Your Tendency To Be Inward-directed Or Outward-directed

There Are Only A Few People Out There Who Can Completely Overcome Their Fears, And They All Live In Tibet.

The Same Person Who Would Never Raise His Hand In A Lecture Hall Of Two Hundred People Might Blog To Two Thousand, Or Two Million, Without Thinking Twice. The Same Person Who Finds It Difficult To Introduce Himself To Strangers Might Establish A Presence Online And Then Extend These Relationships Into The Real World.

I Had Always Imagined Rosa Parks As A Stately Woman With A Bold Temperament, Someone Who Could Easily Stand Up To A Busload Of Glowering Passengers. But When She Died In 2005 At The Age Of Ninety-two, The Flood Of Obituaries Recalled Her As Soft-spoken, Sweet, And Small In Stature. They Said She Was "timid And Shy" But Had "the Courage Of A Lion." They Were Full Of Phrases Like "radical Humility" And "quiet Fortitude.

Figure Out What You Are Meant To Contribute To The World And Make Sure You Contribute It. If This Requires Public Speaking Or Networking Or Other Activities That Make You Uncomfortable, Do Them Anyway. But Accept That They're Difficult, Get The Training You Need To Make Them Easier, And Reward Yourself When You're Done.

[introverts,] The World Needs You And It Needs The Things You Carry. So I Wish You The Best Of All Possible Journeys And The Courage To Speak Softly.