PadawanOfHappiness

I have been spending some time reading more about introverts, and specifically how to help introverts in business.  I own my business and I have to be the sales person as well as the technical person.  I like people well enough, and in fact I enjoy helping them complete the process of them creating or updating their website.  I like to solve problems.  But some aspects of being a business owner are difficult for introverts, namely the sales process.  I am always looking for ways to help me become more tolerant of the process and hope to have neutral feelings on the process, I know I will never love it. One of the personality traits of an introvert: You are drained by social interactions While extroverts would not dare miss a Friday night out with friends, introverts know when they’ve maxed out and need to refuel their batteries. That’s not to say all introverts will flake out of parties — they can and do enjoy them as much as any extrovert — but at the end o...

Do you ever get stressed and can't figure out what the problem is?  Over the past 4 years, I have noticed the sign of stress is found in my shoulders I get so tense it is like a ball of fire. Yesterday I woke up and all is good. I have a house and it is safe and we can afford it.  My family is good.  I don't need to work financially but I think I do for emotional and mental reasons.   Yet as the day wore on I just got tighter and tighter and my tricks are not as effective as they used to be. I honestly think I might be fighting the feeling that I am not enough which is crazy right?  I know I am in my head and my kids and husband frequently tell me that I am the best.  So why can't I believe it?  Why can't I let it go and rejoice in being wife and mother? I keep taking these moments to myself and I pray for help to just let it go and to be able to feel confident that I am in the right place and I am doing the right thing.   I have to wond...

I am beyond cranky it is not even funny.  It is not a comfortable feeling, it affects my mood, my ability to make decisions, my reactions to others, my tolerance for what I deem to be stupidity and idiocy, and I feel if physically. This introvert is cracking today.  My kids have been doing the remote school thing since Dec 15th, which means it has been 21 days (tomorrow).  Yes some of that was Christmas vacation and I did have great time away from them when they had a sleep over, but I think that sleep over is part of the problem. Let me explain.  When I am overtired and I get my first good night's sleep the next day I am incredibly cranky and irritable, it is like my body is mad that I finally got  good night's sleep and it wants more RIGHT NOW.  My body got a taste of the good stuff and wants more and will be cranky until it gets more.  Being kid free was fantastic, but then things went sideways.   Mr. Padawan went to get the kids and I was...

They day is not even over and this is one of the worst days ever.  I hate this remote learning situation it is not a good set up for my family.  I get that some kids like it and it works for some families but this absolutely SUCKS. I have been very happy to hear that one of Padawan's teachers is very upfront about the fact that some of the things they need to do don't make sense but they have to do them anyway.  She has also been open about this not being ideal and that we are all struggling together. One Padawan needs a lot of help and really responds differently to a teacher in person and than he does to me.  I know he knows this stuff, we are still in the review stage but it he just has a mental block and refuses to do it.  I have spoken with professionals and his behavior is not uncommon and quite frankly I am at the end of my rope and so is he.  He doesn't like it and we are really out of coping mechanisms there is only so much I can do. I just want ev...

I saw a friend of mine post on Facebook looking for hacks to survive quarantine and the discussion was about how their kids put them to bed now.  How much was tongue in cheek I don't know but it got me thinking that overall I am doing better than I thought I would be. To be honest I think it has largely been due to the fact that for the most part I have embraced my nature and what works best for my family.  I am going I am going to share what works for my family maybe it will work well for yours or at least inspire you to make some changes that allow you to embrace your nature and how your family works. Schedules Oh I have always loved my schedules, and for once I tried to just let go of control and fly by the seat of my pants and schedules be damned.  I really did, I thought everyone seems to say just let go and enjoy the ride so why not.  Well the thing is that there was so much out of my control that letting go left me even further adrift.  Once I got back to...

I have been continuing to surround myself with what I want and what I need.  I am feeling better with my faith but I know that I am still in the woods so I am still listening to K-Love on my walks and sometimes longer. I am still struggling but I know that with all the crap that I have gone through I know that God has been walking beside me and been my cheerleader pushing me forward when I don't think I can go on.  And I realized that I was breaking down and my steps were getting slower and I didn't think I would be able to walk forward anymore,  all of this was running through my head while I was mowing the lawn, which I REALLY DID NOT WANT TO DO, and then all of a sudden I saw an image in my mind that looked like this. Yes really like this, because this is the very similar to a print that I had growing up in my house.  And well it was what I needed, because I slowly realized I don't need to push and I can break because God has me and he will carry me forward until ...

I would love to pack up my kids and husband and send them to spend the weekend with my in-laws.  I would stay home, I would have snacks and beverages, books, and cheesey tv. I wouldn't have to get out of my pjs and the dishes could stack up and wait, the noise I would hear would be my movies, my tv, or my music. Seriously, I love my kids and husband  and they have been pretty great all things considered.  But today is day 70 and this introvert is coming to the end of her rope even more rapidly than I had been in the past.  My best guess is (and please pardon the mixed metaphors I am about to toss your way) now that I can see a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel and I am fairly confident that Lucy is not going to pull the football from me again, it has triggered something in me that says it is ok to break rather than bend now. It is amazing what we can do as humans and how resilient we are, and for that reason along with my faith I am still reasonably sane....

I saw a piece from The Next Big Idea Club on Heleo, it was an excerpt from a podcast with Susan Cain.  I was very excited because I thought finally I am going to hear someone say that no the sequester is not a dream for introverts. Well, I have to say that based on the excerpt and then going to listen to the full podcast I was still disappointed.  Ms. Cain says: Whereas if you were an introvert who had worked out the right balance before this happened, but now you’ve had to adjust that balance, it’s still probably going to be difficult for you. And that is as close as she gets to acknowledging that this is difficult for introverts. What no one is talking about, at least that I can find, is I had my balance for the most part and now everyone is in my house ALL THE TIME!  And now I think balance, what the heck is that? In the podcast, Ms. Cain discusses her kids being home but I get the impression that those kids are older and more self sufficient.  I laug...

I spent most of my time off Facebook today because I knew it would be a struggle today, while we had a great day yesterday and I was coming out of my Friday Flail (yeah I like that better than meltdown) today it was cold, gray, rainy and therefore just miserable. It didn't start that way at all, in fact, it started out gloriously, Mr.Padawan got up with the kids and they stayed quiet.  I woke up and then spent an extra 10-15 minutes just relishing being in bed alone and it was all quiet because they thought I was still asleep.  BEST PRESENT EVER!  The kids made waffles under the supervision of Mr. Padawan, so there were more chocolate chips in those waffles than there should have been but, whatevs I realized that this was not a battle I had to control. I did get out for my walk, it was cold and rainy and if I didn't have wet feet I would have stayed out longer.  I did end up cruising Facebook and found that Gretchen Rubin had shared CNN's article " The introver...