Honoring that instinct to turn down invitations has been a major breakthrough for me: understanding myself as an introvert, etc. But for some time now (the last two years, at least, since I started planning to retire), I've been aware that I may have taken it too far, lost whatever courage I had in sometimes going to less-comfortable places.

It's a balancing act.

And yes, I've also discovered the remarkable power of just letting other people talk about themselves. It's fun and safe, and listening really is a satisfying skill to try to master.