Michaela Chung - The Year of the Introvert: A Journal of Daily Inspiration for the Inwardly Inclined

Copyright 2018 by Michaela Chung

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without the express written consent of the publisher, except in the case of brief excerpts in critical reviews or articles. All inquiries should be addressed to Skyhorse Publishing, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018.

Skyhorse Publishing books may be purchased in bulk at special discounts for sales promotion, corporate gifts, fund-raising, or educational purposes. Special editions can also be created to specifications. For details, contact the Special Sales Department, Skyhorse Publishing, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018 or .

Skyhorse and Skyhorse Publishing are registered trademarks of Skyhorse Publishing, Inc., a Delaware corporation.

Visit our website at www.skyhorsepublishing.com.

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

Cover design by Jenny Zemanek

Cover photo credit: iStockphoto

Print ISBN: 978-1-5107-3245-2

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-5107-3246-9

Printed in China

I dedicate this book to all the introverts who have ever felt like you just dont belong and never will. I hope you feel a sense of warmth and acceptance as you make your way through these pages.

I also dedicate this book to the matriarchs of my family: my mother, Jane Darling, and my grandmother, Sylvia Adams. Your encouragement gave me courage to make my own path.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Marcus Aurelius

It is often our perception of things, rather than the things themselves, that causes us the greatest struggle. No one knows this better than introverts who spend a lot of time inside our own head. For a long time, we perceived our introversion as one of our biggest problems. We got used to people discounting our vast array of unique gifts and perspectives and reducing us to one-dimensional charactersthe quiet guy, the serious girl, the stoic one. The word stoicism itself is a great example of how perception changes everything. Once a noble school of philosophy practiced by great minds like Marcus Aurelius and Seneca, stoicism now describes someone who is emotionless.

The meaning of the word introversion is constantly changing, too. For a while it seemed to be evolving in the wrong direction. In 2010, the American Psychiatric Association even considered including introversion in its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, designating it as a contributing factor in diagnosing certain personality disorders. Thankfully they didnt go forward with the inclusion, and in the years that followed, introverts have made many strides to remove the stigma from the word.

As people are finally starting to understand that introversion is not a disorder or an affliction, we are embracing a more simplistic definition. Introverts are people who gain energy in solitude and lose energy in stimulating environments. We understand that although introverts share many little quirks and preferences, such as our hatred of phone calls and our disdain for small talk, we are each unique. Instead of feeling pressured to turn ourselves into extroverts, we have the freedom to explore what introversion means to us.

Now that we know it is possible to live life on our own terms, we wonder where to begin. We find ourselves asking the very same questions that our distant ancestors, the Ancient Stoics, once pondered:

What is the best way to live?

How can I deal with lifes difficulties?

What is my obligation to my fellow human beings?

How should I handle my power?

It is the last question that I believe is especially important for introverts to consider right now. Books like Susan Cains Quiet , and Laurie Helgoes Introvert Power have made it clear that introverts do, indeed, have power. But many of us dont know how to tap into our power in our everyday life. It is just too abstract a concept to think that all the traits we used to be ashamed ofour quietness, slowness of speech, and love of being alonecan actually be strengths that enrich our lives.

The Year of the Introvert will help you to embrace your introverted strengths in your day-to-day life. Youll have the opportunity to do what you do best, which is to turn inward and reflect. Youll also ask yourself the important questions that lead to a happy and fulfilling life and find inspiration in daily doses of wisdom made just for you.

Although I try to address the traits and challenges many introverts share, keep in mind that introversion and extroversion occur on a spectrum. This means that there are different degrees of introversion. No one person is completely an introvert or completely an extrovert. Although we share many qualities, each introvert is unique, and thus, you might find that you dont relate to everything in this book, and thats okay. In fact, if you lean more toward the extroverted side of the spectrum, you may still see yourself in many of the entries.

We introverts are often told that we are too serious. The monthly celebrations and fortune cookie entries will give you the chance to approach your day with a lighthearted and hopeful mindset. Because, in the end, what keeps us getting up in the morning is hope. We are fueled by the hope that today will bring a spark of connection, a silver lining of inspiration, a sense of purpose. Above all else, our soul longs to greet each new day a little bit wiser and better than we were the day before. It is my hope that the daily entries in this book will give your soul what it desires.

Love,

Michaela

January 1

THE SEASON OF BECOMING

If youve been following my work for a while, youll know that in 2012, I quit my job, sold everything that wouldnt fit in a suitcase, and set out on my heros journey toward a life of greater meaning and purpose. During my days as a meaning-seeking nomad, I visited twelve countries on five continents. I lived in Mexico, Australia, and Canada, and spent a good chunk of time in the US, Thailand, and Colombia.

Although I am more grounded now, my inner odyssey continues. Being the intuitive, INFP introvert that I am, I can feel when I am entering a new stage of life. I sense the winds of change before the colors fade and the leaves fall, and I just know it in my bones.

I am certain that this is a new season of life for me. The horizon is still hazy, but I know that I am smack dab in the center of what author Shauna Niequist described in her book Bittersweet: Thoughts on Change, Grace, and Learning the Hard Way , when she said: There is a season for wildness and a season for settledness, and this is neither. This season is about becoming. Yes, I am becoming. Will you join me?

January 2

EMBARKING ON YOUR HEROS JOURNEY