I always thought I was an introvert. Well, not so much thought, but was. I used to feel like I enjoyed being in my own company all the time. I did and still do but it was more so used as a deterrent that made connecting with anyone close to me harder than it needed to be. I used to think networking and connecting with others outside family and close friends was transactional. A very bleak outlook on life that put me in a cage. Don’t get me wrong, it still definitely can be but it was a blanket description I used to put on all of it. Super unhealthy. Now, I believe no ones truly a chosen introvert.

Loneliness is one of the worst things we have in human nature. We are literally built and wired up to connect with others. Isolating yourself from that is doing a serious disservice to our natural state. It’s only recently that I’ve felt I’m connecting and around the right people that make me appreciate life that little bit more and get the absolute most out of it. And let me tell you, life is so much more enjoyable to say the least. It only takes that one relationship to change your outlook on life like it did for me.

Nurture the relationships you appreciate.

Make an effort with the relationships you want.

Be open with the relationships you didn’t expect.

You’ll soon realise what you were missing out on like I did when I self-identified as an “introvert”. If given the choice, I doubt many people, if not anyone would choose isolation instead of relationships that pour into different aspects their lives. Put yourself out there and connect. Join a community, tell someone you like their work, offer advice — your personal world as well as the wider one will thank you for it.