Hello! My 
name is Lori Elliott. I’m an introvert, a Highly Sensitive Person, and an INFJ in the Meyers-Briggs type assessment. And, as all of you fellow introverts probably can imagine, I always feel really strange introducing myself in an “About Me” page like this one. It brings back memories of all of the countless times I’ve heard that dreaded phrase “Everyone, tell us your names, where you’re from, and something interesting about yourself.”
Since this isn’t a class or a seminar, though, and since I don’t have the instant panic and blank mind that goes along with being put on the spot, I’ll tell you a few things about myself so you can get to know me a little bit.
I live in suburban Massachusetts, but I’m a country girl at heart, and someday I’d love to live in a place that’s a bit more rural, in an old, historic farmhouse with a front porch and a fireplace and enough land for animals and a big vegetable and herb garden.
I love all things old-fashioned, and my favorite pastimes are the simple ones like taking my dog on a walk through the woods or reading a book on a rainy day. I could read all day and never get tired of it. My idea of the perfect relaxing evening would be sitting by the fireplace with a good book, a cozy blanket, and a warm cup of tea.
I’ve always loved writing, too, whether it’s writing fiction, poetry, or blog posts. When I’m not reading or writing, I enjoy playing the piano, listening to music, working in my garden, or browsing through antique stores. I also have another blog, Our Heritage of Health, where I write about natural health, real food, and simple, old-fashioned living.
I created Redefining Quiet as a place as a place to connect with and support other introverts and Highly Sensitive People (HSPs).
I’m probably one of the most introverted introverts there are. It was only within the past couple of years, though, that I even learned the true meaning of what the term “introvert” meant. Before that time, my only associations with that word were negative ones. I was familiar with all of the common myths about introverts: introverts are anti-social, introverts are boring, introverts aren’t any fun, etc. I didn’t want to be any of those things, of course, so in my mind, the word introvert equaled “bad” and extrovert equaled “good.”
A couple of years ago, though, I started seeing more and more references to introverts on social media sites like Facebook and Pinterest. And what I was reading completely changed the way I thought about introverts. I realized that everything I had heard about introverts before were all misconceptions, and that being an introvert had its own unique set of strengths.
And then, about a year ago, I came across an article online talking about Highly Sensitive People (HSPs). I took the self-test mentioned in the article (you can find it HERE🙂 and I couldn’t believe how accurate it was for me. I checked almost every single box on the list and I finally felt like everything made sense. Reading the descriptions of HSPs was like having somebody I had never even met before describe me perfectly.
Learning about being an introvert and about being a Highly Sensitive Person has completely changed the way I see myself, and it’s given me a much better understanding of who I am. I want to share these insights I’ve gained so that others can learn more about what it means to be an introvert and an HSP and so that they can experience this same sense of understanding and acceptance of themselves too.