There is quite a bit I have come to discover about myself, good and bad. If you meet me face to face I am sure you will say that these things are true. Some things about my character I like and other things I am still learning about myself, and where to apply the filter. So let me share a bit of who I am with you.
I process outloud. That is me…words just tend to pop in my head and fall out of my mouth. If you want to know what I am thinking, just ask, and I will probably tell you. My brain needs space to think through things verbally. That means when you are around me you will probably hear me brainstorm, come up with a crazy idea, throw it out the window, then go out the window and pick it back up in some way, shape or form. I am learning that in some areas of my life finding the right space and people to process with is better than just letting it fly… I said I am learning.
I am a spontaneous planner. So, I like to have a plan but I don’t always have to stick to it. Confusing, I know! But I want to have a framework for the day or the project…..it doesn’t have to go exactly as planned but it needs to start with a plan. I am not good with spontaneity, unless it has a purpose. So I can be convinced… at times.
I am a feminist. I believe that a woman can do anything a man can do. We are not less than but equals. I will speak passionately about this, outloud, in your face. I do not like stereotypes and I will break my back proving them wrong. However, I am coming to see in my own parenting and household that empowering women is not lowering men but elevating women. This is a fine line I am learning to walk as I am raising boys and girls to be confident in who God made them to be.
I am aggressive. Are you happy, Matt?? My husband has been telling me this for years. That I come on too strong and I am a bit (or a lot) aggressive. I would like to reframe this to “passionate and confident” and in most scenarios it works. I don’t like the word aggressive because I think it means that I don’t care about your feelings or your story. Quite the opposite is true; I care so much about who you are and I want you to own your story as much as I am learning to own my own story.
That is just a little bit of who I am and if you meet me face to face one day I am confident that you will hear me say most of these things as a pre-warning to our conversation. I want to use my voice to tell you who I am, who God has created me to be. These are not faults, they are facts and the more I am aware of who I am the more space I have to learn about who you are.
Make a list of characteristics about yourself this week. Then, learn to embrace them or decide which ones you would like to grow in.