I was doing some research online tonight and ran into an interesting little article -- "How do you know if you are loved?" I'm like one of the people in the article in that I get reassurance from physical contact and affection. It's hard for me to only hear that someone cares about me, but to have restrained contact. This might have more to do with a slew of recent circumstances though -- I tend to also value highly someone taking time to spend with me as well as trying to understand (or when appropriate help) me, perhaps more so than physical contact. Hmm... nope. Physical contact =).
It's strange -- I intuitively knew about such differences and how they affect communication. It's even something I've emphasized on repeated occasions when advising or counseling others. Never thought about this specifically before though, nor about my own predispositions oddly enough.
Another interesting article I ran across -- a human gene study validates that a gene associated with ADHD was an advantage for humans 10-40,000 years ago, lending a lot of credence to Thom Hartmann's Hunter/Farmer hypothesis of the disorder. Here's a good blurb on it, and the full article.
I actually wrote quite a bit about this idea in a research paper a few years back (for a rhetoric class -- don't ask). Basically I argued that the primary trait of ADHD, while often causing considerable problems, may actually be not only a good thing for individuals, but perhaps also necessary for society to survive/progress. If you just want to skip ahead to that part, it's under the "ADHD: A good thing?" section. [05:46]
Well, one of my goals during this extended break from "real-world" jobs has been to take stock of and reassess where I'm going in life and what I want to work for. With this in mind, I can explore and examine various options on what to do in the short-to-medium term and evaluate them both on immediate and longer-term criteria. That's the theory anyway.
Practically speaking, I haven't been having a lot of success. I believe a good part of that has been a lack of focus or direction to help me through the process of assessment. Today, I spent some time looking into the Franklin-Covey life management stuff to see if that'd be useful as a guide (it was pointed out to me in a recent conversation with a friend I haven't seen in a while). I'm still looking at it and I'm not sure how useful it will be, though it does show some promise of helping.
One question which got me thinking a little was:
Use your imagination to visualize a celebration in your honor at some point in the future. What words would X use to describe his or her thoughts and feelings about you on that occasion? (Select 3 words.)
The question as posed is more interested in having me project my own thoughts about what I would like to hear, however it made me wonder 'what would various people say about me, if they were to choose now?'... So I kindly ask you all now, what words would you use?
If you need suggestions, there were some possibilities provided (click MORE). I think I'd prefer your responses before you read what others had to say (though you can follow up if you'd change your answers after reading them). Also feel free to leave anonymous or private (i.e. post your answer and email me your identity, or just email me your answer) responses if you prefer. Thanks! [04:22]
Here are suggestions, or come up with your own:
ambitious
balanced
caring
committed
compassionate
courageous
creative
dependable
educated
enthusiastic
fair
faithful
forgiving
fun
giving
industrious
loyal
moral
organized
patient
powerful
principle-centered
proactive
respectful
responsible
selfless
self-reliant
sensitive
thankful
tolerant
truthful
trustworthy
wise
witty
Again, please answer without reading other people's answers below =).