Should you insulate yourself from the world?
I’ve been thinking about insulation in the last few days. I’ve had a rough couple of months. Family issues have made it very bumpy and I assessed how to control my reaction. I am an introvert at heart though most of my clients would be surprised to hear me say that.
The definition of introvert is often confused, the quote below explains it quite clearly. It has to do with where you get your energy.
There are a few theories about the differences between introverts and extroverts, and some recent research has even shown that our genetic makeup has a lot to do with which tendencies are strongest in each of us. And unlike my theory about how outgoing or shy we are, introversion and extroversion actually relate to where we get our energy from.
Or in other words, how we recharge our brains.
Introverts (or those of us with introverted tendencies) tend to recharge by spending time alone. They lose energy from being around people for long periods of time, particularly large crowds.
Extroverts, on the other hand, gain energy from other people. Extroverts actually find their energy is sapped when they spend too much time alone. They recharge by being social.
I get my energy from being at home. I like to read and do many things that revolve around my home. My business is also home-based so it all works out well for me most of the time. Generally, I am comfortable with who I am and though I do reach out, such as the classes I teach to job seekers, I am happy to return home when I am done teaching. The one-on-one business model I use with clients works very well for me. I enjoy that contact and the excitement of helping others reach their goals.
Why would you insulate yourself
I enjoy delivering career help to others. This is my comfort zone. I love my business and my clients. I love to deliver content from blog posts like this one to anyone in the world. It fits my love of writing.
But when the world intrudes on my peace either with ongoing negativity or outright attacks, it becomes difficult to remain positive. I want to insulate myself. It is harder to do my work when I lose the sense of peace.
Most of the time, the loss of peace happens when I see things online that disturb me. People have become increasingly mean and cruel. There is so much misinformation out there and people so quickly seem to think everything that supports their view is the truth. But occasionally, there are times when misunderstandings hit closer to home and I find myself wanting to run away.
“It’s none of your business what other people think of you.”
My friend and hair stylist, Rebecca, owner of Halo Salon, has reminded me, “It’s none of your business what other people think of you.” I had to have her repeat this more than once because it takes awhile to digest. In other words, you don’t have to internalize what others say about you.
Everyone has an acquaintance or family member who spouts off drivel to anyone listening and makes everyone else look bad. Then there are the people who never bother to know someone else, they just form opinions based on what they think they know.
I came to the conclusion the other night when I started to think about insulation, that I can let the world affect me or I can do the best I can with the jobs in front of me each day and skip internalizing negativity.
Image courtesy of SOMMAI at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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Julie Walraven
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