Pieces of Advice I’d Give to My Younger Introverted Self

I  recently read a book by David A. Brown-Dawson titled Enduring Urgency. In the book, the author posed the question “who are you”? This caused me to heavily reflect on my life’s journey and review how I got to the place I’m in now. I’ve had a good amount of success in my life, but I wish I had done more, seen more and experienced more. As I learn to embrace my introverted adult self, I know I am and always have been a superstar! However, I can’t help but reflect on my past and think about how much I wish I would have recognized this about myself sooner. So, consider this a love letter to my younger self — and to YOU — in hopes it will inspire another shy black girl to embrace her inner superpowers.

• You do not have to be an extrovert to achieve your goals.  Being the person in the spotlight is not the only way to connect with people. Focus on finding how you’re comfortable connecting with people in all settings.
• Don’t let being shy keep you from being courageous. Challenge yourself to become more comfortable with making mistakes and experiencing failure. Really make an effort to step out of your comfort zone every now and then! Give yourself the opportunity to at least try. You’ll really enjoy watching yourself grow, I promise.
• Embrace your inner superpowers.  The qualities you possess are what make you special. Life is about figuring out the kind of person you are and want to be. There is no other person on this planet who can be you. You are funny, dependable, and capable of achieving whatever you desire. You possess the qualities of being a leader! Use all of your traits to get ahead.
• Don’t spend time overthinking your opportunities. If you spend too much time evaluating the opportunity, it will pass you by! Pray about it, make a choice and follow it through. If you learn it wasn’t the right choice then you learn for next time you have to make a similar decision.
• Explore, whether it’s with a group or solo. I cannot express enough how much I wish I could have experienced certain things earlier in life. I am finding the autonomy in giving myself permission to see what life has to offer and I love every minute of it! I encourage you to do the same.
• Celebrate yourself. Be proud of yourself more. Celebrate your milestones and wins — even the smallest ones — along the way. Remember, you’ve got this!

It’s amazing to see how far you’ve come from where you started to where you are now. Maintain your faith and spirituality — which in my opinion are the most important aspects of life — and keep those at top of mind, even when the world you live in does not. Actively try to not measure up to society’s standards of what success is. It’s normal to do so, but do not allow it to distract you from what YOU want to accomplish and how the Most High uses you. What you personally deem as being successful is success. Period. 

Being an introvert isn’t a bad thing. But when you want to accomplish more of your bigger and more risky dreams, be willing to step outside of your comfort zone. No matter how bad your nerves get and make you feel like you want to quit, do not! Remember what I told you and let God guide you, as He is always with you. Make your decisions based on your spirit not your flesh. Keep faith, you got this!