Solitary Shell

Everyone knows what introverts and extroverts are. And if you're in your late teens then chances are that you definitely know which kind you are, yourself.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with having either type of temperament. It's natural and no different from features like hair color and height.

The problem is society. Kids these days are forced into adult-like situations way earlier than kids say, 20 years back. They have to travel, make transactions, interact with adults, etc. And this trend just exponentially grows as years go by. In such a world, having people you can trust in all parts of your life is really useful. And introverts refrain from making too many friends. 

Hence, trying to develop your so called 'people skills' will help greatly. Also, to combat stress, introverts also need to learn how to unwind.

Personally, I'm inclined to tell people never to change such things about themselves. You can't really turn into an extrovert if you aren't one. But for those who do want to try to 'get out there' more often, here are a few things you can do to adopt a more extroverted mindset and lifestyle.


Start recognizing your individuality-  Constantly checking your identity against a generally perceived 'standard' is not the way you should approach building yourself. It isn't you. You are more nuanced than the cliche you try to fit yourself into, more complex than the show that 'should' be taking place.



Avoid allowing yourself to be comfortable all the time
You will always rationalize reasons to procrastinate which provide incredibly short-term gratification at best but if you want to make a drastic change you'll find your procrastination tendencies replaced with incredible problem-solving powers.

Avoid agreeing to do things you don't think you'll be able to. 
It doesn't help anyone. People notice when you don’t follow through. Saying no is just cleaner and better for everyone. 

Stop being lazy by being constantly “busy."

Realize that every time you give in to your ‘busyness,’ it’s you who’s making the decision, not the demands of your work.  You will be surprised at how much time you find for an activity if you really want to do it.

Drop the stingy act. If you really care about something, spend your money on it. There is often a notion that you are saving for something.  Of course you can set aside a sizable amount for emergencies but if you're saving up for something specific then either clarify what that thing is or start spending your money on things that are important to you. Spend money on healthy food. Spend money on opportunities. Spend money on things you’ll keep.

Signing Off,

Shawn Kenneth Fernandes.