Roger asks, "Is it a worthwhile goal to develope the feeling of exultation in doing something entirely new and a feeling of boredom with repeating of the same thing? Would this be something to develop?"

In answer to the first part of the question, at least, I answer a resounding "Yes!" I don't claim to be particularly good at this, mind you, but I believe it's extremely important to be aware of what makes you feel awkward and why, and consider whether it wouldn't make sense to tackle that as a problem.

This is one major reason I took my first job at Digital, a sales support position. Prior to that time I was always awkward and embarrassed in public speaking situations. My job forced me to confront that problem head-on. Today I can at least stand up in front of a group of 5 or 50 and talk about what makes computers wonderful.

Talking about what makes me wonderful is another matter entirely; a groupsize of two is one too large for that speech still.