If you asked me 4 years ago, outgoing would be one of the last words I would use to describe myself. I was, and still am, an introvert. However, I have learned since then that being an introvert and being outgoing aren't mutually exclusive. I relish new experiences and seek chances to be exposed to as many opportunities, ideas, and perspectives as I can. I am able to use the qualities I have as an introvert such as listening and observation to get the most out of these experiences and continue to develop myself both professionally and personally.
I am a firm believer in the saying: "Give your 100% for everything you do." If I am putting some effort into doing something, then I might as well do it the best that I can as there must be a reason why I am putting forth any effort at all. It also leads to the idea that everything I do should have some meaning. It doesn't necessarily need to be something earth-shattering or deeply important in the general sense, but that meaning creates a drive in me that allows me to continue to move forward and learn things I may not have learned otherwise. In this way, I can remain sincere in what I do.
I am an emotional person. I am also a logical person. Often times those personality traits are seen as contradictory, but they exist together in most people. People who are logical get emotional when something defies that logic. People who are emotional use logic to covince others to believe in something as strongly as they do. I believe strongly in education, equality, sustainability, and hard work. I am passionate about creating things, experiencing new perspectives, and continuing to grow in my career and as a person. I use logic to accomplish my goals, but emotion to drive me, and the two together are what will help me succeed.
I mentioned earlier that I am an introvert. That also lets me be introspective. I tend to think about my motivations for various actions when they stand out to me. If I do or encounter something that makes me feel especially happy or sad or angry or any other strong emotion, I try to take a step back and ask why. Why am I feeling a certain way? Was there one direct cause of the emotion? If so, what about that cause made me feel this way? In doing so, I am able to distance myself, at least briefly, from the emotion and gain further insight into who I am and what motivates me. This self-knowledge in turn helps me grow.
As simple as it may seem, I take pride in the fact that I am nice. I feel like these days being nice has turned into a noncompliment, something people say when they can't think of another word to describe a person. Other times, the word nice is used condescendingly as a synonym for a naive person or a pushover. I think nice people are some of the strongest people. Not many people can live in this world and remain naive to the motivations and dangers that exist. Nice people most certainly are not unaware of all of this. Despite that, despite all of the pressures for them to give in and just stop being nice, they persevere and act in a way that makes them feel proud of their actions and hopeful that they were able to help just one other person in some way.