New Year’s Eve is not a day I look forward to. For good reason. I’ve had some pretty terrible ones. I’ve noticed that the more I try to make it Awesome!! Epic!! or anything else that ends in an explanation point, the worse it is.
New Year’s Eve truly is an extrovert’s holiday. It’s big bright lights, crowds, and shiny things. It literally screams anti-introvert. But of course, it doesn’t have to be that way. We can make New Year’s look any way we want it to.
While extroverts choose to look out toward the next thrill on this day, introverts crave a different approach.
At least this introvert does.
I want to spend the last day of 2015 looking IN. I’ve already gotten started with some journalling this morning. I wrote an “In 2016 I’m Grateful That …” entry. I imagine that I’m waking up on a typical day in 2016 and I’m writing down all the things that I love about my life. Here are some of the things I wrote:
In 2016 I’m grateful that …
“I wake up each day feeling happy, purposeful and excited for the day ahead.”
“I’m surrounded by people who love me in a way that feels good, and I love them well, too.”
“My dreams of being “internet famous” and reaching millions of introverts world wide have come true! And it feels like connection, fun, peace. It feels like this is MY life, and it is exactly how I want it to be.”
Notice how I focused a lot on feelings. This exercise works best if you climb inside the emotion of the moment, rather than just focusing on the outward appearance.
The amazing thing is that a lot of my dreams for 2016 have already come true. I pretty much just want more of what I already have. That makes me feel sparkly! Much more sparkly than the party dresses I wore for New Year’s Eve parties past.
What about you Innie Friend? What are your dreams for 2016?
Share away in the comments section below.
Whether you go out or stay in today, I hope the transition into 2016 is kind to you!
Lots of love,
Beautiful and a very meaningful article Michaela. 🙂 I also don’t like the New Years eve hype and all the excitement it brings… I am though looking forward to the New Year itself. 🙂 The night before is exactly the way you described it: “extrovert’s holiday which screams anti-introvert”.
My dreams were beginning to come true in 2015. 🙂 I call this year: the year discovery, self-realization, year of inspiration. 🙂
2016 will be the year of action. 🙂 I’ve made the first crucial steps toward my dreams, and now, in New Year, I am going towards them, head on, with confidence I will make them come true. 🙂 Visit the land of my dreams, travel, continue writing, reading, simply being grateful and happy every day for the life I have, and the people that are with me in this magnificent journey. 🙂
I am now holding my helm, and going in the direction of my happiness. 🙂
Thanks, Marko! To the year of action! 🙂
Michaela, I’m so pleased that you focused on feelings. This is so very true for me as well. After many years of tailoring myself to my ‘perceived’ needs of others, I am allowing feelings of the moment and in the moment to wash away debris and freeing my self to me.
I look forward to 2016. There is a sense of excitement as I rebuild my life to my needs while including others who support me on the adventure.
So pleased to have found you … HAPPY NEW YEAR :o)
That does sound exciting, Ingrid! Happy New Year! xo
Comment am excited i found your blog i used to look down on myself thinking that i have a problem.im an introvert and i hate it when people want to change to be extrovert and oh how i hate it when they ask me whether am fine.thanks for understanding us and not making us innies feel small.love from uganda
Happy New Year Michaela!Thanks for everything you do for us innie’s.You’ve made me understand myself and realise that I have lots of strengths…and that’s a powerful thing:)
I love blogging because as an introvert, it’s the perfect medium to get my thoughts out. I can give advice to people who want what I have to offer. I have an art blog and I just cofounded my second blog with a good friend. We talk about credit cards and how we earn free travel. I started doing this about 3 years ago and my friends and family were amazed that I could travel so much on my income. I love that I have the time to invest in these spaces without having to make money or sell something. Both sites are advertisement free. Looking forward to 2016!
In and to the future – I love that kind of practice Michaela. The kind where we look in, tap into the feeling we want and then make it ours! Claim it. Happy New Year and looking forward to continued connection with you.
Happy New Year to you, too, Pat! 🙂
Thank you so much for this today, Michaela. I have been feeling a pull towards the sparkliness of New Year’s Eve parties all day, but of course then I realize that I hate those types of parties. I’m glad I’m staying home but until reading your post, I was feeling a bit bad about it.
My grandmother used to throw a NYE party that was an innie’s dream: a low-key small family gathering complete with good food, fancy drinks, and a little sparkle. Maybe someday I’ll throw one of my own, but for now a quiet evening at home with my (innie) hubby feels just right.
Oh, your grandmother’s party sounds perfect. That is just how I would want to spend NYE if I had family close by.
