Extrovert or introvert? My friends would say I am an extrovert because I enjoy parties, meeting new people, teaching ESL, and I have a part-time ministry, so I must be an extrovert, right?
Why do I NEED my time at home to be by myself and need my alone time? Is there only one way to be? Is there only one way to be? Is it either/or?
There is another term-Ambivert. An ambivert is a person whose personality is a balance of introvert and extrovert, When I first heard the term and looked into it, it made so much sense to me.
So I guess I am both an extrovert and an introvert. Yes I feel energized among people. I can be tired but when I start teaching, I feel new energy. When I have acted in dinner theater or in church drama I can feel the audience and be energized. But then there are times I NEED to be alone to re-energize.
Then I thought about the example of Jesus. Jesus is the ultimate example of someone who gives to others and spends time with people. I mean, he is omnipresent (present everywhere) after all. But think about a little verse in Luke 5:16 that is sandwiched between two miracle stories- “But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”
When Jesus was on earth, he often spent time alone with the Father. It does not escape me that the little verse is between two accounts of miracles. Jesus needed time with the Father to be refreshed. If Jesus needed time alone to pray, how much more do I need it.
For me, time alone refuels my creative side. My favorite time to go to the aqua track is when there is no one else there. Not because I am anti-social. It is because as I walk, ideas come to me for writing. I absolutely need time alone to pray and listen to worship music each day to get going and give the day to God. Also sometimes just to restart my day in the afternoon before I go teach in the evenings.
Sometimes I just need to be mind numbed and binge watch something on Netflix when I have a Fibromayalgia flare and have no energy..
So as an AMBIVERT, yes I love to be around people at times and since that is the only time others see me, they may think I am an extrovert, but I need my alone time with God more and more each day, so I am an introvert in that regards, therefore, I proclaim myself to be an ambivert even though my friends would call me an extrovert, But then they only see me when I am out and about, so of course they would think so 🙂
How about you? Do you need alone time to rejuvenate or does being around people revive you? Or are you like me and draw from both at different times?
Thank you for reading. God Bless.
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