Want to to know me? Well this is who I am:
Like someone who can sleep comfortably on either side of the bed, I’m equally at home with ideas and beliefs that I’ve held for a long time and with new ways of thinking and believing that grow out of my intellectual curiosity.
My sense of who I are and what my place is in the world around me rests on values and principles that are the solid ground I walk upon. I've tested them, they work for me, and much of the time I'm content to trust them, that is, until some provocative new idea slips in from a conversation, book or some flight of my active imagination. "Hmmmm. What's this. Never thought of it before." And off I go, exploring.
I love to learn, I've always been teachable; and am well-educated in things that matter to me. Sometimes my intellectual exploring will lead me back to where you started; if the "next new thing" proves too shallow or impractical to me. But once in a while a new idea or belief will dislodge me from the ground I’ve stood upon; it is so compelling and persuasive that I step away from the tried-and-true and embrace this notion that is brand new to me.
Because I hold both solid beliefs and are open to new ideas, I’m accepting of other people and other ways of thinking and believing. I'm flexible enough to listen to something new and different, or something outside of my comfort zone; if it works for me, I’ll take it in, and if not, I’ll let it go. In this sense, I know who I am: I are neither am closed-minded nor wildly open-minded, but walk somewhere near the middle of the intellectual road.
When I take on a task at work or at home, I am reliable and I get the job done. In an organized way, I define the goal, lay out a plan, figure how long the task will take, and get to work "solid and dependable me :-)".
BUT THIS IS IMPORTANT, I’m not a slave to the plan. I'm committed to it, but not chained to it; the connection is more casual and informal. I know that sometimes "the best laid plans" fall off the tracks; when this happens, I clean up the train wreck and start over, undeterred.
Though not happening often, when plans change, I’m okay with it. In fact, sometimes I change the plan. It's too nice of a Saturday to finish organizing the garage. Let's go for a bike ride instead. True, the next rainy Saturday will likely find you back in the garage, but for now the work can wait.
What an interesting combination of qualities I have. I'm organized, but casual; solid, but compliant; and dependable, but informal. At home and at work, people know they can rely on me. I take great satisfaction in knowing that people think of me as disciplined and responsible, but I also know that I have something of a free spirit in me, and when this spirit moves me, off I go, following the impulse of the moment. I are rightly proud of my work ethic, but I also enjoy my willingness to lay the tools down, crank up the music and play like a child.
I am generally a modest and private person. I am thoughtful and careful before making decisions and offering opinions. I have few close friends and even though its a small number I greatly enjoy spending time with them. But even with my friends I tend not to be terribly outgoing; I open up, but slowly, and share myself, but in a careful way. For me quality is much more important than quantity. When it comes to my social life I are more comfortable with deeper, well nurtured friendships than with having a social calendar that rivals that of a socialite.
Whether at work or in social situations, I neither need nor particularly like the spotlight. In fact, it is often the case that my friends and colleagues think I deserve more credit than I take and more attention than I get. But that isn't my style. Again, I don't crave flash and attention, it's quality and depth I treasure.
This isn't to say that I don't want to be around people or that I’m not good in relationships and in social situations. In fact, I need the companionship of people, I just prefer quiet conversations with a friend or a small group to finding a new party to go to every week. My social encounters balance out the side of me that likes my own company and having enough time to think and reflect. But I do find that life has a better rhythm for me when there is enough quiet time to deliberate on my own so that I’m refreshed for my next encounter with friends and colleagues.
So to describe who I am would be like this:
I am: Sometimes Curious, Sometimes Content.
I am: Emotionally Responsive.
I am: Focused and Flexible.
I am: Reserved.
