10. Have your voice heard without uttering a single word
9. A chance to quiet the vocal minority, who are just a bunch of over-excited extroverts
8. Abraham Lincoln. Leader. Patriot. Introvert.
7. For all you Nevada Introverts, I'm pretty sure Harry Reid is a flaming Extrovert (this reason paid for by Sharron Angle for Senate)
6. Vote for candidate willing to cater to the Introvert electorate by replacing federal holiday, Columbus Day, with the Wednesday before Thanksgiving Day being the new holiday (this just makes sense, people!)
5. Write-in vote opportunity for Introvert Advantage author Marti Olsen Laney!
4. Introversion is to be listed as a disease covered by insurance under new "Obama care."
3. There's no better place to be recharged by solitude than the confines of a cozy voting booth
2. Our elected officials could benefit from some good ole fashioned internal processing
And the #1 reason why every introvert should vote on election day...
1. How does an Introvert majority in Congress sound?! YES WE CAN!!!
What are some other reasons that I missed?
Interview with Adam McHugh
Ok, so the picture of this gentlemen to the right probably doesn't mean much to you. Honestly, I wouldn't have a clue either if I hadn't read his book over the summer (a huge catalyst for this blog) and thus stumbled across an interview of him that featured this glamour shot. So this is none other than Adam McHugh, author of Introverts in the church.
Here's an excerpt from the interview about gifts the Introvert can give to the church:
What gifts do introverts bring to their church community?
This is such an important question. So often we define introversion by what it's not, and I would like us to start defining introversion by its assets, not its liabilities.
People in our culture so rarely have the experience of being truly listened to--having not only their words taken seriously, but also having their feelings, questions, and doubts underneath those words paid attention to. Even though listening is always a discipline to be cultivated, introverts may have a head start on listening. Because we process internally, and take up less social space, we can offer a nonjudgmental posture that frees people to open up to us. I also think that people who go deep into their own souls--and find both the good stuff and the bad stuff--are capable of a powerful compassion for others. These are just two of the several gifts I explore in the book.
I gleaned a lot from the interview and a lot from the book, obviously. Check out the full interview here.
What are some ways you see the Introvert fitting in the church?
Who Knew?! Famous Introverts
Many of you, (especially if you’re at work), might look at your computer and see the brand “DELL” plastered somewhere on it. The person who began the technology giant is named Michael Dell…and guess what…INTROVERT! (BAM!)
How do I know such intimate details of Dell’s personality? I just completed a great book called Integrity, which looks at the aspects the character of successful people. Dell is one of the leaders briefly profiled.
The excerpt on p.72-73 of the book is taken from the November 3, 2003 issue in Business Week magazine. It reads:
“…personality tests given to key execs repeatedly showed Dell to be an “off-the-charts introvert…”
I shed a tear of joy as my heart leapt a little in my chest in reading that. A successful, well-known introvert! There’s hope! But the next part of that sentence in the excerpt troubled me:
“…and such an admission from him had to have been painful.”
Nooooooo! What a roller coaster ride of emotions all in one sentence. How DARE you, Business Week?! I obviously don’t see the admission of being an introvert as being painful. Why should it be taboo to observe ourselves to be an introvert? While on my way to Barnes & Noble to purchase all Business Week copies for a bonfire protest in the parking lot (I'll show you an off-the-charts introvert, Business Week!), I came to my senses and realized that statements like that are a reason why this blog exists. So I’ll stick it to them in blog-form with a tribute to a famous introvert, Michael Dell.
In fairness to the excerpt, the context of the article was to point out how Dell was viewed as impersonal and emotionally detached by his employees, and he was striving to connect with his employees by being vulnerable and authentic. Dell had obviously not been managing his introversion well, and I guess having to face that fact is the painful part.
But we should not be ashamed of our introversion. I mean, Dell did start a hugely successful technology company. I would imagine that the same introverted qualities viewed as a virtue while growing the company were the same qualities viewed as a hindrance when the company morale was faltering. The article does go on to say about how Dell reformed his introversion in such a way that made him vulnerable and relatable, without abandoning who he is.
For the ability to reform and manage his introversion as a strength, we salute you, Michael Dell.
Do you know of any other famous introverts?
Novelty vs Creativity
Here at the Introverted Soul, it's all about digging down deep and trying our best to come back up from depths with some clarity. So occasionally during an "internal processing" session, I'll come up with some clarity on a subject, and I'll want to share it here.
So today I was thinking of the difference between something being a novelty and something being creative. There's always creativity involved with novelty, but not everything creative is a novelty. The true value is going beyond novelty and gaining the status of being called creative.
Novelty is derived from the Latin word "new," and that is what a novelty is all about. It's about being new just for the sake of being new, and it does draw attention because we love the "new" thing. But the novelty is fleeting because it doesn't have any real impact beyond the attention-grabber. The power of creativity is hijacked when it's used only as an attention-grabber.
But using creativity to grab our attention, then going a step further by delivering a new idea or a twist on an established idea that shifts perspectives, is when we can classify something as truly creative. The moment that it goes beyond the "newness" into lasting impact and influence, is when the power of creativity has been harnessed.
So if you are lucky enough to gain the attention, are you ready to deliver something of impact? Or are you going to milk the novelty aspect for a few moments until the next attention-grabber comes on the scene? The ones who can attract and then deliver an impact, have something truly creative.
Are you lucky enough to have people's attention, and if so, what are you creating with that?
So today I was thinking of the difference between something being a novelty and something being creative. There's always creativity involved with novelty, but not everything creative is a novelty. The true value is going beyond novelty and gaining the status of being called creative.
Novelty is derived from the Latin word "new," and that is what a novelty is all about. It's about being new just for the sake of being new, and it does draw attention because we love the "new" thing. But the novelty is fleeting because it doesn't have any real impact beyond the attention-grabber. The power of creativity is hijacked when it's used only as an attention-grabber.
But using creativity to grab our attention, then going a step further by delivering a new idea or a twist on an established idea that shifts perspectives, is when we can classify something as truly creative. The moment that it goes beyond the "newness" into lasting impact and influence, is when the power of creativity has been harnessed.
So if you are lucky enough to gain the attention, are you ready to deliver something of impact? Or are you going to milk the novelty aspect for a few moments until the next attention-grabber comes on the scene? The ones who can attract and then deliver an impact, have something truly creative.
Are you lucky enough to have people's attention, and if so, what are you creating with that?
Thoughtfulness Overload
One of markings of a good introvert is thoughtfulness or internal processing. Sometimes the Introvert can get frustrated because people see them being thoughtful and they chalk it up to indecisiveness, apathy, or lack of leadership. We try to debunk that myth here at the Introverted Soul, but after some thought and some conviction from scripture, I have to admit that sometimes this is true.
I notice that oftentimes I can think things through, have the best of intentions of following through, but then I don't follow through. Call it laziness, selfishness, or apathy, but none of those are attributes that I desire. James 2:17 constantly convicts of me this. I can have all the faith in the world (to me this represents the Introvert who has the internal faith) but if that faith doesn't manifest itself outwardly (this would be the Extrovert who is naturally more outwardly expressive) then I've got some issues.
So as much as I believe in thoughtfulness, I can easily overload on it, and lean on it as a crutch for inaction. The inaction makes all the thoughtfulness, good intentions, and faith, mean nothing.
I notice that oftentimes I can think things through, have the best of intentions of following through, but then I don't follow through. Call it laziness, selfishness, or apathy, but none of those are attributes that I desire. James 2:17 constantly convicts of me this. I can have all the faith in the world (to me this represents the Introvert who has the internal faith) but if that faith doesn't manifest itself outwardly (this would be the Extrovert who is naturally more outwardly expressive) then I've got some issues.
So as much as I believe in thoughtfulness, I can easily overload on it, and lean on it as a crutch for inaction. The inaction makes all the thoughtfulness, good intentions, and faith, mean nothing.
Introverted Inspirtation in Scripture
In late 2009, I committed to memorizong 100 Psalms. I failed. I only memorized 24, and now the ones I had memorized have started to fade away so I can only recall bits and pieces. BUT it was still a fruitful exercise, so much so that I've recommitted to that goal but this time taking route that is more thought-through (in typical introverted fashion), adopting the "marathon" mindset rather than the "sprint" mindset.
