Introverted Extrovert
So these 2 days have worn me out. Go Go Go Go. And you all know I love this pace. But every once in a while I need to get away.
Nobody around. It only takes about 30 minutes and I’m full again.
So right now I am sitting in the west auditorium, all alone, listening to Andy’s session 2 talk.
It is just me and the cleaning crew.
Oh. And Andy. But just on screen.
2500 people are on the other side of the wall.
I literally feel my tank getting filled up again.
I love to ride the bus alone. I love to go to the movies alone. I like to go to Starbucks alone.
I actually love to be alone. Not long. But for a few moments a day.
How about you?
Where do you find your fuel?
Do you need alone time or do you need to be engaged in conversation?
Los
RAIN IT DOWN
I go to our empty building during the week. Grab a guitar, find an empty stairwell, an old hymnal and I just sing.
DEREK
Enjoy the Shalom
I have ADD…and a 3 year old, while most of my day involves being social, I need and love my alone time.
Los,
I am a type A people all the day long go go go person. But, like you, I love my short “retreats” that I build into my days. The best daily routine? Listening to Huey Lewis on the trip to lunch and back. Seriously. I know, its sick. But any Huey will do the trick.
Sounds very similar. I am type A and a people person…but have to have my “space” for short periods to regroup.
I actually don’t like to be alone. I love the conversation, I love to sit and watch movies with other people, or play games, or go on a walk, or listen to music, or go to Starbucks; I love people and love to be around them. But I am sure that will change someday when I have all those kids pulling me in 80 different directions, I may seek the quiet time!
My hubby is like you though, he lives for that re-charge everyday. He loves to sit alone and do whatever, read, listen to music, surf the web, blog, go to Starbucks…
I need some of both. I’m mostly a social person and am rarely alone ever.. but thats why I like my alone time so much. Because it’s rare. There are times to just be alone and be in solitude, but then sometimes I just love laying on the couch and hanging with a couple friends for an hour or two and just relaxing. That’s the best.
I’m pretty darn introverted… I’m probably the opposite of you. Just a half hour or so of group socialization and I’m done. Well, maybe it’s not that bad, but on mornings that I teach classes (three hours of stamping ladies) I am pretty much finished for the week. I love quiet time… no sound is good. Nap time is my bliss… ~:-)
I love going to the movies, coffee shops, and driving alone; and everyone always thinks I’m weird because of it. Now I feel less weird…
I’m a large fan of eating alone. When I travel with other people, I always make it a point to go down to the hotel lounge and eat by myself. Just me, my laptop, and my headphones. I have found it keeps me from going crazy and losing control of my emotions on the others that have taken the trip with me.
http://www.vagabondrunn.wordpress.com
I concur.
I’m supposed to be on the other side of that wall, but couldn’t join my staff team due to my wife needing some rest as we countdown the next 4 weeks until our little girl is born …. a 12 hour distance was out of the question for this dad.
So, this morning I went to Panera for some alone time coffee and study, and this afternoon I’ll end with some alone time that could lead to conversation at a local micro brew. Wish I could have been with ya’ll at last nights blogger gathering, but my bride wins over fellow geeks:)
Mike
http://www.heartofarebel.com
I need a balance of both.
the woods. running. that’s where i get fueled back up.
I HAVE to have alone time.
And more than just a little bit.
I’m not a complete misanthrope by any stretch of the imagination, but I’m definitely not as outgoing as people seem to assume.
Too many people for too long and I’m EXHAUSTED.
I’ve learned to be more extroverted. I’m completely happy being alone, just me a book or a piano…
ALONE very ALONE
i like my “me time”, just recently i told derek that someday, (on a hot day of course) soon i’m gonna just go to the beach alone and just soak up the sun with a couple of gossip mags…i know laying out isn’t good for the skin but every now and then i do do it. it’s just wonderful. i guess that’s not really being alone since there are other people at the beach, but i don’t have to talk to them. however, after a couple of hours of that i’ll be ready to go back home to my fam.
what is it called when you don’t need to be alone but just away from people you know?
GOT to have down time / alone time / cave time. The best kind is reading a good book in Cafe Greco or out in the desert, mountain biking or hiking. The silence is rare and very very precious.
I am a mixture. I do have to have my alone time though. I usually go and watch a movie, read at the library, sit in a coffee shop and study, or take a walk. But I also enjoy my people interaction, so I hang out with my youth, or invite people over for a cook-out, etc…
I used to hate being alone. HATED it. But now that I have alone time, I appreciate it! I LOVE and TREASURE my alone time.
I thought I was the only one who liked going to the movies alone. What I hate is when you go to the movies alone and some idiot has to sit within 2 seats of you. Don’t they know there is a two row, 4 seat buffer zone around people who go to the movies alone? Hello???
Grab a fishing pole, jump in a boat for about 2 hours.
