Assignment 4 - Excercise 1 & 2

Exercise #1: What is Your Touchstone?

Dream: To become a Professor

Touchstone: To be a leader who teaches, encourages, and inspires people to establish and accomplish goals.

Role Model: Oprah Winfrey

Target: To receive a PhD and having the life I have envisioned for myself.

The reading this week “GoalSearch” was very inspiring because it teaches that most goals are within our reach. Barbara Sher gives the example of a woman who wants to be famous in spite of the fact that she is unsure by what profession she would be famous in. After going through the process of GoalSearch she can identify a profession that captures her desire to” be famous” in a more tangible manner. For me, completing the process was not difficult because I am very clear about what it is I want to accomplish. However, what I found fascinating is that my chosen profession satisfies my needs to interact with people, be the center of attention, become a leader, and most importantly to help others.

I chose Oprah Winfrey as my role model primarily because she introduces subjects on her show that are rarely discussed on daytime television. She talks about intelligent and important issues that affect everyday people and she has no reservations about discussing matters that are considered taboo. Watching her show is an educational experience as well as a social experience and what she has accomplished is profound in the way of bringing people together to observe the “human” side of life. She is probably the most charismatic person I’ve ever seen and she has an enormous capacity to reach out and help others. Her leadership skills are extraordinary which are displayed by the successes of the people she mentors. In addition, her job gives her a celebrity status that she openly admits she enjoys. She has the dream job I has always wanted, however, becoming a professor will satisfy my need of being the center of attention. I was surprised and pleased to find that Oprah Winfrey shares my personality type.

Exercise #2: What Is Your Personality Type?

My type is ENFJ

Extraverted 78
Intuitive 25
Feeling 50
Judging 56

You are:

very expressed extravert
moderately expressed intuitive personality
moderately expressed feeling personality
moderately expressed judging personality

The Bright Side:

My personality type is classified as “The Giver.” It states that I often consider the needs of others above my own. Although I find this to be true to a great extent in my life, it is something that I had not considered as my personality type. After giving it some thought I realized that when I lend money to family members when I truly cannot afford to lend it, that I am putting their needs before mine. Or when I give away things to my best friend and pretend that I do not need the item.

According to the reading, I live in an external world where people are my priority. This statement is absolutely true. I am identified as a “people person” with great interpersonal skills; a person who enjoys bringing out the best in others. I am very impressed by this statement because nothing gives me more pleasure than helping others in any way I possibly can. I have always had a strong longing to “fix” things in people’s lives whether it be to help them to get a job, giving them advice, or just leading them in the right direction. In my work, helping others brings the most satisfaction.

What astounds me most about my personality type is the statement that I would make a good counselor or teacher which is exactly what I aspired to do! The statement reads as follows:
In the work place, ENFJs do well in positions where they deal with people. They are naturals for the social committee. Their uncanny ability to understand people and say just what needs to be said to make them happy makes them naturals for counseling. They enjoy being the center of attention, and do very well in situations where they can inspire and lead others, such as teaching.
I was also amazed when I read that my personality type enjoys organization and that I am “fussy” when it comes to my home. I find this statement to be accurate as well!

The Dark Side:

I was especially struck while reading about the dark side of my personality. I find it shocking and a bit disheartening to discover that my personality type is classified as 56% “judging.” Mind you, once I was told by a sibling (my sister) that I tend to prejudge people. I never believed this about myself and became very insulted when she said it. Maybe now I should investigate the accusation.

Finally, the reading suggests that I do not enjoy being alone. This is only half true. I do enjoy spending some time alone having time to ponder, but for the most part I am most happy when surrounded by people I love and admire or am participating in group activities. When I am alone I do tend to think about the negative aspects of my life and sometimes may become depressed. For this reason, I spend most of my time with others. Obviously this is a problem I need to overcome.