One of the Psalms I recently committed to memory was Psalm 131. There's a line in there that gives me some peace and inspiration as the Introveted Soul. The line reads: "I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me, but I have stilled and quieted my soul."
This passage has both reminded me and challenged me.
It has reminded me of the perfection God. One moment he's challenging the Introvert with the call to shout for joy and lift our hands , and then the next He's reminding the Introvert that there's purpose and value in how He has created us by calling us to stillness and quietness.
It challenges me to harness that natural response of stillness and quietness and make it an intentional feeding of my soul, not just an outward behavior. It is an awesome challenge, and thankfully I believe the Introvert is well equipped for this.
How is God reminding and challenging you through His Word?
One of the Psalms I recently committed to memory was Psalm 131. There's a line in there that gives me some peace and inspiration as the Introveted Soul. The line reads: "I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me, but I have stilled and quieted my soul."
This passage has both reminded me and challenged me.
It has reminded me of the perfection God. One moment he's challenging the Introvert with the call to shout for joy and lift our hands , and then the next He's reminding the Introvert that there's purpose and value in how He has created us by calling us to stillness and quietness.
It challenges me to harness that natural response of stillness and quietness and make it an intentional feeding of my soul, not just an outward behavior. It is an awesome challenge, and thankfully I believe the Introvert is well equipped for this.
How is God reminding and challenging you through His Word?
Praying for your spouse
I've recently embarked on a quest to be more intentional about praying for my wife. We got off to a great start, but we've stumbled in the past couple of weeks, so this post from my good friend Harrison lit the fire under me again. This is the quote that particularly spoke to me:
Dr Fincham suspects that the act of praying about romantic partners leads people to view their relationship as something sacred and not to be damaged. This, he argues, is the force that is reducing infidelity in the study.
Here at the Introverted Soul, I constantly try to promote the assets of being the Introvert, but there are times when those assets drift into hindrances. For example, the Introvert is very thoughtful, which I think can lead to wisdom and clarity of action, but sometimes that's all the Introvert does! We get bogged down by thinking that there's never any action. I'm the king of good intentions...I spend so much time thinking about good things I need to do (like praying for and with my wife) but I'm also the king of excuses. I can easily rationalize why I never implement my good intentions.
This interview and study challenged me to take action with my prayer, and also clarified why I need to do this. A pastor at my church, Phil Hargrove, said that prayer with/for your wife can be more intimate than sex...I can definitely see the truth in that, because prayer with/for your wife creates a spiritual connection, and our perspetive of our wives shifts from being just a sexual parnter to a spiritual and divine partnership. It's hard to imagine a deeper connection than that.
Bottom line, I need to get about the business of doing the things now (intentional prayer for my wife) that will lead to what I want down the road (a strong, deep, spiritual relationship with my bride).
Check out Harrison's blog post:
the bottlenecked blog: Limits of Human Progress and the Power of Prayer: "Earlier this year I posted C.S. Lewis' fictional description of hell, a world without scarcity. Before that I had confessed that a world wit..."
Dr Fincham suspects that the act of praying about romantic partners leads people to view their relationship as something sacred and not to be damaged. This, he argues, is the force that is reducing infidelity in the study.
Here at the Introverted Soul, I constantly try to promote the assets of being the Introvert, but there are times when those assets drift into hindrances. For example, the Introvert is very thoughtful, which I think can lead to wisdom and clarity of action, but sometimes that's all the Introvert does! We get bogged down by thinking that there's never any action. I'm the king of good intentions...I spend so much time thinking about good things I need to do (like praying for and with my wife) but I'm also the king of excuses. I can easily rationalize why I never implement my good intentions.
This interview and study challenged me to take action with my prayer, and also clarified why I need to do this. A pastor at my church, Phil Hargrove, said that prayer with/for your wife can be more intimate than sex...I can definitely see the truth in that, because prayer with/for your wife creates a spiritual connection, and our perspetive of our wives shifts from being just a sexual parnter to a spiritual and divine partnership. It's hard to imagine a deeper connection than that.
Bottom line, I need to get about the business of doing the things now (intentional prayer for my wife) that will lead to what I want down the road (a strong, deep, spiritual relationship with my bride).
Check out Harrison's blog post:
the bottlenecked blog: Limits of Human Progress and the Power of Prayer: "Earlier this year I posted C.S. Lewis' fictional description of hell, a world without scarcity. Before that I had confessed that a world wit..."
Don't apologize
I hear the Introvert all too often apologizing for being introverted. It frustrates me at times because it builds up the myth that being introverted is wrong, a social handicap, or a poor business practice. The goal should be not to apologize for being introverted but to use the introversion in such a way that it becomes an asset to you and to those you serve.
To start doing this, it would be wise to communicate with those around you that you are introverted and tend to approach things differently. Let people know that you tend to need to marinate on things before landing on a response. I used to feel pressured to come up with an answer to certain questions right on the spot, and still do feel that way at times, but I've found that embracing my thoughtfulness as a strength, consistently communicating this need to others, and then actually delivering wise and clear responses works very well.
If someone asks me a question that I need to think through, I'm getting to a point to where I don't feel pressured to respond immediately, but I'm able to fight that urge and instead respond by confidently communicating that I need to think this through and get back to them. And guess what? They are always happy to do so, and not once has anyone responded negatively to this. Not only does it send a signal to them that I think their question is important enough to merit some extra thought, but most of the time I'm able to come back very soon with a well thought out and clear response.
So don't apologize for the methods that lead you to success, but embrace embrace it as a strength, and I think it will improve how the Introvert contributes and the respect that others give to the Introverted Soul.
To start doing this, it would be wise to communicate with those around you that you are introverted and tend to approach things differently. Let people know that you tend to need to marinate on things before landing on a response. I used to feel pressured to come up with an answer to certain questions right on the spot, and still do feel that way at times, but I've found that embracing my thoughtfulness as a strength, consistently communicating this need to others, and then actually delivering wise and clear responses works very well.
If someone asks me a question that I need to think through, I'm getting to a point to where I don't feel pressured to respond immediately, but I'm able to fight that urge and instead respond by confidently communicating that I need to think this through and get back to them. And guess what? They are always happy to do so, and not once has anyone responded negatively to this. Not only does it send a signal to them that I think their question is important enough to merit some extra thought, but most of the time I'm able to come back very soon with a well thought out and clear response.
So don't apologize for the methods that lead you to success, but embrace embrace it as a strength, and I think it will improve how the Introvert contributes and the respect that others give to the Introverted Soul.
Montreat Weekend Internal Processing Part II
This is Part II from yesterday's post about the Montreat Weekend:
3. Equipment- a HUGE concern and stress was equipment. This was because we were going to have to bring ALL of our own equipment (drums, mics, cables, speakers, etc.) and have to set it up on Saturday night. We then found out a couple of days prior, that there was an event occurring on Saturday Night and Sunday morning, and were told that we would have to set up all of our equipment late Saturday night (starting at 9PM), could only rehearse until 11PM (due to a noise ordinance), move all of our equipment off stage to accommodate the event the next morning, then move all of our equipment on stage following the morning event (ending at 9:50AM), and be ready to start playing prelude music at 10:15 AM. WHOA! I was STRESSED! But we trusted in the Lord, loaded all of our equipment, and headed to Montreat praying for a miracle. WELL, when we arrived, we discovered that there was a band playing music for the event, and they said we could use ALL of their equipment. This meant no need to worry about setting up, tearing down, etc. because it was already set up and would be set up the next morning. So while we did have to load all of our equipment and tote it up there, we didn't have to worry about any set-up and tear-down, and the stress of time constraints were washed away. We realized that we would NEVER have been able to have made everything happen it if weren't for that miracle. PRAISE THE LORD!
4. Devotion- that Sunday morning, we were feeling pretty awestruck at the Lord for what he had already done on our trip. We held a devotion following breakfast in which we discussed idolatry. We spent 45 minutes talking through some biblical concepts of idolatry, and how we can apply that our lives and our worship. Well during the service, there were 2 congregation responsive prayers that took directly from passages of scripture on idolatry and used other wordings that spoke about idolatry. WOW! We all started looking around at each other, feeling totally weirded out!
