As we commemorate Labor Day in the United States, I would like to wish my readers from around the world a fulfilling and prosperous work life—one filled with challenges you enjoy and opportunities to make the world a better place in big ways or small, every day. If you’re looking for work, I wish you the clarity to articulate your selling points and the tenacity to go after opportunities you deserve—without ever abandoning your dreams.
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New York was crawling with Madonnas and Madoffs, Blagos and Jackos, and no shortage of Sarah Palins this past weekend. Who were you for Halloween? And who are you on the other 364 days of the year? Would you benefit from taking an occasional holiday from your workaday persona?

If you’re an introvert, you probably avoid drawing attention to yourself (although an occasional mask and a costume can be a clever workaround if you enjoy taking on a different persona!).
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Every year I can’t wait for Fall. With its leaves quietly falling in brilliant bursts, it’s a season for introverts. My favorite things about Fall in New York:

• Time to cocoon. After the “less is more” mentality of dressing for summer, it’s time again to swaddle yourself in introvert-friendly cardigans, turtlenecks, scarves, and big floppy hats—to keep yourself comfy while you’re thinking deeply and solving complex problems. (more…)

Are you more of a slow and steady achiever than a speed demon? If so, you can probably relate to the tortoise in Aesop’s fable, The Hare and the Tortoise. Remember how the tortoise beat the hare to the finishing line by putting one foot in front of the next at her own pace while the overconfident hare took a snooze and woke up too late to win the race?
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McGraw-Hill is reprinting Self-Promotion for Introverts®. A word of gratitude. This wouldn’t have happened without you. Big thanks to friends and fans from around the world for buying the book and spreading the message about how you can get heard more—even if you talk less.

I’d like to share media highlights to help you take a fresh look at your career, promote yourself authentically without bragging, get a new job, build your business, and give a talk with more confidence.
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“The brains of shy or introverted individuals might actually process the world differently than their more extroverted counterparts, a new study suggests,” according to a recent article on the LiveScience Web site.

It is unclear whether the study, which was conducted by researchers at Stony Brook University in New York and Southwest University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, both in China, makes a distinction between shyness (social anxiety) and introversion (recharging your energy during your quiet time).

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I am delighted to extend a special offer to readers of this blog. Susan Cain, a colleague of mine whom I interviewed for my book, Self-Promotion for Introverts®, is offering a free seminar on negotiating, persuading, and influencing skills at a Midtown location in New York City on Monday, January 31, from 6:30-8 p.m. If you’ll be in town on that date, you’re welcome to come. The seminar will give you an extremely relaxed, nonjudgmental, and supportive environment in which to practice your negotiation skills. It will be open to a small group and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Please e-mail me ASAP if you’d like to attend. (more…)

The American Psychiatric Association (APA) is considering including introversion as a determining factor for diagnosing mental disorders in its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders—commonly known as the DSM-5. The APA’s proposed definition of introversion is: “Withdrawal from other people, ranging from intimate relationships to the world at large; restricted affective experience and expression; limited hedonic capacity.” The definition also includes “deficit in the capacity to feel pleasure or take interest in things.”
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It can increase your attention span, sharpen your brain, and improve your performance at just about anything. It’s also free. Still not sure about meditation? The latest research credits it with “measurable changes in gray-matter density in parts of the brain associated with memory, sense of self, empathy and stress,” according to a recent chart-topping article in the New York Times. What’s the rage about meditation and how can the benefits of this age-old practice include bolstering your professional profile? (more…)

Ready for a snarky little diversion? “Every single time I text LOL (laugh out loud), I feel like such an imposter,” says author Mary Hershey. “Honestly, it is rare that I laugh out loud, particularly when I’m texting,” she adds on her and R.L. La Fevers’s Shrinking Violet Promotions blog. “It’s more likely that I am LQ2M (laughing quietly to myself).”
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