Hello you! Today I’m breaking with my usual blogging style to share something a little more personal, a tad shorter, and a bit more reflective on what it means to be shy.

And to be completely honest, this may be a slight copy and paste from my LinkedIn feed — with a few more words and a touch more flair. Because, let’s face it, we’re not all on LinkedIn. It’s a tad professional and (just between us) not exactly where I feel most comfortable being me.

Also, I’m not on any other social media platforms — it’s a world I can’t quite seem to navigate. And even if I was, those spaces often don’t feel in alignment with the shy side of life.

Anyway, enough of my ramble and social media fears…

Hello, To My Fellow Shy Souls

Shyness often gets misunderstood — or dare I say — has something of a bad reputation! And I’m here to say to you today (albeit, quietly) that I see you, and I’m with you, because I am one of you.

I’ll be honest — it’s taken me a while to post this. Being a shy coach isn’t always easy. Well, actually — being a shy person in general can be rather tricky!

Stepping Into The Spotlight

It can feel pretty daunting, which is why I feel more comfortable here on my blog. It’s become my virtual comfort blanket.

Posting on LinkedIn can feel so vulnerable — unless I have the excuse of sharing a blog post. Well, today, I didn’t even have that for emotional support. (Deep breaths were needed!)

I’ve written more deeply about this topic if it resonates. Here’s a link if you’d like to read 🌿 → blog one: stepping into your spotlight.

We Shy Souls Deserve Some Love

My need to share this quietly took over. Well, for that literal brief second as I hit “post,” it did!

Because I do feel we shy souls deserve a lot of love and a little attention. Just not too much, please — being the centre of attention can be rather panic-inducing.

In my experience, being shy can be quite hard — because we’re navigating a world that doesn’t always value or support the shy side of life.

That’s not to ignore the very real restrictions shyness can place on us — but we’re not exactly short on reminders of those, are we? From the world and from ourselves. Sadly!

So If The Words…

“Just come out of your shell”

or

“why don’t you speak up more?”

Or — my personal favourite from the school years archive:

“She’s great, does the homework, is pretty much a model student… but really needs to answer questions in class!”

…sound familiar, then you’re in good company here.

Because the reality is: sometimes we just need time to feel safe before we speak. And that’s okay.

We’re often deep thinkers who tend to speak only when something really needs to be said. That’s okay too.

We’re also exceptionally observant, patient, and full of quiet wisdom.

Yes, We Do…

Sometimes worry about what people will think of us.

And yes — that does sometimes hold us back.
And yes — it’s okay to admit that too.

But most importantly — your voice matters, even if it takes a little time to find the right moment to use it.

So, Here’s To Us Today:

🌱The shy ones.

🌼The thoughtful ones.

✨The sometimes-overlooked ones.

It can be a little difficult for us to feel as if we have a place in the world, but we do. And I am on a self-imposed mission to continue to tell myself this and hopefully you too.

If any of this resonates with you, know you are not alone.

Now Time For Me To Run Away…

I’ll be sharing more of my LinkedIn posts here in longer form — so if social media’s not your thing, no worries.

Wishing you a lovely quiet day.

I’ll see you soon,

Charlotte 🌸

P.S. If you’re curious about the quiet coach behind these words (usually tucked behind a cup of tea and a blog draft), you can find out more about me 🌿→ About me.

And if you ever feel drawn to 1:1 support, you can learn about my coaching for quiet souls 🌿→ My Coaching.