5. The Response- as I said, even through all the amazing reminders the Lord gave us about His faithfulness, we were still nervous about playing for the more traditional congregation. Following the sermon, we walked on stage to lead in "Revelation Song." As I said, the sermon centered around scripture that were right in line with the song, so we were hopeful the congregation would see the link, and be moved by the music. But "Revelation Song" is a pretty rocking song at times, so there was still uneasiness...but...WHOA! Frances Reid sang the solo of the song, and sang it beautifully, the rest of the band played with excellence, but more important the Spirit moved in a powerful way during the song. The congregation actually erupted in applause after the song was finished, and we were left with feelings of humility at how big God is and again left totally awestruck. Countless people approached us afterwards with compliments and words of encouragement.
All of these illustrations of God's faithfulness are just echoes of the resounding theme of the experience: When we are weak, He is STRONG! All of us in the band came into that experience feeling weak and afraid because we were stepping into the unknown. But thankfully we were stepping into the unknown by faith, and the Lord honored that by knocking us onto our knees and putting us in a state of surrender, allowing us to experience is awesome strength and sovereignty. Through every experience we were all humbled even more, moving us into a state of dependency and weakness; fertile soil for the Lord. What an amazing experience of holy revelation, and one that I will not soon forget!
3. Equipment- a HUGE concern and stress was equipment. This was because we were going to have to bring ALL of our own equipment (drums, mics, cables, speakers, etc.) and have to set it up on Saturday night. We then found out a couple of days prior, that there was an event occurring on Saturday Night and Sunday morning, and were told that we would have to set up all of our equipment late Saturday night (starting at 9PM), could only rehearse until 11PM (due to a noise ordinance), move all of our equipment off stage to accommodate the event the next morning, then move all of our equipment on stage following the morning event (ending at 9:50AM), and be ready to start playing prelude music at 10:15 AM. WHOA! I was STRESSED! But we trusted in the Lord, loaded all of our equipment, and headed to Montreat praying for a miracle. WELL, when we arrived, we discovered that there was a band playing music for the event, and they said we could use ALL of their equipment. This meant no need to worry about setting up, tearing down, etc. because it was already set up and would be set up the next morning. So while we did have to load all of our equipment and tote it up there, we didn't have to worry about any set-up and tear-down, and the stress of time constraints were washed away. We realized that we would NEVER have been able to have made everything happen it if weren't for that miracle. PRAISE THE LORD!
4. Devotion- that Sunday morning, we were feeling pretty awestruck at the Lord for what he had already done on our trip. We held a devotion following breakfast in which we discussed idolatry. We spent 45 minutes talking through some biblical concepts of idolatry, and how we can apply that our lives and our worship. Well during the service, there were 2 congregation responsive prayers that took directly from passages of scripture on idolatry and used other wordings that spoke about idolatry. WOW! We all started looking around at each other, feeling totally weirded out!
5. The Response- as I said, even through all the amazing reminders the Lord gave us about His faithfulness, we were still nervous about playing for the more traditional congregation. Following the sermon, we walked on stage to lead in "Revelation Song." As I said, the sermon centered around scripture that were right in line with the song, so we were hopeful the congregation would see the link, and be moved by the music. But "Revelation Song" is a pretty rocking song at times, so there was still uneasiness...but...WHOA! Frances Reid sang the solo of the song, and sang it beautifully, the rest of the band played with excellence, but more important the Spirit moved in a powerful way during the song. The congregation actually erupted in applause after the song was finished, and we were left with feelings of humility at how big God is and again left totally awestruck. Countless people approached us afterwards with compliments and words of encouragement.
All of these illustrations of God's faithfulness are just echoes of the resounding theme of the experience: When we are weak, He is STRONG! All of us in the band came into that experience feeling weak and afraid because we were stepping into the unknown. But thankfully we were stepping into the unknown by faith, and the Lord honored that by knocking us onto our knees and putting us in a state of surrender, allowing us to experience is awesome strength and sovereignty. Through every experience we were all humbled even more, moving us into a state of dependency and weakness; fertile soil for the Lord. What an amazing experience of holy revelation, and one that I will not soon forget!
Montreat Weekend Internal Processing Part I
Being the typical Introvert, I am just getting to the point where I have processed events in my life that occurred 2 months ago, ha! But there were some amazing ministry opportunities afforded to me this summer, and I wanted to write about one such opportunity. After writing this all out, I decided I needed to break this into 2 posts, so check out part II tomorrow:
Over the July 4th weekend, the First Pres Worship Team was given a chance to lead music and worship at the Montreat Conference Sunday morning worship, located in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina. By the grace of God, this was the only weekend this past summer where temperatures were actually extremely pleasant, which was awesome because there is no AC in the hotel we stayed or the worship auditorium. That was definitely a huge plus. However, despite the providential fortune of the weather, the band and I were very nervous about our weekend. Mainly because the style of music we play for worship is somewhat out of the box for Montreat Sunday Worship...some would say out of the box is generous because there has NEVER been that type of music used. So we were anticipating the worst, as far as response. But as we soon discovered, the gorgeous weather was just one of the ways that Lord revealed Himself to us, reminding us that that when we are weak, He is STRONG.
So here were some awesome evidence of God from that weekend:
1. The deposit- I was concerned how we were going to be able to afford our accommodations for the night, because the budget is tight, and there aren't a lot of options for lodging that are convenient to Montreat, aside from the Assembly Inn (out of our budget, we thought). BUT come to find out, First Pres had a non-refundable deposit with Montreat that had not been used, and needed to be used ASAP or else that would be money down the drain. I found out about it, booked individual rooms for all the band at the convenient and gorgeous Assembly Inn, and we were saved!
2. Scripture and Song choice- the week before, I was able to speak with the pastor that would be teaching that Sunday. He wanted to discuss some song choices, and see if there was any way we could support his message with some appropriate song choices. Of course, this made me nervous because I had already chosen songs, rehearsed them with the band, and submitted them to Montreat to print in the bulletin. But when he told me he would be preaching on Revelation 5, I had chills. The song I had submitted to Montreat to print in the bulletin for use after the sermon was a called "Revelation Song" which uses scriptures from Revelation 4 and 5! When I told him this over the phone, we both responded with some laughter, realizing that the Lord is our worship leader, bigger than all our plans and worries.
Part II to come tomorrow!!
Over the July 4th weekend, the First Pres Worship Team was given a chance to lead music and worship at the Montreat Conference Sunday morning worship, located in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina. By the grace of God, this was the only weekend this past summer where temperatures were actually extremely pleasant, which was awesome because there is no AC in the hotel we stayed or the worship auditorium. That was definitely a huge plus. However, despite the providential fortune of the weather, the band and I were very nervous about our weekend. Mainly because the style of music we play for worship is somewhat out of the box for Montreat Sunday Worship...some would say out of the box is generous because there has NEVER been that type of music used. So we were anticipating the worst, as far as response. But as we soon discovered, the gorgeous weather was just one of the ways that Lord revealed Himself to us, reminding us that that when we are weak, He is STRONG.
So here were some awesome evidence of God from that weekend:
1. The deposit- I was concerned how we were going to be able to afford our accommodations for the night, because the budget is tight, and there aren't a lot of options for lodging that are convenient to Montreat, aside from the Assembly Inn (out of our budget, we thought). BUT come to find out, First Pres had a non-refundable deposit with Montreat that had not been used, and needed to be used ASAP or else that would be money down the drain. I found out about it, booked individual rooms for all the band at the convenient and gorgeous Assembly Inn, and we were saved!
2. Scripture and Song choice- the week before, I was able to speak with the pastor that would be teaching that Sunday. He wanted to discuss some song choices, and see if there was any way we could support his message with some appropriate song choices. Of course, this made me nervous because I had already chosen songs, rehearsed them with the band, and submitted them to Montreat to print in the bulletin. But when he told me he would be preaching on Revelation 5, I had chills. The song I had submitted to Montreat to print in the bulletin for use after the sermon was a called "Revelation Song" which uses scriptures from Revelation 4 and 5! When I told him this over the phone, we both responded with some laughter, realizing that the Lord is our worship leader, bigger than all our plans and worries.
