"You're really quiet."

"Why don't you speak up more?"

"You don't need to be shy."

If you're like me, there's a good chance you've heard these phrases before. Having a more reserved, introverted personality, I've been subject to these comments many times. All my life, I have been described as "quiet." I'm normally not the one to speak up in a large group, I enjoy keeping to myself and I'll admit, I have some shy qualities.

But "quiet" isn't the right word to fully describe who I am. After years of thinking that being the "quiet type" was the wrong type of person to be, I have come to realize that being quiet is just what appears on the surface. Deep down, I am much more.

I'm quiet, but I'm also observant.

I have found that one of the reasons I don't talk very much is because I'm busy taking everything in. Whether I'm in a class discussion or spending time with friends, I find myself noticing every detail and contemplating what I hear.

I'm quiet, but I'm also a good listener.

When there's a talker, there has to be a listener, too. I enjoy listening to what other people have to say and giving them my attention. For me, there is nothing more rewarding than being that person people rely on to listen.

I'm quiet, but I'm also reflective.

There's the old saying "think before you speak," and I do just that. When I hear things, I tend to think them over. I'm very analytic and interpret things thoroughly. I like to collect all my thoughts and string them together into a well thought-out statement before speaking.

I'm quiet, but I'm also loud.

My voice isn't amplified, but my other qualities are. I am loud in action, in thought and in being. And those are just as important.