I always feel a bit nostalgic this time of year. It was early July 2013 when I arrived in Edinburgh, Scotland for a six-month work assignment. And each July since, I feel that bittersweet pang of gratitude and homesickness for the place that changed my life.
At the time, I was working in HR and my assignment was to cover a colleague’s maternity leave. While I was to perform the same job (HR recruiter), I was also tasked (by my manager) with identifying opportunities to teach my new colleagues “our way of doing things.”
Reader, I did not do that. Instead, I listened.
Listening is my superpower. But I didn’t always feel that way.
I used to think listening more than speaking was a weakness; a flaw. How does everyone else have so much to say?, I’d think. I envied the skill of being a great orator; the magnetism of always having a story to tell.
But then I started connecting the dots. Introverts are naturally observant. We tend to focus on our inner thoughts and ideas—preferring solitude and time to reflect, which helps us gain energy. (Extroverts, on the other hand, tend to gain energy from being around other people.)
I also realized that the same tendencies that make me an introvert make me a writer.
Did I arrive at these dual epiphanies while I was in Edinburgh? You bet I did. While I was an ocean away from everyone and everything I knew, I learned to listen to myself. To tune in to my own thoughts—and tune outside voices, well, out.
By listening to me, I connected those dots between listening • observing • reflecting • writing.
And I’ve been listening ever since.
Supplemental reading: The cure for an over-socialized introvert—an Oyster Day. Plus, how listening and observing served me well during my eight days in the Boundary Waters (ICYMI).
Excellent! Introverts unite, at home.
This resonates with(in) me. :)
And tell Netflix to forget Emily in Paris. I want to watch episodes of Amanda in Edinburgh. :)