Childless by choice. Single and unbothered. Partnered and living separately. Non-traditional college student. Avoiding higher education altogether. Being successfully entrepreneurial and staying solo. Traveling the world instead of settling down. Keeping a very small social circle. Staying off of social media.
Unconventional Choices and Successful Introverts
These are just a few of the “unconventional choices” people make all the time. Every day. So, why are they considered unconventional? Just because it isn’t “The American Dream”? It’s not “traditional”? Let’s be honest, it’s simply not what we are sold and told to want from a young age. Especially for women, this script is quite clear:
Go to college. Get a job. Get married. Buy a house. Have 2.5 kids. Keep working for a paycheck or stay home to raise babies. Have bi-monthly girls’ night time to let loose and complain about the rest of your life. Keep doing all of the above for decades. Retire. Move to Florida or travel when you’re too darn tired from the rest of it to actually enjoy it.
(Can you tell I’m writing this from my place in Florida where it’s not freezing cold in January?)
As always, please do not misunderstand me here. If that script above works for you, if that path lights you up, go for it! Heck yes. Embrace it! Feel that love, and let it flow through you to fuel your incredible self every day.
Finding Clarity and Confidence in Your Introversion
However, if you clicked on this post, you were likely searching for something like “introvert problems”, “different career and life choices”, “how to be happy as an introvert”, “successful introverts”, or “unconventional relationships”. That tells me that you are looking for something different. You are looking for validation and permission to live your life. To feel normal or accepted for doing things in a way that makes sense to and for you. The ability to live your life on your terms and no one else’s. How beautiful is that? Congratulations for knowing in your heart that this path you are on is the right one. That clarity and confidence are beautiful. I would love to help you celebrate and honor your introverted self!
Here are a few things I really want you to know as a sensitive, introverted woman in the world making unconventional choices:
It is absolutely possible to be at peace, successful, happy, etc., without doing life the way “everyone else” is.
A lot of things can be overstimulating for sensitive introverts. So, needing and taking more breaks is normal.
You can absolutely do it all. Have it all. It’s okay to do the things in smaller doses. Hustle and grind culture is not always going to be your jam. You can work hard and rest hard. Both/and.
If you’re taking care of your HSP nature and have decided that being childfree is right for you, that’s okay! More importantly, there are many other ways to contribute to society. I realize that’s probably a controversial stance to take. So, I’ll write more on that in the future. But I want you to know that it is okay. Truly.
Why this support for introverted women is different...
My mom told me once, “I have a lot of respect for you because you realized that doesn’t fit your personality. You have a certain lifestyle and ways to take care of yourself, and a baby wouldn’t fit in.” That moment was pivotal. I was immediately freed from the pressures to conform to what I know the world wants for me. What I thought my family wanted for me. While the life I'm in now isn't exactly what I planned, I am so happy and grateful that I get to live my life by design. The way I know I need to be. This is true freedom. I'd love to hear from you in the comments: What does true freedom to live YOUR life look like to you? How would you live if the "shoulds" weren't taking up so much mental real estate? You might also like my posts on protecting your energy as an introverted woman, friendships as an introvert, and highly sensitive creatives.
Consider Therapy for Sensitive, Introverted Women in Florida
I am a licensed therapist and a sensitive introvert myself, and I offer online therapy in Florida for women who want to make unconventional choices with confidence. If you live in Florida and see yourself in this post, I would love to support you. To get started:
Reach out to me and share a little about what you are looking for
Decide together whether online therapy in Florida is a good fit for you
Spread your wings and fly, honoring your needs and desires as a sensitive introvert
