I is for Introvert: The A-Z Guide to the Quieter Side

by Beth Buelow

What does it mean to be an introvert?

There’s the basic answer, based in psychology and physiology: introverts gain energy from solitude, drain energy during social interaction, and relate to the world from the inside, out.
But that’s not the whole story. Being an introvert is practically a lifestyle. Because of that internal orientation, and because we relish our alone-time to an almost pathological degree, we make choices that aren’t always understood by those around us. We can certainly be social, popular, vocal, and outgoing. And in order to be all of those things and not go insane, we must – MUST – make it a priority to honor our introvert needs.

What does “honoring our introvert needs” look like? Ask 100 different introverts, and you’ll get 100 different answers. So that’s what I did. I posed the following question to The Introvert Entrepreneur Facebook Community: Using the “I is for Introvert” framework, what words describe the ups, downs, pleasures and pains of being an introvert?

Close to 150 people offered their insights to the “quieter side,” and those are included in Part I of “I is for Introvert.” Some contributions are funny, creative, or celebratory, others profound, poetic, or highly personal. And there are some that express the frustration of feeling misunderstood, or being perceived as broken or less-than. Each and every voice adds another piece of information that helps us all embrace the introvert among and within us.

Part II includes eight of the most popular posts on TheIntrovertEntrepreneur.com from the past 12 months. Their focus ranges from coping with envy and broken friendships, to exploring the next iterations of the introvert/extrovert conversation and what it means to be a “happy” introvert.

Are the words, ideas, and experiences offered here the exclusive domain of introverts? No. Will everything in here resonate with everyone? Most definitely not. Yet, these are the individual thoughts that came forward from the community, and these are the thoughts this book celebrates.

103 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 20, 2013

About the author

Beth Buelow, PCC, serves as a guide to introvert entrepreneurs who want to amplify their strengths and build sustainable, energetically aligned businesses. She is a professional coach, author, and speaker, is based in the Pacific Northwest and serves introverts worldwide. Her podcast, “The Introvert Entrepreneur,” was recently named as one of the top 25 business podcasts for entrepreneurs by Entrepreneur.com, and also was featured in the “Inspiring Women’s Voices” category on iTunes. She’s contributed to articles in The Wall Street Journal, Success Magazine, Inc, Entrepreneur, and Psychology Today, among others. Beth is the author of “The Introvert Entrepreneur: Amplify Your Strengths and Create Success on Your Own Terms” (TarcherPerigee/Penguin Random House, Nov 2015), which was named one of the 100 best business books of 2015 by Inc.com.