Recentering as an INFJ

Once again I was burnt out and unhappy. As an INFJ (Introverted Intuitive Feeling Judging) this happens to me frequently. At these times, I pull back into my mind so I can regain my center; a sense of who I really am. 

As I read and pondered, I was reminded that as an INFJ, I am one of the two personality types (INFP Introverted Intuition Feeling Perceptive is the other) who use intuition and feeling as a way to deal with life.  This really is a different way to live. Like other introverted intuitive types, we spend a lot of time in the world of thought, but combined with Feeling this world becomes extra special. It is the world of imagination, of creativity, and of the spirit. We are roses in the cornfield. We are lights shining in the darkness. 

We are also considered a bit weird, which as an INFJ, I can't deny.
Our seeking out the spiritual, our firm grasp on truth, our drive to grow, our ability to see the whole picture, our deep compassion and love for others, our ability to inspire others to reach the best within themselves, our potential to influence others through writing (even as the rarest type, INFJ's make up a quarter of all writers), our amazing capability to "just know" about other people and the past and future, our vision and wisdom, our astounding use of inductive reasoning, and our capacity to deeply experience others' feelings are all most unusual. 

In a society where my intuitive feeling type of thought is defined merely as "illogical" and "unreasonable", where achieving goals and high production (Thinking type), and making quick decisions and socializing (Extraversion) are valued, I really don't fit in, but I like it that way. I don't want to be a person who is driven by linear logic to perform a myriad of endless details each day. I like to take my time to savor, absorb, experience, and reflect. Why should I confine myself to the box, or to a black and white world when I can experience life in all its depth and colors?! I enjoy the world of creativity, spirituality, and beauty. It is where I live. It is my home.

I don't expect others to understand how I think. For most people, when they say they are using "intuition", they mean that they somehow just know how to do something. As an INFJ, I use Intuition consciously. In fact, intuition is my strongest ability, my dominant strength. For me, intuition is not a mysterious, unconscious, uncontrollable part of the brain, but a global way of thinking which guides my life and allows me to create new ideas. 

When I start feeling lonely, I have to remind myself that God put me on a different path so I could share the love, hope, beauty, wholeness, and insights I find in "my world" with others. I am here to inspire us to reach our potential. I am here to be a light. 


This is a good book I read, and one you might enjoy.
Sapala, Lauren (2019-09-16). The INFJ Revolution: Reclaim Your Power, Live Your Purpose, Heal the World