Part II to come tomorrow!!
Highlights from "Introverts in the Church"
I tend to have "eyes bigger than my stomach" when it comes to books. I'll go to the library and order and/or put holds on 5 books in anticipation of them coming available at different times so I can have a nice proportioned book diet (to keep with the eating analogy), but then of course they all come available pretty much at once, and I have to gorge myself on reading on books. This happened to me this summer, where I found myself wanting to put a towel over my bedside table so I wouldn't get stressed by the stack of unread, overdue books taunting me and my foolish book diet.
However after paying a couple of library fees, I was able to make it through my stack. One of the books I read was called "Introverts in the Church" by Adam McHugh. Of course my wife mocked me for reading such a thing, and this is probably not typical beach reading for the normal human being, but I really enjoyed the book.
So here are some highlights:
-energized by solitude-a geyser gets it's power from a subterranean water source, introverts derive their power from hidden spaces
- "Introverts don't avoid social interactions like trips to the dentist, but rather like we would avoid exercise; because we lack the energy. Long periods without quiet refueling leave introverts feeling physically exhausted and emotionally hollow."
- extroverts derive energy from outside themselves, like a reservoir relies on rainfall for water, they are filled by external sources. Too much time alone leaves them feeling drained.
- You have to distinguish between energy source and energy level.
- Introverts can recharge to a very high level of energy, but it is more quickly depleted than extroverts in social situations unless it's used efficiently. That's why a lot of introverts move a little slower, talk slower, and are often a little less high-strung.
- Introverts draw conclusions before speaking; that’s why interruptions are frustrating because we are forced to ponder new information before responding
- idea oriented- combination of solitude and internal processing leads to many introverts who are oriented towards ideas than they are interactions with people
- The quality of the day can often be gauged on the ideas, and we enjoy reflecting on our best experiences more so than we did actually living the experience
- Introverts have more active and busy brains than extroverts; More blood flow but in slower longer paths to the parts of the brain controlling long-term memory, solving problems, and planning
- Biblical Personalities- Peter displayed extroverted tendencies (quick to speak and reactive; Jacob described as a “quiet man”; Moses initially resisted the Lord because he was slow of speech and wary of public speaking
This certainly isn't all the things I gleaned, but it's just some of the stuff I found worthy to write down. The books also delves into introverted qualities of Jesus, and also practical ways for the Introverted Soul to navigate in the extroverted culture of ministry. It can definitely provide encouragement to any introverts struggling through feeling unworthy of the call of ministry due to their personalities.
So for any introverted or extroverted folks in the ministry, this book is a must read!
Was Jesus an Introvert?
Ok, I certainly I'm not going to even try put Jesus into a personality box, and I believe that He came to be all things to all people (even introverts), which motivated Paul to pursue the same (1 Corinthians 9:22-23). So I am not going to even try to claim the Son of God as the King of the Introverts. But the purpose of this blog is to free the introverts to see of the virtues of introversion, and some of those virtues were exhibited by Jesus. So I can think of no better person that can free the Introverted Soul than Jesus!
Here are ways Jesus exhibited the virtues of Introversion:
1. Energized by Solitude- 40 days in the wilderness, retreated from the crowds who clamoring for more, Luke describes him as often withdrawing himself from the multitudes
2. Internal Processing- sought alone time with God to process who were to be the 12 disciples, went to pray alone before the crucifixion, instructed us to pray privately
3. Depth over breadth- don't babble, Jesus spoke in parables which were often short and simple stories yet carried DEEP meaning
So there are some very Christ-like virtues that Introverts have! There are also some very extroverted qualities that are Christ-like, so I don't want to leave them out, BUT this a blog dedicated to introverted souls, so I can't help but be a little biased!
Here are ways Jesus exhibited the virtues of Introversion:
1. Energized by Solitude- 40 days in the wilderness, retreated from the crowds who clamoring for more, Luke describes him as often withdrawing himself from the multitudes
2. Internal Processing- sought alone time with God to process who were to be the 12 disciples, went to pray alone before the crucifixion, instructed us to pray privately
3. Depth over breadth- don't babble, Jesus spoke in parables which were often short and simple stories yet carried DEEP meaning
So there are some very Christ-like virtues that Introverts have! There are also some very extroverted qualities that are Christ-like, so I don't want to leave them out, BUT this a blog dedicated to introverted souls, so I can't help but be a little biased!
The introverted church
I love working at a church. I love being able to serve people, and working at a church, I'm able to publicly and intentionally serve people for the sole purpose of glorifying Jesus Christ, which is something I would never get in the business world, which is where the Introverted Soul started. So I wanted to get that out of the way before going deeper into this post.
One thing that challenges me at times in corporate worship settings is how to approach an introverted church. As the Introverted Soul, you would think I would be more sensitive to an introverted church, but I can't deny then when I'm worshiping among people that are more expressive and open during worship, it is energizing, encouraging, validating. The church I now serve has people who are very expressive in worship, but overall the folks would be classified as introverted with how they worship. The introverted church would describe their worship as reflective, cerebral, and reverent. Certainly nothing wrong with that, and I wholeheartedly believe those are God-honoring ways to worship. But the introverted church also needs to challenge itself as to whether the expressions are motivated by reverence or by self-consciousness, fear, or flat out disobedience--or said more simply, motivated by pride.
So the question is the introverted church motivated out of reverence or pride? I can see both sides. I have been in worship situations where I am in a mode where quiet reflection and meditation feels like feels obedient to the Spirit. I have also been in modes where I've literally felt like I've been lifted out of my seat and my arms were raised above my head almost like a puppet on a string (me=puppet, string=Holy Spirit). So I totally get that worship is expressed in many different ways. The key is being allowing yourself to be vulnerable and obedient to Spirit.
So the beef is when people are staunchly against allowing themselves to express certain forms of biblical worship. Some introverted church folks say they could never allow themselves to do such things as shout (Psalm 100) or raise their hands (Psalm 134:2) in the context of worship, and judge those who do. I think the fact they won't allow themselves even if the option of expressing themselves that way is pride. The extroverted types who constantly judge people who are more reserved are prideful as well, because outwardly expressive worship is not a tell-tale sign of obedient worship (see Psalm 46:10).
But to go back to addressing the introverted church, let's examine our motives and see where that takes us. I do believe our introversion can be reverently pure, but I would not want to use it as an excuse for pride.
One thing that challenges me at times in corporate worship settings is how to approach an introverted church. As the Introverted Soul, you would think I would be more sensitive to an introverted church, but I can't deny then when I'm worshiping among people that are more expressive and open during worship, it is energizing, encouraging, validating. The church I now serve has people who are very expressive in worship, but overall the folks would be classified as introverted with how they worship. The introverted church would describe their worship as reflective, cerebral, and reverent. Certainly nothing wrong with that, and I wholeheartedly believe those are God-honoring ways to worship. But the introverted church also needs to challenge itself as to whether the expressions are motivated by reverence or by self-consciousness, fear, or flat out disobedience--or said more simply, motivated by pride.
So the question is the introverted church motivated out of reverence or pride? I can see both sides. I have been in worship situations where I am in a mode where quiet reflection and meditation feels like feels obedient to the Spirit. I have also been in modes where I've literally felt like I've been lifted out of my seat and my arms were raised above my head almost like a puppet on a string (me=puppet, string=Holy Spirit). So I totally get that worship is expressed in many different ways. The key is being allowing yourself to be vulnerable and obedient to Spirit.
So the beef is when people are staunchly against allowing themselves to express certain forms of biblical worship. Some introverted church folks say they could never allow themselves to do such things as shout (Psalm 100) or raise their hands (Psalm 134:2) in the context of worship, and judge those who do. I think the fact they won't allow themselves even if the option of expressing themselves that way is pride. The extroverted types who constantly judge people who are more reserved are prideful as well, because outwardly expressive worship is not a tell-tale sign of obedient worship (see Psalm 46:10).
