In an effort to fit in and be well-liked, I was offering the world an obviously inauthentic self. I was trying to be something I wasn’t. So began my quest to get in touch with who I really was. In 1997, my fiancée (now wife) and I came across a book that introduced us to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. I finally had a name for what I was: an introvert!

But who wants to be an introvert? In a world that generally favors extroverted traits, like being gregarious, thinking quickly on one’s feet, and having the gift of gab, life can seem difficult for those of us who are more reserved, unable to endure a lot of social stimulation, and need more time to process information.