I've often felt like an outsider in social settings. I’d overthink every word I said, replay conversations later, and wonder if I came off as “too quiet,” “too intense,” or just... off. Parties drained me. Small talk felt like a performance. I used to beat myself up for not being more "normal" in groups. But slowly, I started to understand that awkward doesn’t mean unworthy. I began leaning into my natural rhythm—deep, thoughtful, intentional—and started forming fewer, but truer, connections.