But to go back to addressing the introverted church, let's examine our motives and see where that takes us. I do believe our introversion can be reverently pure, but I would not want to use it as an excuse for pride.
What energizes the Introverted Soul?
A lot of time is spent here trying to define the Introvert, and the benefits and hindrances introversion has on leadership. One concept that keeps coming up is what energizes the Introvert, and we conclude that solitude and rest energizes the Introvert, where action and social activity energizes the Extrovert.
As the Introverted Soul, I totally concur with this definition, and as I've said, I see strong relation between many qualities of the Introvert and a healthy spiritual life (but of course, I am biased). However, I have landed on something that energizes me besides "alone time" and I guess it shouldn't come as a suprise considering what I do for a living.
It dawned me the other day after playing music for a group of students at a local church. After a normal workday (complete with tiresome social interactions:) I headed to lead worship for a group of about 15 students. Including set-up, rehearsal, and hanging out afterwards, this left me getting home at about 9:15 that night...You'd think that the Introverted Soul would have no desire to work a full day, voluntarily go and put on the extroverted hat for a very small group of people, until late in the evening. But I left that place completely refueled and happy as a clam!
Here some reasons why:
1. When in front of a crowd leading worship, it's more of a one on one time with me and God rather than something I'm doing in front of a bunch of people where I need to put the extrovert hat. Obviously I can't neglect my duties of leading the group, but I've found that the times when I'm more focused on the people in the room than I am on the Lord, I get distracted, I have the wrong motives, and my energy is drained. When I'm involved with authentic worship with the Lord, he tends to always fill my cup to overflowing.
2. For some reason, playing music transports me to another place...cue "Twilight Zone" theme...I know it sounds weird, but it simply brings something out of me. Or maybe a better way to say it is that it quiets those distractions around me and inside me, and it frees me to go to a place of peace and rest. Being the Introverted Soul, any time I can get some peace and rest is a good thing!
3. Quite simply, because I'm hitting in my sweet spot. I played a lot of baseball when I was younger, and nothing felt better than connecting the bat with the ball in the sweet spot of the bat...where you almost don't even feel it happen, there's no vibration, and you hit a line drive into the gap with what seems like less effort. Hitting in the sweet spot is an indescribable sensation. That's how I feel about what I get to do...It just feels right! I love the Church...I love leading the Church in worship of our Holy God, and I personally love doing that through music. I feel like I'm at batting practice and hitting line drives from the sweet spot almost everyday...what a blessing!
As the Introverted Soul, I totally concur with this definition, and as I've said, I see strong relation between many qualities of the Introvert and a healthy spiritual life (but of course, I am biased). However, I have landed on something that energizes me besides "alone time" and I guess it shouldn't come as a suprise considering what I do for a living.
It dawned me the other day after playing music for a group of students at a local church. After a normal workday (complete with tiresome social interactions:) I headed to lead worship for a group of about 15 students. Including set-up, rehearsal, and hanging out afterwards, this left me getting home at about 9:15 that night...You'd think that the Introverted Soul would have no desire to work a full day, voluntarily go and put on the extroverted hat for a very small group of people, until late in the evening. But I left that place completely refueled and happy as a clam!
Here some reasons why:
1. When in front of a crowd leading worship, it's more of a one on one time with me and God rather than something I'm doing in front of a bunch of people where I need to put the extrovert hat. Obviously I can't neglect my duties of leading the group, but I've found that the times when I'm more focused on the people in the room than I am on the Lord, I get distracted, I have the wrong motives, and my energy is drained. When I'm involved with authentic worship with the Lord, he tends to always fill my cup to overflowing.
2. For some reason, playing music transports me to another place...cue "Twilight Zone" theme...I know it sounds weird, but it simply brings something out of me. Or maybe a better way to say it is that it quiets those distractions around me and inside me, and it frees me to go to a place of peace and rest. Being the Introverted Soul, any time I can get some peace and rest is a good thing!
3. Quite simply, because I'm hitting in my sweet spot. I played a lot of baseball when I was younger, and nothing felt better than connecting the bat with the ball in the sweet spot of the bat...where you almost don't even feel it happen, there's no vibration, and you hit a line drive into the gap with what seems like less effort. Hitting in the sweet spot is an indescribable sensation. That's how I feel about what I get to do...It just feels right! I love the Church...I love leading the Church in worship of our Holy God, and I personally love doing that through music. I feel like I'm at batting practice and hitting line drives from the sweet spot almost everyday...what a blessing!
Common Misconceptions of the Introvert
Just because I'm not as urgent to speak, doesn't mean I'm stupid! Here are some common misconceptions of the introvert, that we're going to clear up...
1. The Introvert can't lead
Of course I disagree with this! There are awesome advantages to leadership that the introvert possesses. I outlined those advantages in a previous 2 part post. But to put it succinctly, the less you talk, the more you listen! Effective listening is the key to effective leadership.
2. The Introvert is shy
Not True! The definition of being shy is "easily frightened with a timid reserve" in social situations. I am introvert and I definitely don't see myself as easily frightened of social situations. Part of my job is getting up in front of people and speaking, singing, interacting with people on my team and in the congregation. Sometimes we label someone as shy, when really they simply are confident enough to be comfortable with silence. Don't make that mistake!
3. The Introvert has no opinion
Again, wrong! The Introvert loves the old adage "Better to be thought a fool and remain silent, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt." as well as Proverbs 17:28. The fact is that the Introvert's opinions need time to cook, and just because we aren't verbalizing opinions, doesn't mean we aren't thinking, and fine-tuning them. Ideally, while the Extrovert is spouting off opinion after opinion without having thought it through, the Introvert is crafting their opinion, weighing pros and cons, sifting through our thoughts, listening to others, and landing on a conclusion that, hopefully, will be insightful and wise. Decreasing the clutter of undercooked opinions, and increasing the amount of finely tuned, solution oriented opinions, typically results in more efficient action. And nothing frustrates the Introvert more than inaction, after they have spent energy formulating what they they is an opinion that can provide a solution. I can't tell you how many times I've been in a meeting and not said anything. I don't necessarily wear that as a badge of honor, but I do think some meetings could benefit from "little less conversation, a little more action" (thanks, Elvis). Maybe the Introvert should start ruling the meeting room...although it could be a very quiet meeting, ha!
I'm sure the common misconceptions list will be always evolving and added to, but that's all I have for now...anything I'm forgetting....?
1. The Introvert can't lead
Of course I disagree with this! There are awesome advantages to leadership that the introvert possesses. I outlined those advantages in a previous 2 part post. But to put it succinctly, the less you talk, the more you listen! Effective listening is the key to effective leadership.
2. The Introvert is shy
Not True! The definition of being shy is "easily frightened with a timid reserve" in social situations. I am introvert and I definitely don't see myself as easily frightened of social situations. Part of my job is getting up in front of people and speaking, singing, interacting with people on my team and in the congregation. Sometimes we label someone as shy, when really they simply are confident enough to be comfortable with silence. Don't make that mistake!
3. The Introvert has no opinion
Again, wrong! The Introvert loves the old adage "Better to be thought a fool and remain silent, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt." as well as Proverbs 17:28. The fact is that the Introvert's opinions need time to cook, and just because we aren't verbalizing opinions, doesn't mean we aren't thinking, and fine-tuning them. Ideally, while the Extrovert is spouting off opinion after opinion without having thought it through, the Introvert is crafting their opinion, weighing pros and cons, sifting through our thoughts, listening to others, and landing on a conclusion that, hopefully, will be insightful and wise. Decreasing the clutter of undercooked opinions, and increasing the amount of finely tuned, solution oriented opinions, typically results in more efficient action. And nothing frustrates the Introvert more than inaction, after they have spent energy formulating what they they is an opinion that can provide a solution. I can't tell you how many times I've been in a meeting and not said anything. I don't necessarily wear that as a badge of honor, but I do think some meetings could benefit from "little less conversation, a little more action" (thanks, Elvis). Maybe the Introvert should start ruling the meeting room...although it could be a very quiet meeting, ha!
I'm sure the common misconceptions list will be always evolving and added to, but that's all I have for now...anything I'm forgetting....?
