Introvert today I want to talk about developing compassion as an introvert, something happened to me this week where someone I was working with very last minute, like, had set them a deadline and the deadline came and the message that same day. And I was like, oh, I can't do this, I'll get back to you. And then disappeared for a couple of days now instead of viewing it and being like, OK, well, they missed a deadline.

 

This is a problem. I tried to view it with compassion and curiosity. And so I message, hey, this isn't like you. I hope everything is OK. Please get back to me when you can. And just by doing that, the person said, Oh, you know what? Actually, I'm sick. I'm not feeling so good. Can we put this off for another couple of days so I can get better? So instead of me saying, oh, hey, you haven't done this thing, why haven't you done this thing?

 

You're late. And I gave you a deadline a week ago. Why are you leaving it? Last minute I decided to be compassionate. And just by showing that compassion, the person came and showed up and said, hey, this is what's happened, which was great. And then when they were ready, they were like, hey, thank you for for asking. Yeah, I'm feeling better now. I'm ready to do whatever needs doing. And they came back and worked really, really hard.

 

So developing compassion is something that can be hard for introverts because we might think in our own head and make assumptions. And so just stepping out a little bit and avoiding negative talk, for example, don't allow yourself to speak negatively about yourself or about others. It's OK to sort of there's this difference between derogatory statements and acceptance of a mistake. So and also practising self kindness and other kindness and practise being kind to others, not assuming that you know exactly what's going on and go with curiosity and ask questions, stop making assumptions, because that is what gets you and it can get you in a bad headspace and isn't fair to the other person because you are making assumptions on their behalf.

 

So think about the same encouraging advice that you would give a friend or family member and do that maybe for people that you work with or for staff or for higher ups. The other thing that is really, really helpful when when developing compassion is not comparing yourself to other people. Comparison is the theft of joy. I know that's from somewhere. It's not me, but it really is all individuals. And we all have our own paths and things that have happened to us and things that we are going to do.

 

We are all in different stages in our journey and that is OK. Comparing yourself and beating yourself up about different things isn't healthy for you and doesn't help you move forward. Everyone has different abilities and positivity about themselves. If you have something that you think is a problem, try and refocus it in a different way. And the other thing is to recognise your learning opportunities and be patient. So be patient not just with yourself, but with others, especially right now.

 

There is a lot going on. So being patient and going in with curiosity, any time you want to make a change, remember, it's not going to happen overnight. I'm currently in a competition sort of with a group of people and we get to set our own targets. And people have tried to change five different things at once. And I found it very difficult. But they kind of set themselves up for failure by expecting that to work. So instead craft a plan that will enable you to tackle little things bit by bit.

 

And over time you'll deal with one thing at a time, get one thing done, and then move on to the other self. Compassion and compassion for others takes time if you're not accustomed to thinking about yourself and or others in this way. And so it's really important to kind of do that both in work and personal life, because it will help you grow immensely as a person will help grow your business. So thank you for listening. This is janice@thecareerintrovert.com helping introverts build their brand and get hired.

 

If you have any questions, please email me at Janice@thecareerintrovert.com and I will answer your questions in the podcast. Have a great rest of your week.