[Daveman]

I am sincerely sorry if any of you have been offended by any of my previous posts. I want to encourage you. I want you to be happy, and I want you to make a difference in the world. Perhaps my method of bringing this message accross seems harsh, but it's helped me to be blunt and more down-to-earth. Through the process of doing that on here, I managed to act as my own "drill seregeant" so to speak.

Throughout most of my life, I have not been asserting myself when I was around other people. I have never been a "take charge" guy in the external sense, but internally I have been. Internally, I always expressed my ideas to people, and then when the time came to do it in real life, I didn't do it because of shyness or because I didn't have a realistic outlet to express them. I want to be confident, and I want to be assertive. I have no interest in being arrogant, and I ask your forgiveness if I have come accross that way.

I'm not used to it at all. This is a BRAND NEW thing for me. Sometimes I worry that I'm being "mean", but I know that I am not.

I promise that I will never use the words "immature" or "underdeveloped" again, if you promise to not be self-serving. Your insight is too valuable to be kept to yourself. The world needs its protectors.

 

[yellowbritt]

I'm working on assertiveness, too. I've found that in my close relationships, I don't express my needs, but feel frustrated when my needs go unfulfilled. Even when I recognize this happening, I find it very difficult to tell someone, "I need _____." I don't know why this is, especially when I know that I work hard to meet others' needs and that I deserve to have my own needs met. I try to keep in mind that I can't meet the needs of those I care about if my needs are never met. You have to take care of yourself so you'll have something to give.

 

[Daveman]

Actually, I don't know if it's possible to be 100% selfless, although I would really like to be.

It makes me feel good to try to help others. That's why I do it, I guess.

Anyway, I hope that you all do not get swept away in the clouds and that you actually put your insight to some humanitarian use. That's what I'm trying to do. It seems like what I'm doing is of the utmost importance.

You all should be happy and you should feel useful- because you are useful.