Positively Introverted

Finding Your Way in a World Full of People

Maureen Marzi Wilson

• Publisher: Adams Media
• Year: 2022
• Print ISBN: 9781507216682
• eBook ISBN: 9781507216699
• Topic: Personal Development
• Subtopic: Personal Success

Discover how introverts can succeed in a world designed for extroverts with this advice-driven collection of words and illustrations. Self-proclaimed introvert and creator of Introvert Doodles, Marzi Wilson, knows introverts are still a thriving community. Now she's back sharing her introvert expertise with a brand-new advice-driven collection of words and illustrations, offering insight on how introverts can succeed in life, focusing on relationships, mental health, career success, and more!

Chapter One THE INS AND OUTS OF INTROVERSION

If you picked up this book, you were likely drawn to it because you’re an introvert (or suspect you might be). Hooray! It’s always wonderful to meet another introvert (from a distance, that is).

In this chapter, we’ll get started with the basics. We’ll talk about the ins and outs of introversion: how introverts differ from extroverts, the particular needs and challenges of introverts, and what sort of gifts introverts have to offer the world.

Maybe you already feel pretty certain that you’re an introvert. Or perhaps you aren’t quite sure. Luckily for you, I’ve created a list of “Top 10 Signs You’re an Introvert.” How many of the following describe you?

• 1 You refrain from sharing your ideas until you’ve had time to think things through. You feel flustered or irritated when others demand an immediate response.
  
• 2 You feel most at peace when you’re alone. Solitude brings you serenity, and you enjoy your own company. As I like to say, “often alone, rarely lonely.”
  
• 3 You crave quiet, cozy spaces; crowded locations make you feel tense. Parties are overwhelming! You’d much rather be on the sidelines than in the thick of the festivities. When celebrations get too chaotic, you have a habit of disappearing.
  
• 4 You have a heightened sensitivity to stimuli. Loud sounds startle you, while extended exposure to noise often results in a headache. You find bright lights especially bothersome.
  
• 5 You thoroughly consider potential outcomes and consequences when making decisions. You’re uncomfortable with unnecessary risk-taking, especially when the stakes are high.
  
• 6 You have one or two best friends rather than a large group of buddies. While others say “the more the merrier,” you say “the fewer the better.” You prefer to invest your energy in deep, close relationships instead of spreading yourself thin. You’re extremely loyal to the few who are a part of your inner sanctum.
  
• 7 Your home is your sanctuary. You’ve cultivated a space that suits you, and there are few places you’d rather be. When you have a choice between staying in or going out, you almost always want to stay home. If there’s an unexpected knock on the door, it feels like an intrusion of your personal space. You wish people would text before dropping by!
  
  
• 8 You find social interactions emotionally and physically draining. Even if you’re participating in an activity you enjoy, with people you like, there is a limit to how much you can handle. When you push yourself beyond that limit, you feel frazzled and on edge. You tend to excuse yourself early and head home long before everyone else.
  
• 9 You spend a lot of time thinking. Then thinking some more! Your brain is a vibrant place, and there’s always something new to ponder. Maybe you like to “build” things in your head. Or perhaps you have a fantasy world you escape to? You find it a bit odd when other people complain that they’re bored…. How could anyone be bored when there are so many possibilities to imagine?!
  
• 10 You feel somehow different, as though you don’t meet society’s standard of “normal.” People often ask, “Why are you so quiet? Are you mad? Is something wrong?” After a while, you begin to wonder the same thing: Is there something wrong with me?
  

Did several of those sound familiar? If so, you’re likely an introvert. Welcome to the club!

In essence, being an introvert means that you feel drained by interactions with others, and you “refuel” by being alone. Conversely, extroverts typically feel energized by socializing with people. Of course, introverts are capable of socializing (and even enjoy it, on occasion). And extroverts won’t perish if they have to spend an evening at home. But your natural temperament—introversion or extroversion, or somewhere in between—shapes your particular preferences and needs.

I didn’t a...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Dedication
• Introduction
• Chapter One: The Ins and Outs of Introversion
• Chapter Two: It Starts With Self
• Chapter Three: Family Functions
• Chapter Four: How to Friend Someone
• Chapter Five: Mushy Stuff
• Chapter Six: Public Relations
• Chapter Seven: Work Hard
• Chapter Eight: Play Harder
• Chapter Nine: Mental Health Matters
• Finding Your Way
• About the Author
• Copyright