On Tuesday I finished up a six-week seminar called Life Planning at Hollins University. The idea was to figure out where you've been, where you're going and what you're going to do.
Here are 13 things I have learned in the last six weeks.
1. A roomful of introverts leads to very quiet conversation and very little discussion.
2. My Myers-Briggs designation (free test at the link!) is INTJ. That means I'm Introverted, INtuitive, Thinking, Judging, or a perfectionist, imaginative, reliable, scrupulous, even-handed, and I want people to make sense. No wonder I feel so lost most of the time in this "new world order" we've been experiencing since the new millennium.
3. I need to consider finishing my masters' degree at Hollins. I am four classes and a thesis short of having another piece of paper on the wall. It might open a door. Or not.
4. The Hollins campus calls to me. Aside from my own home, there is no other place in the world that reaches out to me with open arms and says, "Hey, you belong here!" (I already knew this but I liked being reminded.)
5. Talking in front of people is not my forte. I can do it if I absolutely must, but my face turns red, my blood pressure rises, I get the internal shakes ("wind," my acupuncturist calls that), and I am basically terrified.
6. I can make a heckuva cheeseball when the facilitator decides we should end the seminar with a potluck.
7. Traveling is a dream or desire but when I think about the logistics of it - the packing, the worry about motel accommodations and bedbugs, etc., I'd just as soon stay home and look at places on Google Earth.
8. I have a very difficult time with personal "vision" and "mission" statements. Not to mention goals.
9. My knees are wearing out and climbing steps has become difficult (the seminar was on the basement level of Moody Center; thank goodness I remembered there was an elevator).
10. The number of women in the seminar who were interested in books and writing was astonishing. Nearly half the class wanted to do something in that field. Good luck, ladies! It's a dog-eat-goat and goat-trounce-on-dog sort of life.
11. A successful life can be whatever you want and however you define it. Societal definitions tend to lean towards being financially successful but personal definitions were more along the lines of being content and happy, having love, cherishing friends, and having a spiritual life.
12. One of the weekly exercises involved listing five plans you made for the future, which could be anything. Most of mine were things like haircuts, dinner with a friend or relative, and when I would wash the colored clothes and white.
13. I feel most content when I am at home writing or staring out the window. Lately I've done a lot of the latter and little of the former.
Lots of people play Thursday Thirteen. You can read about it here and find more Thursday Thirteen's to read if you want. This is number 135 for me!
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ReplyDelete#4- Hollins is a beautiful campus. I can see why you are drawn to it.
ReplyDelete#5- I can relate!
I really like your lists, Anita. They always have an element of humor (I love #6!). Like Leonora, I can readily relate to #5.
ReplyDeleteAbout #11: You're right that our society tends to see success in terms of how much money you make. That's why I always make sure I include the phrase "Successful mother" in any description of myself. It's the most important work I've ever done.
I think we are a lot a like in many ways. I too am most content at home. I too detest speaking in public. I hope you go for your degree. It sounds like you just need a push.
ReplyDeleteHappy t13!
Sometimes, I find that once I have the goals everything else falls into place. Good luck.
ReplyDeleteHave a great Thursday!
http://harrietandfriends.com/2010/04/47-percent-americans-pay-federal-income-tax/
David used to suffer the same fears when speaking in front of a group, in fact he almost decided not to complete his degree because of speech class. He forged on and in the past 5-7 years he's found that if the subject is something he truly has a passion for and great interest in that the fears simply disappear into thin air. I'm so proud of how far he's come. You can do it too, Anita.
ReplyDeleteDi
While I have little or no fear of speaking in front of groups, going "one on one" can simply terrify me. LOL!
ReplyDeleteWe did the Meyers-Briggs test in one of my lessons last week and it sure generated a lot of conversation. It's great for drawing people out and getting them to talk about themselves as objectively as possible.
Neat stuff!
Happy TT!
#1 just made me laugh. I am one of those sideline listeners who would much rather remain quiet and hear what others have to say. I guess a room full of me's would be very quiet!
ReplyDeleteHave you done the ennegram yet. I found it to be most helpful in understanding type. I relate to #13 and #5. I am so much better than I used to be at public speaking but it still takes a toll. I can remember being forced to give an oral report in 5th grade which was when I first discovered that my body could betray me and produce the most uncomfortable symptoms that you mention.
ReplyDeleteYour plans sound a lot like mine, lol. I hear ya on the traveling but the main reason I don't go anywhere is cuz of money.
ReplyDeleteI think #13 is the best. Sometimes we don't take enough time to do that.
ReplyDeleteIt says I'm an INFJ. Not so sure of that myself.
ReplyDeleteContrary to most people's perceptions about religiously observant people, I've gone from an INFJ to an INFP.
ReplyDeleteThat said, goals have always been a problem of mine, too. I've always been sort of happy bumping along from one thing to the next, and satisfied that I can help my small patch of land grow better by not paying attention to everyone else's patches - or to what they think of my patch.
Great TT! I agree with #11 very much. I live in an up and coming neighborhood and the competition is fierce around here. I'm one of the poorer folks so I don't have to worry about getting the latest Mercedes. I've had to learn to be content with what I've got. You feel better not chasing money all the time and just enjoy the pleasure in the small stuff.
ReplyDeleteI'm also INTJ. I can relate to #11, when I stopped chasing money my life became a lot happier.
ReplyDeleteColleen, I had never heard of the ennegram but found a sample test online. Thanks for pointing that out.
ReplyDeleteI love your #11 .. You create your own success! Thank you for visiting my blog!
ReplyDeleteI find that when I really define my goals well it's much clearer how to get there. Of course, sometimes I have to do something I don't want to and that takes longer to decide on!
ReplyDeleteI have days when I stare out the window more than write, too. It's part of the process. Hang in there and keep forcing those words out; creativity's a muscle, after all. The more you use it, the stronger it gets -- and the less you'll stare out windows.
ReplyDeleteWhat similar personalities we seem. I am also an introvert, more comfortable at home than speaking public. I actually do like to travel, but haven't been able to do so in years. It's too expensive!
ReplyDelete