What do you think people misunderstand most about you?

And the getting to know me posts continue! So this is a question that resonates so so deeply with me and I thought it would be really invigorating to post this.

People often get the wrong impression of me. When they meet me, they meet usually an extroverted, chatty, confidence, socially capable person and most often I am referred to as ‘bubbly’ which I personally believe is some people’s subtle way of saying loud and intense. Everything I undertake is completed with care and effort and very rarely will you see me give 50%- I am an all or nothing person and I set my standards high for myself.

I have felt feelings of anxiety in most social settings for as long as I can remember. By the term anxiety I mean my heart feels like it is racing, I feel overwhelmed and uncomfortable and I do not like awkward silences. So for some or most people this usually translates as shy and intimidated but for me I seem to cope by creating conversation, making jokes, laughing a lot and talking a lot. To a lot of people, I may be a bit intense and I have particularly noticed in work situations, people do not know how to take me. My ‘confidence’ is misconstrued as arrogance and people immediately assume me to be a ‘know it all’ because the more nervous I am the harder I try to cover it up and therefore the more ‘bubbly’ and confident I seem. In reality my heart is pumping, I am having a lot of self doubts and I feel self conscious. But my coping strategy is talking and fake-it-till-you-make-it within reason (I am always safe at work and if I don’t know something then I will ask).

So I would say the most common thing people misunderstand about me is my ‘confidence’ and they are unable to see that my bubbly nature is actually a bit of a coping mechanism. People sometimes feel threatened and I have had nurses try to tear me down because I was ‘a juniour nurse’ and therefore should act more understated, not because I was unsafe or arrogant because I have always tried to be a humble, genuine person but because they didn’t like that I seemed to back myself and be so self assured. Little did they know I was fragile and on the edge of breaking point and trying to convince myself that I was capable of even the smallest tasks I was expected to carry out.

This post is not to be negative but it is really elevating and freeing to be able to convey the truth behind my social presence and my response to adversity and changing environments. My message is, please do not assume someone is tough or arrogant or full of themselves just because they can hold a conversation well or laugh loudly. Maybe they are struggling with self belief of anxiety and instead of going inside their shell, they are trying to convince themselves that they are enough.

I would love to hear what other people find people misunderstand about them! It is amazing how guilty we all are of making
assumptions about people myself included.
Spread the love people, make someone feel good even if it is just one person today!