The Dynamic Introvert

The Dynamic Introvert

Writing About Writing

By Lesley TaylorPosted on Posted in IntrovertsTagged , , ,

Yesterday I attended a presentation hosted by the Vancouver Writers Fest. The speaker, Daniel Levitin — psychologist, neuroscientist, musician and best-selling author, told the audience that it was not unusual for him to write 50 drafts of a manuscript before moving onto the next step. 50 drafts! Hearing Levitin’s confession I was suddenly taken back to a writer’s festival in Richmond many years ago. One of the authors presenting told the audience that it took him 10 years to finish his book. I remember thinking how ridiculous. But, since then I have come across successful authors who have taken even longer from start to finish usually with years when there was no writing going on at all. I’m not that young and don’t have the luxury of taking 10 or more years to finish my book. But I am now feeling that it’s time to continue working on my manuscript. The challenge for me will be to make it messy and focus on getting the words on the page. I have been struggling to finish the first draft of my novel The Mexican Connection. This is the working title of course and I’m pretty sure it will change more than once before its published. Perhaps it’s an understatement to say that I’ve been struggling. After a pretty good start in which I wrote 45,000 words I stopped writing period. I stopped writing blog posts, I stopped writing articles and sadly I stopped writing my novel. Writing is a confusing venture at the best of times. But writing a mystery novel can be tricky. As with any novel you need an intriguing story that makes readers want to keep turning the pages. But you also need to keep the reader guessing. Who is the villain? What’s the story behind the story? You have to create a challenging whodunit but not so challenging that readers can’t solve the crime. Everyone has their reasons for hitting the wall. I think I was trying too hard to write the perfect first draft. In the meantime, I’m learning the craft of writing mysteries.        

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Mindfulness For The Overthinking Introvert

By Lesley TaylorPosted on Posted in IntrovertsTagged , , , , , , , , , ,

Mindfulness for the Overthinking Introvert Mindfulness is a super power and accessible to you anytime, says Dan Harris author and former ABC news anchor. I’ve often wondered if overthinking or ruminating is more common for introverts. I think we spend more time “in our heads” thinking about things. That’s how we process new information and how we re-energize. Extroverts, on the other hand prefer to process new information by talking with someone. It’s also how they re-energize.  Is one approach healthier than the other? Of course not! Neither approach is superior; it’s just the way we are wired. But if you are like me and have lost sleep worrying about something or missed out on an opportunity because you took too long to make a decision you may want to find ways to stop overthinking. What exactly is rumination anyway? According to one dictionary ruminating mean deep thinking. Put this way it doesn’t seem so bad. We all admire deep thinkers over people who don’t seem to have a serious thought in their heads. Like me, you have probably spent time thinking about the state of the world, about the forest fires burning in California and the Amazon jungle, or the huge pile of plastic that is floating around in the Pacific Ocean. I hate to admit it but I have spent sleepless nights laying awake worrying about these things. Thinks I really can’t do much about, at least not while I’m trying to sleep. The end result, apart from not sleeping, has been an increase in feeling anxious and scared. Yes, rumination does have a negative side and it can lead to anxiety and depression if we don’t become aware of how our ruminating is hurting us.  And it can lead to isolation if you spend so much time in your head that it prevents you from spending time with other people. Are introverts prone to overthinking. According to scientists, the two areas of the brain associated with overthinking — the frontal cortex and Broca’s area — are very active in introverts. The frontal cortex is the part of the brain responsible for remembering, planning, decision-making, and problem-solving, while Broca’s area is associated with self-talk. Researchers found that it didn’t matter whether introverts were in a resting state or engaged in a task — they all showed more brain activity than the extroverts. This means introverts may process more information than extroverts per second, which helps explain why introverts are prone to overthinking. ! So, how to stop yourself from ruminating/worrying? One way is to try and stop the worrying thoughts. Easier said than done but mindfulness really is a superpower and a set of skills that can be learned fairly easily. What is mindfulness? “Mindfulness is “moment to moment awareness” wrote Jon Kabat-Zinn in his groundbreaking book, Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain and Illness. There are different ways to learn how to be mindful. Some years ago, I had high blood pressure and signed up for an 8-week Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course taught by psychologist Marian Smith in Vancouver. After the course and practicing mindfulness regularly for a short period of time my BP was back to normal. MBSR is modeled after the course that Jon Kabat-Zinn developed at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. There are many ways to learn mindfulness meditation both on-line and in person. One of the most successful examples of how the use of mindfulness provides tangible benefits comes from Google in the form of the Search Inside Yourself (SIY) program. What began as the vision of Google engineer Chade-Meng Tan back in 2007 has now become a worldwide phenomenon. SIY is available to individuals, organizations and communities in 50 countries around the world. The course is based on the best-selling book: Search Inside Yourself: The Unexpected Path to Achieving Success, Happiness (and world peace) by Chade-Meng Tan. If you are an introvert who would like to lead a more mindful life you have many options to chose from. Do a bit of research and pick one to start with. Maybe try taking 3 deep breaths when you are feeling overwhelmed. Or sign up for a mindfulness mediation course on-line or in person. One final suggestion, try not to spend too much time thinking about which one approach might work for you. All are proven to be beneficial. Cheers! @lesleyauthor    

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Make 2015 The Year of The Dynamic Introvert

