April 20, 2020
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Sunscreen and face-masks are essential for beach days
Hope everyone is doing well around the world. It’s been a roller-coaster ride the past few weeks in Taiwan. Just after my last post, the director of the World Health Organization accused Taiwan of supporting supposed racist remarks towards him. There was plenty of backlash and Twitter talk following that. Taiwan’s president, Tsai Ing-Wen, wrote a piece for TIME Magazine sharing Taiwan’s journey through this global pandemic.
This past week, we had the lowest number of new cases reported since this all started. And as the weekend ends, Taiwan has a total of 420 cases [Happy 420!!].
These naval members apparently didn’t follow quarantine rules and went to 90 places around Taiwan. The CDC has marked these places and notified anyone that might have been in contact with them.
INFJ - I’m Not Freaking Joining
I came up with a bunch of acronyms over the span of 5 minutes (I’m Not F*cking Joking, In No Friendly Job, Into Never Finding Joy, etc).
With lockdown and social isolation in effect back in the US, I’ve read and heard a few anecdotes about how introverts are thriving and relishing in quarantine. They don’t have to respond to the social calling, forced to network, or save face at the next team meeting. They can go about their day meditating, reading, and basking in the glory of their growing ficus.
In Susan Cane’s book, “Quiet”, she described introverts.
Introverts, in contrast, may have strong social skills and enjoy parties and business meetings, but after a while wish they were home in their pajamas. They prefer to devote their social energies to close friends, colleagues, and family. They listen more than they talk, think before they speak, and often feel as if they express themselves better in writing than in conversation. They tend to dislike conflict. Many have a horror of small talk, but enjoy deep discussions.
I find this book to be like an introverts’ bible. I related to everything said in the book and felt that someone finally understood me. But what made me an introvert and how does it impact my life?
INTJ for sure
When I first took the Meyers-Briggs test (when I was in early 20’s), I didn’t think too much about the results. It was part of a mandatory ‘training’ for my first corporate job. Little did I know that I just answered some random questions that ultimately decided how I lived the majority of my adult life. I checked the boxes of introversion so I figured that’s what I was. I did love taking tests. But I let that label define my relationships throughout the years. I was comfortable being an introvert…until I wasn’t.
Almost 10 years later, after moving to Chicago basically on a whim, I found myself in a similar situation. I had developed some amazing friends and relationships but found myself stuck again. I decided to do something again that seemed completely out of my personality. I decided to quit my job and go travel the world.
The trip opened my eyes. I was constantly putting myself in situations that the ‘old’ me would shy away from. Was I uncomfortable? Not at all. I felt like I could be myself without any self-judgment. I could be the life of the party or just have a simple conversation with another traveler on a bus. Sure there were days when I just needed to be by myself. Classic introvert.
Fast forward through a few other monumental life changes (moving to Taiwan, teaching English, finding and sustaining a girlfriend). I had another eye-opening experience. A friend I had known for a few months was asking around a group if they had any siblings. I said I was an only child and “that probably explains a lot about me”. His immediate response was “Dude, I don’t know you that well [to judge]”. There was that old me again. I was limiting myself based on preconceived notions. I had to ask if I was truly being myself or who I thought I was.
One last jolt finally shook me loose. Through a self-development exercise, I asked some of my closest friends about ‘my best self’. When had they seen me at my best? I was taken aback at some of the responses. My best friend told me I was an extrovert. Another friend told me I should be in sales. I did a double-take. How could this be? The test said I was an introvert!
Why did I feel this way? These were genuine, thought-out responses from some of the people closest to me. I should have been grateful for their insights. But I was conflicted. I questioned whether they knew anything about me at all. I felt misunderstood. But that wasn’t true at all. They saw me with clear eyes and full hearts (Can’t Lose!). It was my vision that was clouded. This frame I built created a neurotic sense of self. One that only allowed me to be open to comfortable situations.
A literal wise Mann told me:
The label and conceptualization can be helpful to understand our patterns and behavior. However, these constraints can lock us into a particular mindset and doesn’t allow us to experience things in other ways.
I know better now. People grow and they change. I’ve changed. I’ve learned more about myself because I’ve let myself be vulnerable and uncomfortable. I’ve learned to communicate and express [some] emotions. Life is constantly changing and throwing challenges at us. It’s up to us to adapt and move forward while being true to ourselves. I constantly remind myself of the serenity prayer. I’m trying day in and day out to develop the three qualities laid out before me: acceptance, courage, and wisdom.
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.
So am I thriving? I can’t say for sure since I’m in a different situation than most. But I’d love to talk about it (or at least listen to you talk about it). I’ll gladly join all the Zoom chats and group hangs. I might not say much, but I’m just happy being me.
Just your standard Sunday morning
Links and Articles:
1. Southwest extends benefits and makes it easier to get the Companion Pass
I’ve written about the Companion Pass before. Due to current circumstances, Southwest has extended some benefits and gifted members extra points to reach the Companion Pass.
2. Chase extends sign-up bonus deadlines for select customers
Chase is giving anyone who opened a new card between Jan 1, 2020, and Mar 31, 2020, an extra 3 months to meet their minimum spend. I received an email from Chase detailing the extension.
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