Quiet…Screaming out loud the praises of the introverted.

I always felt uncomfortable hobnobbing in the cocktail circuit… or even amongst large crowds.
I would feel stressed if I had to walk in to a room full of strangers and mingle for a long time making small talk. Thus making my presence felt at corporate functions are/were a nightmare for me. I would always choose a quiet evening having a drink with a few friends opposed to a large party. Or an intimate dinner for two rather than going out with a large group of people.
And I thought something was wrong with me for being that way.
Then I came across this book called “Quiet: The power of introverts in a world that can’t stop talking” by Susan Cain. Well came across is not 100% correct. Actually Amazon threw it at me saying I should read it. It still boggles my mind when I try to think of what kind of sophisticated software they must be using to be able to pin point my reading tastes so accurately.
In this book I realized that nothing was wrong with me. It was just the way God made me. I am an introvert. Most importantly I realized that I had something in common with some of the most successful and accomplished people in the world. People such as Albert Einstien, JK Rowling, Abraham Lincon and Bill Gates. Who were all Introverts. This book gave me useful tips on how to handle myself in a world where Extroverts are worshipped and introverts are looked down upon. But most importantly it also taught me that kids too can be classified into introverts and extroverts and as parents we have to be aware of this and handle them in a manner which is more suited for each individual style. The same goes for employees too. For instance certain people just CANNOT thrive in an open plan office which seems to be the rage in this modern day and age. All in all I am so thankful that Amazon decided to push this book my way because not only did I learn to accept and appreciate myself but also I learnt invaluable information on how important it is to be attuned to the behavior of other people specially of my kids. By doing so I could make a world of difference in their life and their future.

Daddy Taxi

One of the privileges of being a dad to me is to be able to drive your kids around. Not around the bend – which I tend to do sometimes according to them - but around town from one activity to another. Of course I disguise the fact that I enjoy this task very much as otherwise I will not have a moments peace. But I do enjoy the alone time I have with my girls in the vehicle. Sometimes it is the only quality time we spend together. True we spend a lot of time on weekends at home but each of us are up to our own devices on our own devices in our own little spaces it seems that we hardly interact with one another at all. These days the school sports meet has begun and it really tests the daddy taxi service’s efficiency as well as its patience to the hilt as sometimes it involves 3-4 trips to school. But this taxi driver is smiling instead of frowning. Well at least most of the time.

Talking in tongues that help you to sleep…

I was always envious of those people who could talk in tongues. It seemed as if they were enjoying a trip on a bus I could not seem to hop on. And believe me I have tried.
“Talking in tongues”? What on earth is it you might ask?
It is a state of religious bliss when a person is united with god and communicating with him in his own language arms out cast head held high as torrents of words which are completely meaningless gush out of their lips. You can see this kind of thing a lot in Charismatic Christian Churches. Like the one I go to. In fact I was exposed to talking in tongues so many times I thought this kind of behavior was exclusively limited to Christian circles.
That all changed when I came across this article on this site. If you checked the link out you would realize it is far from espousing Christian values. I must confess that I follow this site because I find the articles absolutely useful.
In a nutshell it said you can relax yourself to sleep after a stressful day by teaching yourself to talk in tongues. There is no magic to it just start by saying “La, La La” and let your mind take over unconsciously. It would seem difficult as first but you will easily slip into it after a few tries. Lo and behold I tried and I succeeded. Well not like some of the people I have seen in the churches but enough to be impressed by my own ability. And the truth is it does seem to have a positive effect on my sleep as I seem to fall into a deeper than usual sleep and wake up feeling far more refreshed.

Three Interesting Points of view

I love the little pictures with thoughts which people post on FB. The past few weeks I have come across three which are diverse in the views expressed but still extremely truthful and thought provoking. I thought is worth posting. Mainly for my own records.