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Getting the High and Doing it Write!

Gaining Strength From Within To Do It Our Way


Writing is such a peaceful act, offering escape, introspection, harmony, and...TORMENT? Polishing writing, whether book or blog, is such a learning experience. It's one of the hidden aspects I love most. I've definitely recognized I have a lot to learn...about writing and now publishing and marketing. This has created a great personal dilemma...




As part of this experience, I've let my inherent personal initiative eclipse my own introversion and thus have joined many writing and publishing groups...some face to face, others virtual by phone or Facebook group. And I've been rewarded with a HUGE amount of diverse perspectives. Everyone seems quite willing to share their suggestions and warnings. Most are nurturing and encouraging (ahhh) and some are in your face, recruiting to follow their path or suffer a slow and agonizing author death (eeek).

You must write 1000 words a day!
You must write 3-6 books a year!
You must create a writing corner with beads and incense!
You must traditionally publish!
You must speak and present!

I do respect the writing community's many paths and giving authors. But as the article below aptly states, the only "must" I must follow is to gather and evaluate information in order to choose the right path for me. This helps me gain conviction for any plan. Such determination is new for me so I need to delve deeper to understand the source of such inhibitions.


After reading one of my blogs, one of our friends suspected I wrote to get things off my chest. I've thought a lot about that, and I suppose to a certain degree that's true. For years I've felt muffled, partly by the corporate environment I worked in, but more precisely by the fear that strangles so many of us introverts. Maybe that's just in my DNA. Or perhaps the muted environment of my childhood is too deeply ingrained - years of superficial conversations at the dinner table despite the swirling turbulence from both our family of six and the world of the '70s that surrounded us.


Either way, I was not comfortable to speak my mind, to boldly share my ideas and thoughts, or to champion my causes. Now, I realize how important it is for me and for all introverts to be heard. We need to get it off our chest! We have great perspectives to share. But we must do it our way!


For me, this renewed courage to chart my own path has translated into:

  • My warm office is my home base, but I can write anywhere inside the house, in the backyard, at Starbucks...

  • I sit down to write every day. I may doodle for 30 minutes or the words may flow for hours.

  • I write to achieve vulnerability and truth. It's the only way I can learn and others may find some solace or inspiration from my words.

  • I spill my draft on a page and then keep peeling the layers of my onion back through editing until the raw, smelly truth is revealed.

  • I TRY. Like everyone, I have my own Comfort Zone. For me, it is usually a quiet place alone or with family. Yet, I want to learn, to stretch myself, to reinvent myself in exciting ways. So I will dip my toe in the water and see if my Comfort Zone stretches with the ripples.

  • Now, I am tackling my greatest fears, especially speaking, in order to fulfill my dreams.

  • I want the high! I get a great rush hearing from readers who may be struggling and others coping in fantastic ways. Sharing stories together is, well, wonderful. I also get an ecstatic feeling of warmth when I publish. I got that feeling when I was on the high school newspaper so many years ago and I felt it again when my article was recently published in Introvert, Dear. Yes, it is a high like I felt running a half marathon or biking nearly 200 miles or, I believe, like climbing Kilimanjaro (Go KILI 2020!). I want that unrestrained, fulfilling high!


“If you care about what people think about you, you will end up being their slave. Reject and pull your own rope.” Auliq Ice

Introvert's Call to Action:

So I encourage us all, to follow a dream by learning from others, but charting our own path.

I will see you out there!



In the spirit of Thanksgiving, please share our blog so that others may find our community of introverts. Every SHARE during the balance of November enters you into a raffle for a $50 Amazon Gift Card! Thanks!


NEXT WEEK: IntroTurkey: Don't Let the Holiday Gobble You Up!





 


EXTRAS


CLIMBING KILIMANJARO - The RE-Search Goes On (11/20/2019)


I think climbing alongside the melting glaciers atop Kilimanjaro will be one of life's greatest highlights!

November has been filled with research as daughter Maddie and I prepare to climb Kilimanjaro together in August. P.S. We track our plans and progress the 3rd Wednesday of each month so check out past blogs...and stay tuned!


I talked to some KC relatives that climbed several years ago. Great advice regarding preparation, meds, and experience. One of them reached the top and the other missed out on the last day due to altitude sickness. This is the most common reason people fall short.


Certainly, we must rely on the advice of our guides as they assess our condition, but after 5-6 days of hiking and less than sharp thinking at nearly 20,000 feet, it's understandably hard for hikers to advocate for themselves and their fortitude to march on. My biggest takeaway is to choose an agency/guide carefully and discuss all scenarios with my partner and our guides well in advance.


We've decided to climb the Machame route as it provides the highest success rate and is quite scenic (jungles, glaciers, the whole bit). I've also been researching agencies online and ordered a book to help with all the planning. Our intent is to book the hike, agents, and flights in January!


We WELCOME any experiences and recommendations from readers.



OUR DAY

November 22nd is 'Go For A Ride Day!'



As long-time readers may recall, I ditched my history of Honda Accords and sprung for a Mazda Miata this past spring (August 12 blog). I have dubbed my new car "Merlin the Miata" because of its transformational powers. However, my Miata proved it cannot swim in the Houston flooding of Hurricane Harvey (September 25 blog). But "Merlin the Miata" shunned the scrapheap and was reborn with a new engine and is back on the road! In commemoration of Go For A Ride Day, I plan to cruise around town with the top down, rain or shine (OK, maybe not rain, but hot or cold). For me, driving is another form of relaxation and renewal!




INTROVERTLink

What to do when you have no idea what to do.


A great article that provides 10 crisp tips for those of us who face uncertainty, are often flooded with information, norms, and suggestions, and yet desire to make our own decision! I especially like 4. Ask yourself what you would choose if no one else cared. Ultimately, we must own our decisions. So gathering data and experiences is quite helpful and smart, but testing against our own goals and style is more important. Photo credit: Blend Images/Shutterstock




ASPECTS IN ART: BEGUILING BRUGES (11/06/2019)




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DON'T MISS OUR 'LEISURE LEARNING' TOPIC...

"IntroTurkey: Don't Let the Holiday Gobble You Up!"

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