Can the Introvert Lead? Part II
Continuing exploring the benefits of intorversion and how it makes the Introvert an effective leader?
3. The Introvert is a good public-speaker
This is true because speaking is simply not something the Introvert values. That's why they need to work extra hard at it, because the world certainly does value people who can speak and speak well. The Introvert will spend a lot of time, intentionally or unintentionally preparing a speech. Intentionally speaking, the Introvert recognizes that they don't value speaking and therefore they need to prepare themselves and improve upon this skill. They write out their words, and rehearse their words, and because they are so internal, they can internally critic and judge their skill and adjust. This need for preparation increases the level of performance. Unintentionally, because the Introvert is very inward focused, the Introvert is constantly rehearsing, even when they aren't meaning to. They imagine how the speech will go, what they will say, how people will react, etc. When you combine the unintentional with the intentional, the result is consistently a confident and quality public-speaker
4. The Introvert can connect with people
This hinges on the Introvert having a deep understanding of themselves. The Introvert needs to understand that large groups are not their place to thrive. Leave that to the Extrovert. The Introvert is the one organizing one-on-one meetings, or gathering small groups of people together, because this is simply an easier environment for the Introvert to navigate. The benefit of this is that the smaller, more intimate setting is a perfect situation for the Introvert, because the Introvert is comfortable with silence, and the opportunity for silence is much greater in a smaller setting. So now that the Introvert is in their element, then they are confident and can begin leading. The benefit of the more intimate environment is that it is in fact, INTIMATE. This is how people connect. Over a one-on-one lunch, or a cup of coffee, or a small group at church. The very way that connections are made, is also the environment that is most suited for the Introvert to thrive.
3. The Introvert is a good public-speaker
This is true because speaking is simply not something the Introvert values. That's why they need to work extra hard at it, because the world certainly does value people who can speak and speak well. The Introvert will spend a lot of time, intentionally or unintentionally preparing a speech. Intentionally speaking, the Introvert recognizes that they don't value speaking and therefore they need to prepare themselves and improve upon this skill. They write out their words, and rehearse their words, and because they are so internal, they can internally critic and judge their skill and adjust. This need for preparation increases the level of performance. Unintentionally, because the Introvert is very inward focused, the Introvert is constantly rehearsing, even when they aren't meaning to. They imagine how the speech will go, what they will say, how people will react, etc. When you combine the unintentional with the intentional, the result is consistently a confident and quality public-speaker
4. The Introvert can connect with people
This hinges on the Introvert having a deep understanding of themselves. The Introvert needs to understand that large groups are not their place to thrive. Leave that to the Extrovert. The Introvert is the one organizing one-on-one meetings, or gathering small groups of people together, because this is simply an easier environment for the Introvert to navigate. The benefit of this is that the smaller, more intimate setting is a perfect situation for the Introvert, because the Introvert is comfortable with silence, and the opportunity for silence is much greater in a smaller setting. So now that the Introvert is in their element, then they are confident and can begin leading. The benefit of the more intimate environment is that it is in fact, INTIMATE. This is how people connect. Over a one-on-one lunch, or a cup of coffee, or a small group at church. The very way that connections are made, is also the environment that is most suited for the Introvert to thrive.
Can the Introvert Lead? Part I
Many people think of a leader as someone who is personable, confident, good public-speaker, and persuasive. Most people would also never assign these qualities to the Introvert. But I think the Introvert is more than capable of being an effective leader, by building on the benefits of introversion.
Here are ways that the Introvert is well equipped to lead:
1. The Introvert Listens
I can't think of anything more frustrating than trying to be led by someone who does not listen. Often times it's because they are so busy talking, there's no room for anyone else to speak in order to be heard. With the Introvert, there are lots of chances for voicing opinions. In fact, the Introvert would prefer to listen and not speak. A leader cannot be as effective if they don't listen to those they are leading. The Introvert prefers to listen.
2. The Introvert is confident
Yes this is true! I believe the Introvert is often a confident person, because they are comfortable with silence. Comfortable with being still. Comfortable with other people questioning their personality because they aren't constantly flapping their gums. How many times have you been involved a discussion with a group of people, and everyone has been voicing their opinion...except the one person. They have remained silent the whole time, to the point where everyone knows it. And then when the discussion is going in circles and nothing is being accomplished, that person will speak...you're on the edge of your seat...often this person's opinion shifts the discussion and solves the problem. This person is the Introvert who is confident. They don't need to contribute to all the back and forth craziness. They're confident enough to work through the issue internally, to listen to all the ideas being thrown out, and then landing on an opinion. And when they speak, they do it with confidence because they have gained a demand for their opinion. It's simple economics. The less supply there is, the higher the demand. The less supply of opinion there is, the more people want it. And then the Introvert leader has authority and confidence
More thoughts tomorrow in Part II...
Here are ways that the Introvert is well equipped to lead:
1. The Introvert Listens
I can't think of anything more frustrating than trying to be led by someone who does not listen. Often times it's because they are so busy talking, there's no room for anyone else to speak in order to be heard. With the Introvert, there are lots of chances for voicing opinions. In fact, the Introvert would prefer to listen and not speak. A leader cannot be as effective if they don't listen to those they are leading. The Introvert prefers to listen.
2. The Introvert is confident
Yes this is true! I believe the Introvert is often a confident person, because they are comfortable with silence. Comfortable with being still. Comfortable with other people questioning their personality because they aren't constantly flapping their gums. How many times have you been involved a discussion with a group of people, and everyone has been voicing their opinion...except the one person. They have remained silent the whole time, to the point where everyone knows it. And then when the discussion is going in circles and nothing is being accomplished, that person will speak...you're on the edge of your seat...often this person's opinion shifts the discussion and solves the problem. This person is the Introvert who is confident. They don't need to contribute to all the back and forth craziness. They're confident enough to work through the issue internally, to listen to all the ideas being thrown out, and then landing on an opinion. And when they speak, they do it with confidence because they have gained a demand for their opinion. It's simple economics. The less supply there is, the higher the demand. The less supply of opinion there is, the more people want it. And then the Introvert leader has authority and confidence
More thoughts tomorrow in Part II...
Clarification of the Extroverted Stance
I am involved with a Thursday morning bible study (which I started calling the Thursday AM Men's Club without their permission, so hopefully they are cool with that). I revealed to them today the existence of the Introverted Soul. One of them said that I had lost major cool points for having such a nerdy blog. I quickly retorted with my belief that I was already experience cool point deficiency, so there really wasn't much to lose.
This morning we discussed the idea of being the Introvert or being the Extrovert, and how it benefits/hinders our spiritual walk. Come to find out, 4 of the guys, including myself, claimed to be the Introvert, and only one claimed to be the Extrovert. We promptly voted to revoke his membership to the Thursday AM Men's Club. Just kidding, but seriously, after hearing my extroverted friend challenge my brilliant stances on the subject (ha!), I decided I needed to clarify some of my thoughts...
I am definitely not anti-Extrovert. I believe they are capable of the same depth of thought, relationships, and faith as the Introvert. Of course the Introvert acts as if their way is best, but at their core, they know and believe that the Extrovert can be just as deep of a thinker as the Introvert, with just as high regard for their way. We are each capable of achieving the same end results, we just arrive at those results in different ways...and that's OK!
One of the objectives of this blog is not to insult the Extrovert with my assertions, but to instead free the Introvert from feeling like an outcast. There are benefits to being the Introvert that provide distinct advantages. But the other side of the coin is that there are downsides to the Introvert. The Introvert can use their nature as an excuse for laziness, inactivity, and indecisiveness. As much as the Introvert doesn't want to admit it, there things the Extrovert does well, and rather than let our introversion dominate our personalities, we need to embrace extroversion from time to time to balance us out.
The ultimate goal is not to change who we are at our core, but to simply stretch ourselves a little bit to prevent introversion from becoming our detriment. The Extrovert needs to do the same, as I learned today, because they struggle with being so outwardly focused, that they neglect focusing inward and getting to know who they are. So in order to thrive, the Introvert needs to dip into some extroversion every so often, and the same is true for our extroverted brethren.
