#Silence - #16

"be encouraged to speak softly" - Susan Cain

I don't often get time to read other blogs... not because I don't want to but because I don't always have spare time.  But with it being holidays, I've been catching up on some reading of my favourite blogs... and I was reading Francesca's blog and one of her posts about introverts really resonated with me.  (Thanks Franny, this was an amazing post).

She shared this incredible TED Talk by Susan Cain.

Wow - this really summed me up!

I wish someone had explained introverts to me before.  I was always just labelled "shy, quiet or serious".  If I am honest with myself and as long as I can remember the stories about myself as a child... I would retreat.  My gran used to tell stories about how I would go "missing" but then she would find me at the bottom of the garden, in the sandpit playing happily by myself for hours.  

I agree with Susan's words - everything in our world IS geared for extroverts.

From schools, church to the workplace.  I also married an extrovert.  I think I'm attracted to vivacious people, I guess in many ways I'm intrigued.  I know for sure, we compliment each other and keep the balance.  And I think in someways I have felt guilty about not being more extroverted.  And I worked hard at trying to be more outgoing.  But the older I've got the more I'm exhausted by it all and have almost craved the "transcendent power of solitude".  And the past two years I've made a point of taking time to withdraw and be quiet.  I've had fears that I was becoming a recluse.  But the {silence} really recharged my soul from deep within!  Hearing this TED talk and reading this blog has giving me so much more understanding...  I love what Susan says... that for the sake of creativity and productivity - introverts are best doing what they do best and that we maximise our talents by putting ourselves in the zones that are right for us.

  She also speaks of how some of the greatest contributors to our society, even Jesus withdrew and went to the wilderness to deep-think. Without the wilderness times - there is no revelations.  And it's in the withdrawing that we get these revelations and new creative ideas and we bring that back to our communities... 

"Solitude does matter!"

I have a daughter whose an introvert too and her favourite thing to do is be home and in her own space, head and time.  I want to read this book so it can help me help her become the best person she can, by operating in the realms that are right for her!

Def my next read!!!!

#Exhausted - #15

{Exhausted}

Well I've survived November - it's my hardest month of the year!  It has been that way now probably as long as the girls have been at school.  It's just such a demanding month at the back of a long and usually hard year!  And true to form.  I am {exhausted}  I usually have huge capacity until I don't!  And usually by the end of November - I'm all out of capacity!  We are all {exhausted}, as a family too!  Sometimes we all loose perspective!  It's about now that holidays come just in the nick of time!  We didn't get much time off during the year, this year.  No quick get-a-ways either, this year.  In a nutshell - it's been a long, tough year!  Tough in the sense that we all worked so hard... at school, at work, with my art, fitness, taking courses, health-wise, long cold winter... you name it - we were working it!

But that all being said - it was a beautiful year!  I think it might be one of best years yet!  The girls just did so beautifully in their personal growth, in themselves and at school! They seem to be settling down well, in their own skins!  And finding their way!  And as their Momma, that's beautiful to witness!  So although we are {exhausted} and weary - we are happy!  I will be working all the way til Christmas - so I'm not out of the woods just yet!  But hanging on...