Are you the type of person who would rather stay home, cuddle up on the couch and read a good book than attend an event? You’re not alone. Join author Jennifer Harbaugh as she shares “How to Turn Your Introvert Self into Extrovert Self for An Hour in 5 steps”.
Written by Jennifer Harbaugh
I always say yes to any event that I may be asked to go to, even if I am totally an introvert person and would rather stay home and read a book under the covers with my cats or dig my own grave. You get the point.
I have learned how to flip my “extrovert switch” on just for an hour everyday when it comes to work and going to an event, and I am going to share that with you.
1) If you are going to be a wallflower, be a noticeable one! From wearing lovely jewelry to sending your energy. Someone will walk up to you and make a small talk with you.
2) Sometimes, you have to deal with people you would rather not come up to you, then go up to them! Make yourself a goal to just say “How Are You?” to at least one to three people . At some point, you will hit it off with one of them and the event or party will be done in no time. You may end up making a new friend for life.
3) I noticed the one of the reasons some people are introverts are because of their lack of confidence. So, do a lot of self esteem and confidence activities from looking into the mirror everyday and saying to yourself “I am beautiful. I am enough. I am loved.”
4) Remind yourself that meeting people doesn’t have to be awkward from “Hello, my name is Jennifer” then awkward silence. It can be fun. It takes two to tango, starting with yourself. Put that thought in your mind every day and that will change your perspective and that will allow you to gradually become an extrovert from an hour to a couple of hours a day.
5) Remind yourself that some of the people you see everyday may end up being an important part of your life, but you won’t know until you get to know them.
Practice makes perfect. You will make mistakes. You will have awkward moments. You will have embarrassing moments, but that is okay. We all have been there.
I’ll start with this: “How are you?”
Now, it’s your turn.
Identity Magazine is all about empowering women to get all A’s in the game of life — Accept. Appreciate. Achieve.TM Every contributor and expert answer the Identity 5 questions in keeping with our theme. As a team, we hope to inspire and motivate ourselves and inspire you to get all A’s.
What have you accepted in your life that took time, physically or mentally?
It took me a while to finally accept that I’m different from everyone else and I should not adapt myself to the society norms. So what if I am not thin? As long I am living a healthy lifestyle. So what if I don’t want to wear a dress and heels? As long I have clothes to wear everyday. I should be living the life I want, not the life the people want me to live.
What do you appreciate about yourself and within your life?
I appreciate the fact I am still alive and being given a second chance to reclaim myself. Not many people are lucky like me and I am grateful for that.
What is one of your most rewarding achievements in life? What goals do you still have?
My most rewarding achievement is that I exceeded everyone’s expectations of what a Deaf person can do. I have many goals, still…but, if I have to pick one goal and that is educating the world about the most important things in life.
What is your not-so-perfect way? What imperfections and quirks create your Identity?
Do I really have to tell? Okay, procrastination is my “not-so-perfect” way, probably the reason why it took me long enough to finally realize I need to start reclaiming myself at age 26. My imperfections are: biting my nails and being a worry wart.
How would you complete the phrase “I Love My…?”
I love my mind, I cannot believe that I came up with this article. So eternally grateful for that creativity part of my brain doing the hard work for me.