And that is the official stance of the Introverted Soul...Take luck!
This morning we discussed the idea of being the Introvert or being the Extrovert, and how it benefits/hinders our spiritual walk. Come to find out, 4 of the guys, including myself, claimed to be the Introvert, and only one claimed to be the Extrovert. We promptly voted to revoke his membership to the Thursday AM Men's Club. Just kidding, but seriously, after hearing my extroverted friend challenge my brilliant stances on the subject (ha!), I decided I needed to clarify some of my thoughts...
I am definitely not anti-Extrovert. I believe they are capable of the same depth of thought, relationships, and faith as the Introvert. Of course the Introvert acts as if their way is best, but at their core, they know and believe that the Extrovert can be just as deep of a thinker as the Introvert, with just as high regard for their way. We are each capable of achieving the same end results, we just arrive at those results in different ways...and that's OK!
One of the objectives of this blog is not to insult the Extrovert with my assertions, but to instead free the Introvert from feeling like an outcast. There are benefits to being the Introvert that provide distinct advantages. But the other side of the coin is that there are downsides to the Introvert. The Introvert can use their nature as an excuse for laziness, inactivity, and indecisiveness. As much as the Introvert doesn't want to admit it, there things the Extrovert does well, and rather than let our introversion dominate our personalities, we need to embrace extroversion from time to time to balance us out.
The ultimate goal is not to change who we are at our core, but to simply stretch ourselves a little bit to prevent introversion from becoming our detriment. The Extrovert needs to do the same, as I learned today, because they struggle with being so outwardly focused, that they neglect focusing inward and getting to know who they are. So in order to thrive, the Introvert needs to dip into some extroversion every so often, and the same is true for our extroverted brethren.
And that is the official stance of the Introverted Soul...Take luck!
Introvert vocab
Here are some buzzwords/phrases for those learning about this creature knows as the Introvert:
1. Solitudial Energy- ok I think the word "solitudial" is made up, but I think I should get at least a B- for effort...basically this phrase tells you that the Introvert derives energy from spending time alone recharging. For a spiritual person like me, this can often mean spending time in prayer, reading my bible, being at the beach...and it also may or may not include watching a marathon of "The Challenge: Fresh Meat II" on mtv.com (I watch for the strategy of it all, and also to feel better about myself since a lot of the contestants are trainwrecks). Each Introvert uses their solitude differently, but either way, we need this to recharge our energy and face a world of extroverts.
2. Internal processing- a lot of this is done during our solitude, but this means that we will process things inside our mind before every uttering a word...I like to think of it like a duck swimming in a pond...from the surface it doesn't appear like too much is going on, but underneath the water, those webbed feet are churning! So the duck above the surface is the seemingly lifeless, thoughtless face of the Introvert, while the churning webbed feet is the Introverted brain working overtime
3. Depth over Breadth- basically the Introvert will prefer to lay a big crazy thought on you that could change the whole discussion, rather than talking ad nauseam. Of course, sometimes the Introvert can overvalue their deep statement and think their statement is more important than it actually is, but the beauty of it is that it FEELS important to everyone else because the Introvert's opinions are at a premium. The main thing to know is that the Introvert will be a person of few words, and will try to lay some depth on you rather than a ton of wordplay
4. Letting things cook/marinate/bake- this is the "microwave versus a crock pot" theory. It's really just a fancy way of getting the "internal processing" idea across in a hip way that "the kids" can understand. This is something the Introvert might say to keep the Extrovert at bay while the Introvert filters through their thoughts to land on their "deep" opinion.
We will refer back to these ideas often here on The Introverted Soul, so go ahead get acquainted with all of these!
1. Solitudial Energy- ok I think the word "solitudial" is made up, but I think I should get at least a B- for effort...basically this phrase tells you that the Introvert derives energy from spending time alone recharging. For a spiritual person like me, this can often mean spending time in prayer, reading my bible, being at the beach...and it also may or may not include watching a marathon of "The Challenge: Fresh Meat II" on mtv.com (I watch for the strategy of it all, and also to feel better about myself since a lot of the contestants are trainwrecks). Each Introvert uses their solitude differently, but either way, we need this to recharge our energy and face a world of extroverts.
2. Internal processing- a lot of this is done during our solitude, but this means that we will process things inside our mind before every uttering a word...I like to think of it like a duck swimming in a pond...from the surface it doesn't appear like too much is going on, but underneath the water, those webbed feet are churning! So the duck above the surface is the seemingly lifeless, thoughtless face of the Introvert, while the churning webbed feet is the Introverted brain working overtime
3. Depth over Breadth- basically the Introvert will prefer to lay a big crazy thought on you that could change the whole discussion, rather than talking ad nauseam. Of course, sometimes the Introvert can overvalue their deep statement and think their statement is more important than it actually is, but the beauty of it is that it FEELS important to everyone else because the Introvert's opinions are at a premium. The main thing to know is that the Introvert will be a person of few words, and will try to lay some depth on you rather than a ton of wordplay
4. Letting things cook/marinate/bake- this is the "microwave versus a crock pot" theory. It's really just a fancy way of getting the "internal processing" idea across in a hip way that "the kids" can understand. This is something the Introvert might say to keep the Extrovert at bay while the Introvert filters through their thoughts to land on their "deep" opinion.
We will refer back to these ideas often here on The Introverted Soul, so go ahead get acquainted with all of these!
Talking is Exhausting!
I had lunch with a pastor the other day, and we had some great conversation and discussion about leadership, life, and love (well we didn't really talk about love, but I was just rolling with the alliteration).
We ended up talking about personalities and introversion and extroversion (I promise I wasn't fishing for a blog post...in fact he brought it up!). He reminded me that a way to look at both personality types are that the Introvert is drained by interactions with people, and the Extrovert is energized by interactions with people. He said that he has extroverted qualities (which in church leadership is fairly common, and the subject of another post at another time) but his wife has introverted qualities. Even though I know better, immediately my mind jumped to the conclusion that she's probably really quiet, hermit-ish, and not as well-liked, while he's probably the life of the party. While it's probably true that he's the life of the party, He snapped me back to reality by saying that his wife is as well. She's very social, engaging, and loquacious (SAT word alert!). The difference is that when they leave the party, he's ready to talk some more, go to another party, or call his college roommate and talk until dawn...while she is ready to hibernate. Of course I already knew this, but being the proprietor of this blog, it embarrassed me that my initial reaction was that his wife was a social outcast! That's one of the things from which we're trying to liberate the Introvert.
The Introvert loves people, cares about people, and wants to interact with people. The thing is it's unnatural for the Introvert to do that, and it requires a lot of extra energy...so even though the interaction is worth it, it is still very draining for the Introvert. Every Sunday afternoon I feel like I've just run a marathon because of all the energy I've had to spend as a worship leader, doing what comes unnaturally to the Introvert. Even though I think there's huge benefits to being the Introverted worship leader and operating out of reliance on the strength of God, it makes me envious of all the extroverted souls leading worship on Sundays!
We ended up talking about personalities and introversion and extroversion (I promise I wasn't fishing for a blog post...in fact he brought it up!). He reminded me that a way to look at both personality types are that the Introvert is drained by interactions with people, and the Extrovert is energized by interactions with people. He said that he has extroverted qualities (which in church leadership is fairly common, and the subject of another post at another time) but his wife has introverted qualities. Even though I know better, immediately my mind jumped to the conclusion that she's probably really quiet, hermit-ish, and not as well-liked, while he's probably the life of the party. While it's probably true that he's the life of the party, He snapped me back to reality by saying that his wife is as well. She's very social, engaging, and loquacious (SAT word alert!). The difference is that when they leave the party, he's ready to talk some more, go to another party, or call his college roommate and talk until dawn...while she is ready to hibernate. Of course I already knew this, but being the proprietor of this blog, it embarrassed me that my initial reaction was that his wife was a social outcast! That's one of the things from which we're trying to liberate the Introvert.
