Teens Meet Outreach

Tayo is in class behind her brown wooden desk, her head tucked in the pages of a novel.

“Look at that girl,” Tunji says to Tamuno.

Tayo sits up. She sees them. Tunji points at her book and covers his mouth with his hand.

She looks around and watches Abike as she narrates an episode of Game of Thrones to the class. Abike shakes her body vigorously depicting a scene she obviously cannot relate with.

“This girl has so much energy,” Tayo thought.

“Errm… Abike, please go and sit down.” David, the Senior Prefect, shouts at her.
“Good morning everyone”, he says, “this is the list of people who would lead the assembly for next week. From your class, we have Tayo…”

Tayo doesn’t hear him anymore.

Tayo is an introvert, she loves to be alone and stays away from the crowd. Her classmates see her as proud, snobbish and saucy. Her teachers call her shy and dull because she never raises her hand to answer questions. Her parents take her to birthday parties hoping she would come out of her shell, she never does.

Introversion is seen as a difficult-to-manage personality and introverts are sometimes urged to become extroverted. As an introverted teenager, it is not easy to live under peer pressure. But contrary to the demand to change, here are seven hidden superpowers that introverts possess and should try to maximize.

1. Introverts are Observant

Have you seen someone who looks carefully in a party before joining in? Or somebody who watches people and notices characters, body movements and extras that no one sees, that’s a superpower Introverts possess. They see mistakes and are very meticulous when handling projects.

2. Introverts are Creative and Original

Introverts are musicians, writers, footballers, doctors, CEOs of companies and are involved in all spheres of life. They are known to give a lot of thinking to projects. They spend time pondering on what, when, why and how to invent and innovate.

3. Introverts are Shrewd and Compassionate

Introverts are careful people. They tend to feel emotions more than the average extrovert. An introvert might see a disabled person and feel obliged to give him money. They love to help others, especially their friends or the less privileged. They think twice before going all in into projects.

4. Introverts are Better Listeners

They are not in a hurry to talk. They listen to their friends, making mental notes about how to help. They are very good at keeping secrets. Since they are quiet and don’t love to please the crowd, they keep important information to themselves.

5. Introverts are Focused

They keep away from the crowd so they can focus on a few things. They don’t dabble into every opportunity they see or find. For example, J.K. Rowling, a popular introvert and novelist, focused on writing and succeeded at it.

Less is more to introverts. They spend time doing what they love and are good at.

6. Introverts are Good at Making Deep Connections

They focus more on the quality of friends than the quantity. They prefer a group of two or three friends that they understand and can have deep conversations with. They are not people who love to befriend the crowd. It helps because the few they keep as friends are loyal and have their backs any time of the day.

7. Introverts are More Independent

Although the world clamours for teamwork, Introverts are capable of getting the work done alone. Most times, they function better alone than in a group. Instead of procrastinating or stunting in a group where others cover their deficiencies like in the case of extroverts, they work hard on their own. Sometimes, they may not get the praise for the job well done, it most times doesn’t matter.

Conclusion

Introverts can be successful. They can make a name for themselves. Even though they have their weaknesses, they can be superpowers in disguise.

As an introvert, look for the superpowers within it. Yes, they are in you and you have enough to make a name for yourself.

Don’t give up on your personality. Don’t feel tempted to pretend. You regain energy being alone as extroverts do in the crowd. Do what you are comfortable with.

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PS: Read Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain to learn more about Introversion and strengths.

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Are you introvert? Have you recognized your superpowers? How well are you maximizing them?

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