It's surprising for people to hear that someone with a bubbly character, a tendency to speak a little too much and too loudly when things excite them, and a huge love for people, is actually shy. How can someone that seems so confident also be completely unsure of themselves? The truth is, it's a paradox but a paradox that isn't uncommon at all.

When I tell people I'm shy, they look at me in disbelief. This proclamation of shyness is coming from the same person who can easily approach someone she thinks is interesting and find out their biodata in 3,2,1. Yeah, right.

What they don't always understand, however, is what runs through my mind beforehand. I may appear to be on top of things, but millions of questions run through my mind. Should I talk to him/her? What do they think of me? What am I saying? DID I JUST SAY THAT? Of course, I don't always say what's on my mind, so it's easy to be fooled that I don't have any shyness at all. The same thing happens with public presentations. Clean delivery, minimal stuttering; and yet no one would hear my heart beat quicken or read the worries in my mind. We extroverts may seem like nothing scares us about people from the way we talk and act, but our minds can be disconnected from our bodies, trust me. We appear confident to other people but the external confidence can mask inner uncertainties sometimes.

And even though I am outgoing, there are times when I prefer some good ol' me time. These are times when the introvert in me comes out, and I like to be by myself and enjoy a good book or write about something I feel strongly about. However, because people often see the extroverted side of me, as that is what I show them, they are quite surprised to see the other side.

So, I'm a shy extrovert, or an outgoing introvert; whichever way you look at it, it's fair to say that I can't be defined by one category because I'm a mosaic of things. And I think we all are, to some extent.

And the truth is, it's amazing to be an extrovert and introvert. Speaking your mind sometimes is necessary, and other times it's good to look into yourself. We are often a mixture of these things, and maybe that's what makes us so complex, so real, so beautiful.