Do I Really Exist? Reminiscence of an Introvert.

Who is better equipped to talk about introverts than an Introvert?

Though, with age hammering some sense and a little bit of maturity into me, I have been able to stick my nose out of the quicksand at least.

Yes, you are right; not yet entirely out but definitely better off than what I started off with.

Family and friends definitely are a great help here. But you need to make friends first for them to help you, right? No rocket science.

You need friends to help you out and unfortunately, you don’t make good friends by being an introvert. This is what made me form the opinion that the question “which came first; the chicken or the egg?” was framed by an introvert.

One more disclosure to be made before proceeding on. One distant relative of mine is also an introvert. Distant…due to around 30 odd years between us. yeah…right…I am talking about my daughter.

She goes one step further; leave aside not starting a conversation, Even if she is searching for something lifesaving online, she refuses to use the “click to call” button for the fear of speaking to a stranger. Can you beat it?

Now, if I may, let the flood begin:

I am an Elite Smarty Pants

I have always been labeled as a snob, as a person with his nose in the air.

What is all this about me looking down on my fellow beings when the fact of the matter is I don’t want to look at all, whether down my nose or not. I just want to be left alone to myself, that’s all.

Want to know with what I have been branded as? I have been called the guy “who thinks he is too cool for others” type. He is aloof and there is a character flaw in him.

He has some shameful secret he is hiding. In short, I am Jack the ripper and state enemy No.1 rolled into one; to be trusted only as far as you can throw an elephant.

No Help Wanted. I Can Manage by Myself.

Introverts lose out on many good things. Take my case for instance. I have jumped many jobs in my lifetime, which is by the way not yet over.

That means lots of ex-colleagues dotting the entire world. Their expertise in every field imaginable will come in handy for anyone except me.

And I sorely missed not remaining in touch with them when I entertained the crazy (crazy for me not to you) notion of starting something on my own, to be my own boss.

If I were to be not an introvert, I would have managed to channel all these expertise in making a solid launchpad for my entrepreneurial efforts.

This is just one of the reasons I dumped my dream. Can you imagine me willingly approach anyone soliciting business?

Can you see me greasing someone’s palm for favours? I can’t.

I am a Social Animal. Social Media is My Haunt.

It was during this same entrepreneurial adventure…er…misadventure of mine that I was given the advice of resorting to social media for becoming popular.

Yes, I can imagine what you are thinking…dreaming is okay but fantasizing is an entirely another thing.

But I took the advice, that time, I would have given my right arm to become popular except for reaching out to people that is, face to face.

Do you know the result of my above experimentation? I have zero followers on LinkedIn (where I was told the business community hangs out) and where I am yet to complete my profile.

And Facebook, yes let’s talk about Facebook, where I managed to get four friends; my life partner, my two daughters, and my pet (he too has a Facebook account).

Alone in a Crowd

Then let me talk about my working days. Naturally. As you guys would have guessed by now, I excel when working alone.

Put me in a group project and then immediately I will be among the also-run.

My inputs, some time valuable of course, are neglected and my achievements are underplayed.

Don’t think I am playing the blame game to hide my inefficiencies, I don’t blame the group at all, it is how I am programmed.

People tend to overlook me to such an extent that I start doubting my own existence.

Do I really exist?

When My Weakness Turned into My Strength

Enough of these miseries. Being an introvert can turn out to be a strength also at times. Like when my flight was delayed for hours on end, I was able to smoothly blend in with the airport lounge surroundings.

One with the furniture. While my fellow passengers were fretting, fuming, and fighting with the airline staff, I was able to withdraw from all the hullaballoo and be as cool as a cucumber.

MIST READ: Why Your Weakness is an Asset

Every Cloud Has a Silver Lining

I may have been able to take a humorous line when writing this post due to the fact of me being mostly out of the woods now and looking back at things that happened is a lot easier than when you are actually going through it.

Believe me when I say my experience, at the moment of its happening, was far from being agreeable.

But against all my odds, with my handicap, I was able to make my good friends, who I can bank on any day, any time.

It was due to these friends along with my immediate family that I have been able to look back on things without a shudder.

The main purpose of my writing this post is to tell all the introverts in the world that they are not alone.

There are people around who can see through their handicaps, like my friends, who understand and who don’t judge.

It maybe a little difficult, but you sure can come out of this quagmire. Just for you to know that it is possible, when I was hanging up my boots, to be with my dear family, I was heading two big production facilities with nearly over two thousand workers.

Trust me, being an introvert is not a liability and will not keep you away from success nor will it stop you from enjoying the good things in life. Instead, with an effort from your side, you can make a difference.

Take Care

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