"I think I'm afraid to be happy because whenever I get too happy something bad always happens." - Charlie Brown
Ahh, Charlie Brown, probably the most popular introvert in history. Whether it's Valentines, Christmas or just any normal day, Charlie Brown will always find something to analyze, grumble or complain about in his, "Woah is me." fashion. I think Lucy has it right when she says to him,
"I'm not sure what happiness means but I look in your eyes and I know that it isn't there."
Charlie Brown always had his trusted dog Snoopy to listen to him. I think he spilled his guts out to Snoopy on purpose, knowing he wouldn't get any sarcasm out of him compared to Lucy.
"There must be millions of people all over the world who never get any love letters...
I could be their leader."
In conclusion to my last post, I thought I would share some tips on how to get from being an introvert to an extrovert. If you are serious about moving from a self-conscious person to a self-confident person and move away from having a Charlie Brown complex, hopefully these tips help. These tips are specifically geared toward those who are believers in Christ Jesus.
I think it is extremely important for you to know that although you may consider yourself an introvert that does not necessarily mean you lack confidence in God. But, to increase self confidence in yourself you need a greater confidence in God. And that is where wisdom in God's Word plays an importance.
If you are to trust in God and in your ability to do all things, you need to renew your mind with what God says about you.
Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. (Romans 12:2)
In most of the experiences we see with Charlie Brown, even though he is a fictional character, his thoughts and words toward himself were a lack of self confidence. This is where confessions of the righteous comes into play. Find yourself some scriptures within the Bible to confess and to remind yourself daily of who you are in Christ.
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Phil. 4:13)
If you have trouble letting of the past and mistakes from the past are holding you back, remind yourself,
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.(2 Cor. 5:17)
Some other ways to renew your mind with God's Word:
Bible Gateway has some great daily devotionals along with the Bible in various formats for easy reading.
(the link for the website is on my home page)
Find yourself some motivational speakers like John Maxwell to read and listen to, or Graham Cooke and Rick Renner to name a few. I have also found on You Tube many of T.D. Jakes messages that specifically are for building up one's confidence in the Lord. Thanks to the internet there are various avenues to search from to get more of God's Word built into you.
And then there is the obvious choice of listening to worship music each day, the variety of genre is endless.
In one of the classes I teach I have a little quiet lady, kind of shy and timid, but who has been transformed and has come out of her shell in the most amazing fashion. Within this class I always leave an opening for others to share and speak. This little quiet lady always reminds me not to call upon her, she just wants to listen, and so I have obliged. And in doing so, she has transformed from being an introvert to being a little more open with others within our church body. That is what the importance of having or being a part of a small group does. As an introvert, find yourself a small group study to be apart of, but also let the leader know you only want to participate by listening.
If you are looking for anything further to enhance the renewing of your mind to strengthen you, and you are serious about moving from an introvert to an extrovert, you can always message me privately through my Face Book Page (Dave Montei) or via email: monteidave@yahoo.com
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