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Many of the people I coach come to me because they struggle with their introversion. They would like to be a bit more outgoing or adapt better in daily life. However, the solution often lies in a bit of self-acceptance. By accepting your introverted side, you come into your own much better.
In a world where extroversion seems to be the norm, it's not always easy to be yourself as an introvert. You quickly get the idea that something different is expected of you and that you have to adapt. 'Why do you say so little?' and 'You can show yourself a little more' are things you've probably heard many times.
Those kinds of comments make you wonder if you might be doing something wrong and how you could change that. You mirror that unconscious extroverted norm, which ignores your unique qualities as an introvert. In the end it's what will make you doubt yourself and will hold you back.
Instead of learning to adapt and behave more extroverted, in my experience it's better to let your introverted side work for you. To do this, you must first know where exactly your strength lies and how you can express it. Often they are things you were not fully aware of. Or that are so obvious to you that you don't even think about it.
Look differently
Secondly, it's important to find out what prevents you from showing your qualities. For example, are you a strong perfectionist? Do you tend to constantly put others ahead of yourself? Or are you holding yourself back because you don't believe in yourself enough? These are all things that you can work on by talking about them. Looking at it differently so you can also deal with it differently.
Eventually you will see that this will help you move forward. Or, as one of my coachees put it so beautifully: ,,Karolien helped me with a bit of self-acceptance. That it's fine to do things in a different way and to set your own limits. I often choose to adapt and put my own interests aside. As a result, I kept getting stuck in work situations. During the sessions, Karolien gave me more insight into my qualities, so that I can use that knowledge when looking for a suitable job. Since then, my focus has been much less on changing myself and more on finding a work environment that suits me."
Do you want to know whether coaching can also help you further? Please feel free to contact me.
