I gave a speech this weekend and, not to brag but… I nailed it!  I used to speak in front of groups all the time in my work as an HR Director and Training Program developer.  I always thought I was a good speaker because I’m an extrovert.

Recently though, I’ve come to realize i am an introvert.  Yes, I  can put on my big girl panties for social events, but it is exhausting.  The extroverts are fueled by social situations; I am drained by them.  I require alone time after social events, simply to recuperate.

When I was asked to accept this award, which of course meant speaking,  I was worried.  How, if I have finally accepted that I am an introvert, would I be able to pull off a compelling speech?  Perhaps my sucess at speaking before was because I was inauthentic, I was pretending to be something I am not.  Now that I’ve embraced who I really am, wasn’t I doomed for failure?

Not only did I not fail, I made a difference.  People listened and committed to my message.  And, strangest of all, I enjoyed it!

So, as the queen of google, I looked this up.  How is it an introvert can be an interesting, compelling speaker.  I found the article above.  And it hit home with me.  I do spend a tremendous amount of time thinking about the issues that are dear to me.  I also spend a lot of time preparing for my speeches.  And, the day of the speech, I took a 2 hour nap in preparation.

So yes, I am an introvert who is a good public speaker.  And, I enjoy it.  Which seems totally counter-intuitive but…….. there it is.