By Lesley TaylorPosted on Posted in IntrovertsTagged , , , , , , , ,

Make 2015 Your Year – The Year of the Dynamic Introvert Whether you are ready or not 2014 is rapidly coming to a close and it’s time to prepare for the New Year. Not everyone makes New Year’s resolutions but even if that is not your thing you can still benefit from these four recommendations: 1.Know thyself. This wise saying is most often credited to the Greek philosopher Socrates. It applies as much today as it did back in ancient times. People often make wrong assumptions about introverts because they have little or no information to base their judgements on. You may also be acting or reacting to this lack of understanding about what it means to be an introvert. The best advice I can give you is to know thyself.  You can create a SWOT Analysis to determine your strengths and areas for improvement. The SWOT tool was originally developed for the business leader who wanted to understand his or her company compared to its competitors. Today the SWOT is also used as a personal planning tool. SWOT stand for: S personal strengths that you can build on W personal weaknesses or areas for improvement O opportunities present in your workplace or industry T threats which include changes that might impact your career 2. Honor Who You Are. Knowing who you are and acting with integrity are the hallmarks of authenticity. As you become more aware of what it means to be an introvert and by tapping into your strengths you will become more confident and able to take some risks. This may include identifying and challenging some of the barriers that are getting in the way of your success. For too long now many of us have been made to feel inferior because we are not more extroverted. As introverts, it is not always easy to accept who we are when the world tells us that we should be more social, outspoken, energetic, exciting and forceful. By learning more about what it means to be a dynamic introvert we can build on our strengths and be confident about what we have to offer the world. 3. Develop Your Personality. You can be authentic and honor who you are and at the same time develop your personality. Sounds like a contradiction doesn’t it? Some say we are born with certain personality traits and these traits stay pretty much the same throughout our lives. But author and university professor Patricia Cranton argues in her book, Personal Empowerment through Type, that “we can consciously develop our personalities.” She goes on to say that “although we generally have a preference for introversion or extraversion we are likely able to function in both.” 4.Create Your Legacy. The start of a New Year is a great time to consider the legacy that you want to leave. Most of us do not think about our legacies when we are young and I had not thought about mine until I started teaching leadership classes. We all leave a legacy whether or not we are aware of it. One of the benefits of thinking about your legacy at an early age is that it can help guide you as you move forward in your life. Here are six questions to get you thinking about the legacy that you want to leave: – What difference do I want to make? – What will be my greatest contributions? – What do I want to create for myself and for those I care about? – How would I like to change the world for the better? – How do I want to be remembered? Whether you are ready or not 2014 is rapidly coming to a close. Even if you don’t like New Year’s resolutions I encourage you to challenge yourself to try something different this year…something that will take you out of your comfort zone and into the realm of new possibilities.   Happy New Year! The Dynamic Introvert Team

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Charismatic Leadership Can Be Learned

By Lesley TaylorPosted on Posted in IntrovertsTagged , , , , , , , , , ,

Charisma is a desirable quality in a leader and one that has traditionally been associated with extroversion. But, as I learned while researching The Dynamic Introvert, introverts have a dynamism or charisma of their own: Here’s what Dr. Judy Curson, introvert, and leader in the National Health Service in the UK has to say about this, “I think many of us are dynamic. We just make less fuss and noise about being dynamic than some extraverts. Our energy and enthusiasm is often hidden from the external world.” Charismatic people tend to be optimistic, enthusiastic, and energetic and interestingly we all have the potential to be charismatic—introverts and extroverts alike. Being an optimist, someone who sees the world in a positive light, is an attractive quality in a leader. According to the dictionary optimists are “hopeful and confident about the future.” We all find it easier to follow someone who fits this description. Energy is also an ingredient in charisma and keeping your energy up can take a considerable amount of work. I devote an entire chapter to understanding and managing our energy in The Dynamic Introvert. Here are some additional suggestions to help you maintain your energy through-out the day: – Make a “to do” list and do keep track of the things on the list. When you have unfinished tasks on your mind, even if you are not aware of them, you will find your energy negatively affected. -Make a list of the things that you are “tolerating” and create a plan to reduce or eliminate these. -Take a rest break during the day, especially if you have to work late into the evening. -Get up and move! Go outside and walk around the block. Walk up and down the stairs. Stand up while you are talking on the phone. Finally, it’s easy to be enthusiastic when you feel passionate about something. The good news for introverts is that charisma can be learned and no-one can be charismatic 100% of the time, not even the extroverts in the group. Consider charismatic leadership a set of skills that you become better at the more you practice.

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The Dynamic Introvert Blog

By Lesley TaylorPosted on Posted in IntrovertsTagged , , , , , ,

Hello and welcome to The Dynamic Introvert blog! Can introverts be dynamic or is a dynamic introvert an oxymoron like the words “jumbo shrimp”, two words that seemingly contradict one another. What does it mean to be dynamic? I found the following definition by Dr. Suneel Sethi interesting: “A dynamic person is liked and admired by many. A dynamic person is a person who really makes a difference in the world; who does something that changes things or people.” Norma is a dynamic introvert. She is a real people person and she is well-liked and respected. Recently I joined Norma at her gym and while we were waiting for the class to begin one of the regulars approached her and said, “You excite people around you and your energy is really good.” WOW, what a compliment!   Norma describes herself as a social introvert and she has a very active social life. She is also aware of her energy needs and makes sure she looks after herself and finds ways to recharge throughout the day. Since writing The Dynamic Introvert I have begun to notice more and more examples of how introverts are showing up in the world. Dynamic introverts come in all shapes and sizes. Some of us are outgoing while some of us are more comfortable watching from the side lines. The important thing is that we refuse to be labelled and that we are reinventing what it means to be an introvert In The Dynamic Introvert Blog we will explore what it means to be an introvert  in today’s world. I will share my thoughts and observations and also what I’m learning from readers of The Dynamic Introvert: Leading Quietly with Passion & Purpose.  

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