Honestly as I get older the need for the alone time increases. When I was a teen I HATED being alone, but as I have gotten more comfortable with myself and God the quiet refreshes me. It used to scare me. I was afraid to see what I really was. Now that I have found the place of Peace in Him it revives me to just sit, pray, drink tea, listen to music, but the best ever is people watching, talk about your tank getting filled, I LOVE people watching.
I’m with Meghan up there, I HAVE to have alone time everyday. People always assume that I am an extrovert because I can work a crowd, but I am actually so much better suited to be by myself. Even my cats tax me sometimes! I can turn it on when I need to and I can keep it running for a long time, but leave it on for too long and you will literally see me hit a wall. It’s not pretty… I’ve lost friends over it… seriously…
“Gotta have more alone time!” I’m an introvert living in a extrovert ministry world so I value time alone!
I’m ADD. My mind never stops. I need just a few minutes alone to not focus on anything. Usually driving with the radio off.
I’m very much of an extrovert, but I definitely need my alone time to calm down with the fast paced, high stress life I live. Knitting really calms me down and I try to do it every day, even if it’s only for a few minutes at a time.
Since moving to China i find it difficult to get good alone time. You know, 1.3 billion people all in a small space, i’m sure you can figure out the problem. Anyway, so i like to ride trains and buses alone or walk places alone. On trains and buses the trick is to not let people know you speak chinese or they will talk your ear off the whole time. So, i just lay low with my ipod or journal or both and fill up the tanks again.
Me and a crossword puzzle (not very hard, cuz I’m not very good). Or maybe Sudoku. It’s gotta be the folded-up newspaper type, electronic type doesn’t do it for me. A nice comfy chair. Shoes have to be off. That does it for me.
Had to go listen to me some Huey Lewis after you mentioned it, Zak!
Definitely takes you to another time and place~
I recharge when I spend some time alone. Spending time in groups really drains me.
I enjoy going to bookstores and browsing or going to a museum or for a walk and just let myself decompress…or I blog.
I def. need to be alone. I enjoy being around people but I have to have those alone times. Dude I could so see myself sitting right there in the west auditorium, I actually did it once at a 722. My favorite place is to pull into my garage, turn the car off (of course) and sit in absolute silence. ach, i love aloneness and silence
Yeah – I’d be the exact opposite of you.
I’m working on being more hospitable and celebrative.
I definitely need my alone time every day.I’m not much of an extrovert- being in crowds or groups absolutely drains me.
Sitting in my backyard at a table by the pool and playing Scrabble with myself is what I do to recharge.
I know this is kind of, um. strange. but just sitting there with and creating with a couple of sets of letters and the Scrabble board relaxes me more than almost anything else could.
I’m a female version of you.
Without the ink.
And with a HECKUVA lot more hair.
I’m a big sanguine — but even I need a teensy bit of quiet time each day, or I start to OD on the fun and the people. And I’ve had enough sanguine hangovers to start me thinking they aren’t necessarily a good thing.
Weird…bloggers overwhelming like their alone time. Shocking, really.
Oh, and did I mention that I’m wired exactly the same way? No? Hmm, ’cause I am.
I’m exactly like you
just female!
My hubby and I just had a good laugh at the movie thing – we’re exactly the same. We’ll occasionally go together but are very happy to go by ourselves too
Outdoors.
Preferably, as far away from everyone as possible.
It sounds stupid, but just walking around the mall for an hour or so people watching
usually hop in the jeep and drive alone for an hour or so. i also have a short list of people who just pump me up when i’m around them; sometimes a 10 minute phone call or a lunch with one of them is perfect.
Years ago, when doing the 5 Love Languages study I discovered mine was quality time. I modified it though. I added “by myself”
So now, everyone knows my love language is quality time by myself!
I love people. I love to be the center of attention (when it includes laughter). But, I have to get alone each day. Whether in our worship center with a guitar, or my laptop opened at Coffee Vine’s Cafe (gasp, no Starbucks in Gadsden), I need to recharge and not feel as though someone is taking something from me for a few minutes.
in the catwalks adjusting lights with my iPod in and music so loud i will probably be deaf in 5 years.
it is so calming. i am the only one in there. it is me and me.
i love my alone time
I’m pretty much the same…I have to have at least 30 minutes alone every day to refuel. Mostly I can get it on the drive back and forth to work. But I also go and see movies alone…well, I did before my daughter arrived. And I would ride the trolley around Knoxville just to think. I love being with people but I was told that because I have to get energy from being alone, that I am considered an introvert. My husband is the opposite…he gets his fuel from being around others.
I have a constant barrage of needs to fill during most days. So after my EE’s are gone, I sit at my desk and surf, with my cell phone off, my main phone on DND I surf. And veg. And then I have something for the family when I get home.
It appears most people in my life are very needy, and they want me to fix it. It gives me tired-head, but its also great to be needed.
a solo run does it for me.
i need my alone time. desperately. i love people, but if i don’t have time alone, i go stir crazy.
Got to have time alone. Rarely happens. Makes me crazy. (Also lose ability to use complete sentences)