Silverbells - I'm gratified that you found something helpful in my reply. Thanks for the affirmation. I was interested in your story about the woman who ran up to give you a number. After finding her irritating, you ended up liking her. That has happened to me a LOT! (Well, I am kind of an irritable person.) It has sometimes been the case that a person whom I really couldn't stand when I first encountered them ended up being a person I liked enormously.

Also, I liked your concept of applying "discipline" to your thinking. I think that's a great word to use. I hadn't thought of it quite that way, but now I will. After all, who ever has much success at anything in this life without learning to be disciplined . . . whether it's as an athlete, or as a creative artist, or as anything you care to name?

This has been an interesting thread. Re-visiting it today, I've learned more.