Seventh Grade The Road Not Taken Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth; Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim Because it was grassy and wanted wear, Though as for that the passing there Had worn them really about the … [Read more...]
Envy and the Entrepreneur: A Tale of Pies, Prayers and Redemption
In the Beginning... It was 15 years ago, while I was in my second “grown-up” job, that I realized I had a problem. We were having a team meeting in my boss’s office, all sitting at the round table sharing our progress on various projects. There was a new member of the team, I’ll call her Amy, whose energy was bubbly and all smiles. When Amy finished her reporting, my boss praised her up one side … [Read more...]
Confessions of an Indulgent Introvert
In November 2010, I wrote a prescient blog post entitled, "The Dangers of Being Home Alone." My main point was that while I was working from home and technically "alone," I was rarely alone with my thoughts because I was almost never unplugged, never disconnected. Part of me also felt that working from home alone was not the most productive place to be. However, my introvert self LOVED it … [Read more...]
Can We Stop with the “Introvert=Shy” Already!?
Oh dear, did that headline sound exasperated? I think it did. Because I am. Over the past 18 months, I've been especially in tune with articles and posts that mention introversion. And so often, there is a collapsing of the definitions of introvert and shy. The article will start out OK, positing that introverts can be leaders, or business owners, or sales people. Then they will highlight a … [Read more...]
How to Stop Thinking and Start Living
I titled this post "How to Stop Thinking and Start Living" not because I had the answer, but because I was hoping you would. See, I think too much. I live in my head - typical introvert, I think! :-) It's so bad, I even coined a phrase - while on VACATION, for goodness sakes! - "double-think," as in, "I need to double-think on that one a bit." Really!? Often, thinking "too much" is … [Read more...]
You Miss Every Shot You Don’t Take
How long does it take to build a business, or do anything at which you want to be successful? It depends on how many shots you're willing to take. My business development action plan includes some activities that are well within familiar territory: Write blog posts and articles. Produce podcasts. Coach clients. Give presentations. It also includes stuff that feels unfamiliar and a little scary: … [Read more...]
Creating Introvert Pride of Ownership with Beth Buelow
When I witnessed a recent claim - and subsequent retraction - of "I'm an extrovert" by an introvert, it got me thinking again about how we introverts sometimes negate that part of our personality. We think it's a curse. We think it needs to be changed. We think we need to hide it, because we get messages that our introvert traits are not OK. The less our personality is affirmed, the more we … [Read more...]
(Not) Hiding Behind the Introvert Card
Guest post by Patty K. Do social events and networking meetings put a little knot in your belly? Do you find yourself on the outskirts of the meeting, holding a drink and feeling too nervous to approach people? When you're chatting with someone, do you find yourself tongue-tied and worried that you'll say the wrong thing? Many people think that these signs mean that you're an introvert. I used … [Read more...]
Self-Promotion for Introverts® with Nancy Ancowitz
As an entrepreneur, do you find yourself in “perpetual promotion”? And as an introvert, does that leave you more than just a little drained? One of the things I’ve heard over and over from introverts is that talking about themselves is very challenging. And it’s one thing to talk about yourself; it’s another to do so in a way that positively promotes you and what you have to offer. Nancy … [Read more...]
Releasing Yourself from Limiting Beliefs
"The inner speech, your thoughts, can cause you to be rich or poor, loved or unloved, happy or unhappy, attractive or unattractive, powerful or weak." - Ralph Charell Our language – especially the way to we talk to and about ourselves – has a profound impact on our ability to trust, speak the truth, and be joyful. So much negativity is learned, optional, and habitual! … [Read more...]