Finding your hillbilly…
Since moving to Missouri I am beginning to rediscover my inner hillbilly. It seems I would rather wear my boots than my flip-flops, listen to country music, and have a sudden desire to mount a gun rack in the back window of my pickup truck (ok, so maybe not that far).
In leadership and living, it is important to know who we are and where we came from…to know our identity. Our history is what makes us who we are…our experiences (good and bad) shape us into a unique person.
To often we try to ignore our past or re-frame it to cover up the fringes that are torn and battered.
One of the pieces of me that I have tried for years to change, cover, and hide is my naturally introverted personality. I have felt the guilt of not being the pastor that is the life of the party, the center of every circle, and the topic controller of every conversation.
But I am beginning to embrace the experiences that have shaped who I am…and embrace the gifts, qualities, and character that makes me…me.
Today I found an article that encourages the embrace of my introversion…it’s worth reading if you are in leadership and often “struggle” with your personality traits integrating with your leadership responsibilities.
So, what is your inner hillbilly waiting to be embraced? Of your past experiences, what you are trying to cover, ignore, or rediscover?
i am definitely an introvert. everything kahnweiler described an introvert to be…resonated with me! thanks, man! tonight, i was battling the “why am i like this and why can’t i be more not like this?” this helped me be more content!
I enjoyed the article and identified with many of her points. However, I’m also a verbal thinker, which means I do my best thinking while engaged in discussion. So, I’m not the most quiet in the room.
Good stuff!
We all have DNA, and we bring that DNA to each table that we sit at, whether it is in our families, at work or even in our church. We should never forget where we have come from. Because Shane, you are right it makes us who we are. And whether you are a person that can walk into a room and jump into any conversation, or one that just likes to sit back listen and maybe join in. There is a place for both and both CAN work together. We just need to understand each other not label one as stand offish or the other as power controler. Because neither of these labels are correct.