I'm not a tough guy, but I play one on television . . .

Since it’s my natural inclination to, well, incline–that is, to be more on the laid-back, passive, reticent and/or introverted side, I give myself extra credit every time I manage to step out of that zone. Or even pretend to. While my mantra of ‘Better a live chicken than a dead turkey’ has served me well in my physical labors (I can claim zero broken bones, very few scars and fewer stitches), it’s too much of a cop-out and too easy to give up myself to playing it safe as a rule for living.

So I’m feeling somewhat bullish on the downside of my first day back in the resume-writing trenches. It’s unlikely that a personality facet as deeply carved as my talent for self-doubt will ever be smoothed out entirely, but I’m willing to force myself out of that comfort zone enough to, I hope, grow in whatever little increments I can eke, polishing a somewhat more refined version of myself over time.

And, if you’ll pardon my saying so, I will do it as doggedly as need be.