this to prepare you for my one solution and relief from this characteristic that I used to think of as a problem. In order to combat and overcome the intense pain, I prayed. I began to read scripture and get close to God. I began to discover who I really am and what I was made to be and do. Its okay to be an introvert and be different from everyone else. Remember that you are never alone. You don’t have to agree with me but these are my beliefs and if God did it for me He can do the same for you! Stay tuned for more specific stories about this unashamed introvert!