What is it about quotes? I’ve long loved them, collected them, made them my mantras and my touchstones. Perhaps because they succinctly and eloquently capture abstract feelings that many of us struggle to put into words.

My energy has been high, low, backwards and forwards over the past few weeks. I’ve felt generally out of sorts. This time, part of the process of regaining my sorts is to share some of my favorites with you. A favorite quotes post could go on and on, so I’ve focused on quotes that align with and speak to the heart and mind of the introvert.

As an entrepreneur, do you find yourself in “perpetual promotion”? And as an introvert, does that leave you more than just a little drained? Nancy Ancowitz, author of Self-Promotion for Introverts®, is my guest in this episode of The Introvert Entrepreneur. We talk about chatter, energy, improv and, of course, self-promotion.

Of all the marketing slogans in modern times, the phrase “Just Do It” has infiltrated our culture more thoroughly than any other. I’m talking complete assimilation. Like Xerox and Google have become verbs that mean “copy” and “search,” “Just Do It” has transcended Nike and is generally used to mean “get off your butt and take action.”

And what’s wrong with that? Really, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if the phrase and what it inspires has literally saved lives. In fact, I’m sure it has.

Still, I’m going to make an intentional effort to remove the phrase from my vocabulary. Call me nit picky, but one simple word is the undoing of this widely accepted and unquestioned phrase.

I have a bone to pick with Dale Carnegie. He states that in order to “to win friends and influence people” you should “talk about your own mistakes first.” My position–and that of many others I know–is that disclaimers put the person speaking in a position of weakness.

This past week I led a lively discussion about empowering language with a group of women from Washington Women’s Employment & Education, and towards the end of the class, one young lady commented,

“I know you said that using these disempowering words is draining, but I’m feeling drained trying to catch myself using them and then figuring out what to replace them with! My brain hurts!“

What a fabulous comment! Her observation underscores an important point: the words we think and say are the often the result of unintentional habits. Forming new habits and choices is a process and not always comfortable or easy. The flip side is that it can be fun and energizing, once we begin to see the positive results that come from breaking the mental ruts we get ourselves into.

That’s one of the reasons I developed Mind Over Chatter Monday eNews: to support you as you bust out of the ruts that have held you back. My intention is to provide you with fuel for the journey in the form of insights, encouragement and resources, and to support you in staying aligned with your most powerful self.

Yes, it’s work, and your brain might hurt, and it’s worth it if it creates the life of love and ease you deserve.

Getting Curious:
Are you open to possibility 24-hours-a-day? What blocks you? What doors are open right now for you? Which ones will you walk through?