Years ago I decided to stop reading self help books. I realized that finding one more book on the shelf allowed me to put off doing anything about my problems. I had to read this latest book first because I just knew it would have all the answers. I suspect it is the same with thinking and understanding.

Yes I could as soon stop thinking as stop breathing too. I love to analyze things but I've also come to believe in the "paralysis of analysis".

I see this learned helplessness/safety thing staring me in the face everyday. I just want it to go away and it's true what everyone says, keep with the program and it will all become clear.

The idea of taking classes is an idea I will tuck away for when I'm not so all consumed by taking care of my mother, etc.

So I will give myself a pat on the back for whatever it is that I'm doing right and keep going. (I often remind myself that I have two choices, I can give up or keep going.)

Thanks so much, Mosaic. I really do believe that introverts and extroverts see the world differently.

Gigi

: Gigi, as one introvert to another, I
: feel I know a bit about where you
: are coming from

: thinking... you might as well have
: told me to stop breathing as
: thinking, and I pondered each step
: thoroughly - when it came to BE I
: thought and thought LOL it was
: just so fascinating.

: and none of it made any sense,
: either, which made it all the more
: intriguing. Butt somewhere along
: the way I realised I could harness
: all that *energy* and turn it
: round and make it work for me.

: I stopped trying to understand it (
: torture!! LOL)

: so I can see in retrospect of course,
: that if you eat, wait, let the
: step work a while, your experience
: will make it clear in later steps.

: what helped, later on, was 2 classes:
: magical introversion and beta
: endorphin. I learnt so much! but
: its also true to say I am glad I
: did them in step 6 -7 as I was
: able to process them a bit
: differently.

: I was also a bit bothered that
: 'steady' would ruin my thinking
: and pondering circuits. I used to
: get so enthused by things and it
: was a bit of a driven thing. I was
: just desperate to findout and
: discover.

: its different now though, its not
: *driven* so in some ways its more
: pleasurable, though I miss the
: intensity

: On my early steps I just couldnt see
: that it was building the
: foundation for understanding the
: rest. its ony now that I see what
: you are doing right now is
: incredibly useful - so do pat
: yourself on the back for that
: