Everyone has their unique temperament which constitutes his they react to people and things around them, that doesn't mean one is better than others, but often one tends to take advantage or even prefer the other. Imagine two people applying for an active marketing position, the employer is most likely to pick the more outspoken individual than the reserved type, even though the introverted one might be more intelligent. That's just the way life is and this is what makes some people come out of their comfort zone to face the world posed at them.
The situation that led me out of my character
Some years back, I happened to manage a business owned by my husband, he wasn't always available as he had other business to run as well, and even though it was my first time running a business, I made sure to give in my best, with his guidance of course, before then, I was this shy introverted girl that could hardly face someone talkless of a crowd, and the type of business I ran required someone to be extra sharp or else you get taken advantage of, I also had an assistant to make the day's job easy for me, with time, I gradually started loosening up on the shyness but not as much as expected for the kind of business and location I was at, it was a location filled with thugs that could easily frighten the hell and take advantage of someone, especially my kind of personality, but I had an assistance whose level of crazy was equal a match, so they made sure to avoid my store.
Not until my assistant had an emergency that needed her presence at home, so she needed to travel, she took a one-week leave, my husband wasn't available either, so I was left to manage the store alone, that was the day, these bad guys decided to strike, they came in presented like they had the interest to buy a smartphone, because that was what we sold alongside accessories, but instead they took advantage, threatened me with some local charm and off they went with two Samsung phones that cost about 500k then, by the time I could race an alarm, they were far gone with a bike, I cried my eyes out, and my neighbours kept insisting that I was too gentle, the reason they could easily rob me. I decided right then and there I wouldn't be that gentle anymore,
What I did
I asked for permission from my husband to allow me to make more ear and nose piercing, and even went further to ask if could get a tattoo too š, he allowed me to get more ear piercings above, and below my ears, but not the nose piercing and tattoo, one thing I noticed is that people easily judge someone by their look, it doesn't matter what you are on the inside, as long as you look it, you are definitely it to them, so that was the strategy I wielded to chase those bad guys away, enhancing my physical appearance with just my piercings and experimenting with darker makeup and hair allowed me to adopt an alter ego I nicknamed "Fierce G" lol. I may still be gentle inside, but now I emanated a donāt-mess-with-me vibe on the surface that commanded immediate respect walking through the bustling marketplace. I carried myself taller, walked decisively, kept a stern grimace on my face, and dressed more sharply.
Within a week on my new persona, the troublemakers who previously loitered for hours left my premises without me saying anything, even some other clients that might have wanted to take advantage of me before, my look alone made them behave themselves, the look was not my original self, but it helped me stay above those bad guys during that period and all the harassment stopped.
Through Fierce G, I finally cultivated an air of authority that helped me guard the business more effectively on my own. I no longer feared being taken advantage of physically or financially. I no longer work there, but through that experience, Iām grateful I pushed my comfort zone and unlocked my physical alter ego because there are times in womanhood and motherhood when you must step up boldly despite feeling uncertain inside. All in all, it takes just a little audaciousness to become an unexpected warrior.