Inspirational Monday: Discovering who you are

“Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.”   - Aristotle

Image credit: Pixabay

As a child I always struggled with who I was. Partly because I never felt comfortable around people. My best self always seemed to be present when people were not around. I found it much easier to think, dream, be creative and even express myself when no one was present. Somehow all that disappeared as soon as I was back in the presence of people. Because of this, I barely survived much of my school years.

However, that began to change after I met with my college advisor. I still remember the first day I walked into his office. One of the first things he asked me after I sat down was: who are you? Shy and somewhat confused, I muttered my name wondering if I had walked into the wrong office. You see, just hours before that meeting, we had communicated via email to set up a convenient time for meeting. So, I was really stunned by his question.

 A few minutes later, I realized he wasn’t asking for my name; he was asking about the person behind the name. At that point, all I could think of was that I’m just a quiet nerd who is interested in science. But my advisor clearly thought more based on the conversation that followed. At the end of that meeting, I walked away with two things.

o   The realization and determination to figure out who I am as a person.

o   The desire to excel in college even as an introvert.

Several semesters have passed since that conversation, but the desire to accomplish the above listed things have remained with me.

So, for today’s post, I’d like to share three inspirational things the above question has led me to discover and how you make the discovery as well. 

o   Identify your personality type

o   Know your strengths and use them well.

o   Embrace your weaknesses, but find ways to improve them

Identify Your Personality Type

Image credit: Pixabay

When it comes to introversion, most people fall between a spectrum which is unique to everyone. Not all introverts are the same; and according to the Myers-Briggs system, there are about eight different personality types for introverts. Like a spectrum, the personality types can sometimes overlap with other personality types or fall separately.

After taking a personality test a few years ago, I discovered that I am a mixture between INFJ and INFP personality type. Each letter stands for something. I-Introversion; N-Intuition; F- Feeling; J-judging and P-Perceiving. With this new knowledge, I began reading about my personality type (s). 

This was very eye-opening, because suddenly, I began to realize why my 'best self' always seemed present when company was absent; or why I felt so drained after spending time with a bunch of people; or why I never seemed comfortable in a crowd.

Introvert, Dear is a site I highly recommend especially when you are just starting to discover who you are and what your personality is all about. Of course there are several other goods ones, but this site is simple and very easy to navigate. Plus there are several resources including scientific ones that will help you as you begin your journey.  

As I continued to investigate and understand my personality type, I got several insights into what my strengths and weakness are which leads me to the next point.

Know Your Strengths and Use Them Well

Image credit: Pixabay

There are lots of positives things about my personality type. For instance, INFJ tends to be goal oriented, responsible, genuine, caring, perfectionist etc. Prior to understanding what my personality traits were, I truly struggled with using any of my strengths. This was partly because I couldn’t identify them and even when they were identified, I didn’t know how to use them well.

So, for instance, I do enjoy caring for others, but never used that skill much until I learned how to do so. Since then, I have worked in a nursing care facility and volunteered to work with young children through the Biochemistry club  on campus.

But, like almost anything, there are negatives too which also leads to the next point.

Embrace Your Weakness but Find Ways to Improve Them

Image credit: Pixabay

When it comes to weakness, introverts are no different. For instance, INFJ’s and INFP’s tend to be highly empathetic which can lead them to be very trusting of others. They also tend to always put others first which can cause them to not take care of themselves. Another weakness is that they tend to be perfectionist and often, they are overly critical. One the one side, these attributes are not bad; but on the flip side, if they are not improved, they can end up becoming hindrances or even lead to serious problems.

So, as a college student, where do you start?

I’d recommend taking the personality test to discover what your personality is. Then, use resources like Introvert Dear to find out more about your strengths so you can begin to use them appropriately. Don’t forget about your weakness either. Again, embrace them, but also find ways to improve them.

Can’t wait to hear about your personality type (s) as you begin discovering who you are! 😊