Even I don’t believe myself when I look back and realize
that I used to be such a shy person. I was an absolute introvert and
unquestionably happy about it. However, I always knew that no one knew about my
existence and people would conveniently ignore me while taking group
photographs. Whenever everyone in office went for lunch, they would not ask me
to join them because I was working on my laptop. But hey, I do eat right! I
feel hungry too. And I like talking to people as well.
But let me admit, I would talk to people only when they
approached me. I have made a few really good friends from school and college,
but they are equally introverts like me. Nevertheless, I was tired of this
insignificant existence, and I wanted to change myself. And here I was, I began
transforming my personality with my solo trips.
Yes, solo trips, where people who talk too much seek
solitary time. Solo travelers are often quiet beings who talk to someone only
when they want or need to, but my agenda of going around places on my own was
to transmute myself.
Looking at people
I had read and realized it many times that there is a
difference in looking at people and staring at them, regardless the gender.
Therefore, the first step was to make a positive eye contact with people, which
was the quality that I lacked. So I thought of practicing it when I was in
office, restaurant, malls, and everywhere else. I would look at people and wait
for them to look back. As soon as I made an eye contact with them, I would
smile at them. Since it is difficult to look at women in India, I had to be
very careful about the opposite gender. Whenever I smiled at a woman, I had to
make sure that I was poised enough to strike a conversation to explain myself,
if required.
Greeting people
A group of travelers was once talking about the best Self Drive Car Rental in Delhi,
and I got interested. So I went to them and greeted them while passing by as I
picked up my coffee from the counter. One of the members of that group came to
the counter when I was standing there again, I greeted him with a smile. He was
very receptive, and I talked to him about the Car Rental experience in India.
It was great to know about the new concept of this mode of transportation.
Although it was a deliberate attempt from my side to hold on the conversation
for a couple of minutes, it felt like I had dropped off a huge burden from my
shoulders. I had never talked to a stranger for that long time until that
moment, and it felt like a great achievement.
The key take away from my experience from being an introvert
to an ambivert is that I should never underestimate myself. At least now I
don’t think of my capabilities and looks as any less than those of any other
person I meet. Once a doctor told me that she may be good at remembering
complex names, but she cannot remember simple names of people she meets. She
often meets many patients and people in her professional life, which requires a
lot of public dealing, but she forgets the names of people. When a highly
qualified person like her is aware of her weaknesses and strengths, I found
myself reassuring myself that I too have a few strengths in me, even if there
are a few weaknesses. Recognizing my potential has helped me a lot in
transforming my persona.
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