Sometimes being around people is exhausting. And sometimes it’s amazing. Tonight was amazing. I talked with friends, laughed, and had a great time. And at the times when I felt like tired of talking, the times when I really just wanted to go home and go to sleep, I turned to another person and began a conversation… and that conversation gave me the strength to start another, and another.

Being an extrovert when, inside, I’m still an introvert at heart, is both draining and invigorating. It takes everything inside of me to stay at a social gathering – until I’ve begun a conversation. And once that happens, I feel at ease… until the conversation inevitably ends. And then I feel like I want to go home again.

But I don’t go home. I stay, talk with more people, and have a great time. I meet new friends, teach others about the gospel, and find ways to bless the lives of the people around me. And then I come home, think about it, maybe write about it, and then finally go to sleep.

I think that there is great strength in social activities in life. Being with people – meeting them, lifting them, laughing with them, simply spending time with them – has a powerful influence on me. And when they are good people, my life is changed for the better… just by being in their presence.