I’m a more-the-merrier kind of person. Table for 12? Awesome. I’m hosting a get-together? Sure, bring a friend. In high school, I ran around with pom poms and secured the superlative “Most School Spirit.” I’m not kidding. And then again, you’re probably not surprised.
But at the heart of this extroverted personality is a woman who craves genuine connections, quality over quantity. In this stage of my life, I enjoy the comforts of home more than the social scene. I think that’s why the Internet is so fascinating. I can chit-chat and make new friends all day long, while I’m sitting on the couch in my pj’s trying to recall the last time I washed my hair.
In the new year, I’m on a quest for balance. I tend to live in extremes, in either/or thinking, believing it has to be one way or the other. And why this may be true in some cases, I’m most at peace and most connected with God when I embrace the concept of and. I want this and that. I want to stay home with my kids and I want a successful career. I used to say “I want to be home with my kids, but I want a career, too.” Now I realize I don’t have to pit the true desires of my heart against one another.
People ask me how I do it, and I tell them “very, very imperfectly.” There are days I amaze myself and days I fall short.
I looked up the definitions of introvert and extrovert and found that I’m am both. I get my energy from being around others and I get my energy from being alone. Too much of either is just too much. Not enough of one is just not enough.
So tell me, are you an introvert or an extrovert? In what ways do you seek balance?
I think I have a better balance in this regard than I once did…it’s hard when you have small children to maintain satisfying relationships with other adults. I wish the internet had been around when I was at home with my son!
But I tend toward the introverted side, and will isolate myself very easily if I’m not given a gentle nudge in a more social direction.
Hah! You’re so me! Or maybe I’m so you! Either way, I know just where you’re coming from. Strangely, having such a large brood has helped me connect with other grown-ups more than it has hampered me. There’s something to be said for the notoriety (or infamy?) of being a mom of triplets plus one. The career thing is on indefinite hold — unless you can call sporadic blog posts a career. My fingers are crossed for more time once everyone is school age. But I hear from other moms that it only gets MORE busy from here. Yikes!
You took the words right out of my mouth!