The Introvert loves people, cares about people, and wants to interact with people. The thing is it's unnatural for the Introvert to do that, and it requires a lot of extra energy...so even though the interaction is worth it, it is still very draining for the Introvert. Every Sunday afternoon I feel like I've just run a marathon because of all the energy I've had to spend as a worship leader, doing what comes unnaturally to the Introvert. Even though I think there's huge benefits to being the Introverted worship leader and operating out of reliance on the strength of God, it makes me envious of all the extroverted souls leading worship on Sundays!
The 4th of July Patriot Act
I must admit, even though I'm an introvert and prone to lengthy periods of internal thought and pondering, and because of that, believe I have deeper appreciation for things (pretty self-righteous conclusion, I know), one thing I have acknowledged is that I don't have a deep feeling of patriotism.
I completely understand the sacrifices people have made, and are still making for the good of this country and its people, but I don't have that swelling of pride that some people get when they see the flag, celebrate the 4th, or sing the "Star-Spangled Banner." And like every good introvert, I internally wonder, "What's wrong with me?"
Maybe it's because I've never served in the military, or didn't grow up under such obvious threats to our freedom as other generations endured. Maybe it's because of the media, or pop culture distractions, or I've never traveled to other countries and seen what they're like...I don't know.
But rather than blame other things, I'm going to do the introverted thing, and turn inward, examine myself, and why I might keep myself from feeling this pride. So this 4th of July, I'm going to sit quietly, think about my feelings on the subject, sift through and filter out all my thoughts, until I come to a conclusion about how I feel about it...then I'll keep that conclusion all bottled up inside, and never tell anyone, unless explicitly asked, ha!
I will say that I do hope to develop my patriotism to a deeper level, as I do admire those who have a deep appreciation, respect, and love for their country. So this 4th of July is the beginning of my patriot act...USA!USA!USA!
Take Luck...
I completely understand the sacrifices people have made, and are still making for the good of this country and its people, but I don't have that swelling of pride that some people get when they see the flag, celebrate the 4th, or sing the "Star-Spangled Banner." And like every good introvert, I internally wonder, "What's wrong with me?"
Maybe it's because I've never served in the military, or didn't grow up under such obvious threats to our freedom as other generations endured. Maybe it's because of the media, or pop culture distractions, or I've never traveled to other countries and seen what they're like...I don't know.
But rather than blame other things, I'm going to do the introverted thing, and turn inward, examine myself, and why I might keep myself from feeling this pride. So this 4th of July, I'm going to sit quietly, think about my feelings on the subject, sift through and filter out all my thoughts, until I come to a conclusion about how I feel about it...then I'll keep that conclusion all bottled up inside, and never tell anyone, unless explicitly asked, ha!
I will say that I do hope to develop my patriotism to a deeper level, as I do admire those who have a deep appreciation, respect, and love for their country. So this 4th of July is the beginning of my patriot act...USA!USA!USA!
Take Luck...
Confidence in weakness
Soon after starting my job working full-time at a church leading and planning worship, I was asked to take the personality test (ours was called the DISC profile). I certainly don't let those kind of tests dictate how I should act or what I should do at work, but I think they do hold some truth that can be helpful personally, and for your co-workers.
My DISC came back saying that I display some pretty heavy introverted qualities (no big shock there), while the rest of my co-workers all had the exact similar DISC results--pretty strong extroverts.
Needless to say they were somewhat surprised that the Introvert could do the things that my job requires me to do on Sunday mornings. Feeling comfortable in the spotlight (I realize the spotlight is on God, but the point is, I'm in front of people, speaking, singing, leading, etc.), being open and vulnerable in front of others, speaking publicly (and just speaking in general--the Introvert can be rather word deficient at times!), and feeling energized by interactions with people are all crucial aspects of what I do. But they do not come naturally to the Introvert me, AT ALL! But here's the part that fills me with assurance: somehow I am consistently able to do the unnatural, and I am able because HE is able. This has makes me even more confident that my responses of worship are authentic because I am operating from a place of weakness, humility, and reliance on Him.
The times where I fail at my job, my relationships, and life, are when I am relying on my own strength. But I am so grateful that the Lord has give me the qualities of an Introvert, because they remind me every Sunday morning that I'm going to an unnatural place, and I have a gut check to see how much I'm depending on Him. So even for the something as simple as the introverted worship leader, Luke 1:37 is still true!
My DISC came back saying that I display some pretty heavy introverted qualities (no big shock there), while the rest of my co-workers all had the exact similar DISC results--pretty strong extroverts.
Needless to say they were somewhat surprised that the Introvert could do the things that my job requires me to do on Sunday mornings. Feeling comfortable in the spotlight (I realize the spotlight is on God, but the point is, I'm in front of people, speaking, singing, leading, etc.), being open and vulnerable in front of others, speaking publicly (and just speaking in general--the Introvert can be rather word deficient at times!), and feeling energized by interactions with people are all crucial aspects of what I do. But they do not come naturally to the Introvert me, AT ALL! But here's the part that fills me with assurance: somehow I am consistently able to do the unnatural, and I am able because HE is able. This has makes me even more confident that my responses of worship are authentic because I am operating from a place of weakness, humility, and reliance on Him.
The times where I fail at my job, my relationships, and life, are when I am relying on my own strength. But I am so grateful that the Lord has give me the qualities of an Introvert, because they remind me every Sunday morning that I'm going to an unnatural place, and I have a gut check to see how much I'm depending on Him. So even for the something as simple as the introverted worship leader, Luke 1:37 is still true!
Turning Inward
You might notice my fancy tagline underneath my the blog title..."turning inward, focusing upward."
Turning inward comes from the definition for what introversion is, and I believe that the ability to turn inward enables me to become more self-aware, and the more self-aware I become, the more I understand how desperate I should be for God.
The whole idea of self-awareness has been a game changer for me and how approach life. It has enabled me to understand that I am not always good and I'm not always right. The game changing aspect is not only to understand those Truths, but also to seek to correct them. And I as I turn inward, I am humbled because I see how much I fall short...and I rejoice in God's grace because of that.
So my introversion has enabled to turn inward, to see myself for what I am, and by the grace of God, I'm learning that I need to allow Him to change those parts of me. The ability of turning inward, focuses me upward.
I believe there are a lot of advantages to being an introvert, and one such advantage is I believe we have the ability to become more self-aware. What benefits do you think there are?
Turning inward comes from the definition for what introversion is, and I believe that the ability to turn inward enables me to become more self-aware, and the more self-aware I become, the more I understand how desperate I should be for God.
The whole idea of self-awareness has been a game changer for me and how approach life. It has enabled me to understand that I am not always good and I'm not always right. The game changing aspect is not only to understand those Truths, but also to seek to correct them. And I as I turn inward, I am humbled because I see how much I fall short...and I rejoice in God's grace because of that.
So my introversion has enabled to turn inward, to see myself for what I am, and by the grace of God, I'm learning that I need to allow Him to change those parts of me. The ability of turning inward, focuses me upward.
I believe there are a lot of advantages to being an introvert, and one such advantage is I believe we have the ability to become more self-aware. What benefits do you think there are?
Embrace the Introverted Soul
Introverted (Webster's definition)- to turn inward as to concentrate upon oneself.
Have you ever been called an introvert as an insult? Have people ever wondered why you're so quiet or think something is wrong with you that you just don't have anything to say? Well it's time to liberate the introvert, because I see tremendous value in Webster's definition because in that definition I see someone who is focused on humility, on being thoughtful with their responses, and listening.
I will be diving into what it means to be an introvert, and often seeing how it helps and hinders me as a spiritual leader in my family and in the church.
"Be still and know that I am God"- Psalm 46:10
It's time to embrace that because I am an introvert, I am able to so easily turn inward (as Webster's would say) and be still.
Have you ever been called an introvert as an insult? Have people ever wondered why you're so quiet or think something is wrong with you that you just don't have anything to say? Well it's time to liberate the introvert, because I see tremendous value in Webster's definition because in that definition I see someone who is focused on humility, on being thoughtful with their responses, and listening.
I will be diving into what it means to be an introvert, and often seeing how it helps and hinders me as a spiritual leader in my family and in the church.
"Be still and know that I am God"- Psalm 46:10
It's time to embrace that because I am an introvert, I am able to so easily turn inward (as Webster's would say) and be still.
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