“Everyone else copes.”
“No-one else gets stressed by it.”
“I wish I could enjoy social gatherings.”
“I feel lost when I’m on my own.”
Do any of those statements resonate with you? Do you ever feel like you are watching other people managing situations or challenges you struggle with? Perhaps one of the most empowering tools I’ve stumbled across on this life’s journey is the MBTI Personality Indicator. Named after a mother and daughter, Myer and Briggs, the Type Indicator consists of 16 different ‘types’ or personalities. By completing a questionnaire you are able to see which of these types most resonates with you.
Most importantly, it gives the the opportunity to recognise that there is nothing wrong with you for feeling a particular way in a given situation, it is due to your personality type.
I am an INFP type, which means I naturally gravitate towards the creative, imaginative and empathetic aspects of life; which makes sense – when life gets overwhelming for me, I retreat inwards and I write. I love my own space and being in intense social situations exhausts me. I’m idealistic and see hope and positivity in any situation, but struggle with concrete day to day tasks – like the washing up or meal planning! But instead of seeing my struggles as shortcomings, I’ve learned to understand that is inherently who I am. Then life became a lot easier!
Perhaps even more importantly though, is learning the types of family, friends, colleagues and clients. By gaining a greater understanding and awareness of others we can really nurture and strengthen our relationships with one another. There are people I know not to embark on hypothetical conversations with, people I know will give me clear advice on practical matters, people I know I need to plan ahead to see, others I know function best with ‘are you free now?’ arrangements.
You may be drawn to taking the free test yourself and exploring the types:
http://www.16personalities.com
There is a wealth of information and some lovely fun visuals on here too:
https://share.themyersbriggs.com
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