Hi Michaela, on Germany television currently there’s a “New Year’s Eve Rock Show”. I tried to watch a little bit, but soon I couldn’t stand it anymore: All these crazy – over the top – on the stage jumping and screaming chicks and “guitar machos” , what do they need to calm down – and the audience even is worse? 🙂
On “my” New Year’s Eve I prefer something like this:
“A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1i8XVQ2pswg&app=desktop
and this:
The Muppet Movie – Kermit the Frog – Rainbow Connection
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2DTLbTQj0I&feature=youtu.be
My personal dreams for 2016:
To continue my “Dreaming Of California” and to follow up on making this “dream” visible in a comic and – most important:
To keep in touch with my wonderful “California connection” 🙂
I wish you a healthy and “quiet” 2016!
Matthias
Love the Muppets! Thanks for sharing, Matthias. 🙂
Happy New Year, michaela! Thank you so much for having having this site and sharing your thoughts and inspirations. I agree that looking in is what will actually make the new year more meaningful and ultimately happier. I feel more recharged every time I visit this site. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Tiffanie! Happy New Year! 🙂
Hi and thank you for your post. I’ve spent New Years Eve with my husband and four children. We had a nice meal and then we watched a movie. At midnight we took à walk in the neighberhood, watching the fireworks.
Have a wonderful 2016, just the way you want it to be.
Regards Ulrica
That’s sounds lovely, Ulrica. Happy New Year! 🙂
This is just the pecreft answer for all forum members
Happy New Year!! I am very excited for 2016 and believe it will be life-changing. I have wanted to write for as long as I can remember, and started a blog today. My goal for 2016 is to be creative and to be myself 🙂
That is wonderful to hear, Melissa! Exciting. 🙂
Happy New Year Michaela, love the ideas you present. Being internet famous, BTW is your destiny, it’s an INFP thing I discovered. You’re doing great, keep up the good work in 2016. Tap into that amazing sales strength you have, you could sell anything and do anything if you put your mind to it, much of your creative talent is latent, yet it’s still there find it, feel it, grow it, Cheers to many up incoming adventures that await you in 2016.
thank you for a wonderful start to this new year. by a real fluke, i found you yesterday and it changed my life. how wonderful to read everything from so many people who feel like i do. i can truly say, for the first time in my life you showed me who i am. i will now wear the title introvert proudly with my head held high.happy New Year to you and your followers.
Happy New Year Michaela. What a great post. Once again you have described the thoughts of many people. Thank you. It is so comforting to read words that resonate. I am, from now on, going to take the solitude/down time I need, without apology. I used to take it, but kind of sneak it and make excuses for it. Now, I feel completely comfortable, just taking it. I don’t know why I made that so difficult for myself. It is, after all, my life 🙂 Love this blog. Wishing you a wonderful 2016 and thank you for doing what you do.
Thanks for the lovely message, Ramona. Glad the post resonated! Happy 2016 to you! :0
Love your work. Your FB posts have shown me that I’m not broken – I’m an introvert. This has clarified so many things and I no longer have to feel guilty or wrong. Such a big relief. I’m not into conditional holidays so I just treat every day the same. Time and space are so last millennium. Went to bed at 10.30. Alone. In the middle of my nowhere paradise. Xx
So happy to hear you enjoyed a quiet NYE sans guilt, Japetus. 🙂
I’m always late to these… I’ll probably also be late to my own funeral, because I’ll get distracted on the way. (I have the attention span of a squirrel) Anyway, for the new year I’ve started something called a Blessing Jar. The end of each year has always left me feeling a bit down, looking back it’s always been so much easier for me to spot the bad in the year than the good. I’m determined this will not be how this year ends. The basic idea of it is at the end of every day I have my “quiet time” I sit down with just me, my Bible, and the Lord, and read for a while, I pick a verse of significance, and write it down on a sticky note along with that day’s blessing. I’m trying to appreciate more “the little things in life” so I try to pick something good, that maybe I might normally overlook. Like last night, for example, what I put on my jar was just that I got to watch the Sherlock special at the theatre, and I enjoyed myself even though I went alone. Now, getting back to the point of the Blessing Jar(sorry for the ramble) New Year’s Eve coming, I’ll empty my Blessing Jar, and read over my blessings for the year. No better way to start the new year than with 365 blessings to smile back on, and 365 more to look forward to.
My new year’s resolution is to write a blog. It is a little bit rough and ready at the moment but it is improving slowly. I do this because in the future I would like to write as a career, this will hopefully be good practice.
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