The Start of Everyday Happy

I’m so so excited to be a part of the first session of Everyday Happy!

I started Everyday Happy and I’m really really excited. The thing is, I so often half-ass things. I’ll put in just enough effort to get through it but I actually want to get something out of this course. I want to be Everyday Happy, even if that sounds super cheesy.

Anyhow – in a recent day of the course they had us take a version of the Myers-Briggs personality type indicator. I found out that I am considered to be an IFNJ and before I get into any of the details of what that means, I want to say how much it describes me. It is uncanny how well it fits with my self-defined view of myself.

Can you believe that only 1% of the entire world are considered IFNJs?

I can believe it. It makes sense since I have a really hard time finding people that I truly relate to. I always find people whom I can be friends with but I have a very difficult time finding folks whom I feel completely 100% comfortable with. And when I do find them, it usually takes awhile to completely open up.

“INFJs are rarely at complete peace with themselves.”

This hit home, big time. No matter where I am or what I am doing I’m always thinking I can do something better, faster, different, even if things are going well as they are. I have a compulsion to change things.

The description also states that INFJs are natural nurturers and make loving parents. I couldn’t agree more. Though I struggled in the beginning with being a mom, because of postpartum depression, now I am so happy when I can reach out and touch my little boy. Or when he’ll climb into my lap or my husband’s and read with us. It is precious! I love watching every little thing that he does, this includes even mundane things like, him eating. I love pushing him to try something on his own, before running to me for help and I reward him with smiles, hugs and love when he succeeds. I truly believe that Emmett has the ability to do anything that he sets his mind to.

Apparently INFJs tend to need things in a systematic order. I tend to agree with this stance and think it’s probably the biggest hurdle to my happiness. Because I am always on the search for perfect, I can never just settle down and enjoy my surroundings. If I’ve been daydreaming of sitting on the couch with Emmett and Seamus, watching football all week and then Sunday comes and we do just that, what tend to happens is in the back of my mind I am thinking about all the things that I could be doing or getting done while we’re just sitting there. This leads to some high anxiety feelings, which catapults to unhappiness and so on and so on. I’d love to just live in the moment!

I don’t think people see me as intuitive. I can’t really explain why, but I believe this is probably the biggest part of being an INFJ that people just do not see. However, I (from an internal perspective) see it. I can tell immediately what type of mood someone is, just by looking at them. I can tell when someone is acting fake or just putting on an act in a situation. It bothers me slightly that my friends and family don’t see this in me, because I think being intuitive is a great thing. I’d like to find out how I can make people see this in me more, how I can make this a more prominent part of my outward personality.

I think the part that resonated with me the most or caused an “a-ha” moment would be the exert about how INFJs are usually considered to be extroverts, and have multiple personalities to deal with the different aspects of their life. I am a true introvert, but I can speak in front of a group with the best of them. I just find being in front of a group, or going to a social event extremely taxing. Afterward I often feel as though I did a full CrossFit workout. No one ever believes me that I’m an introvert, but I assure you that I am. I love quiet evenings at home, actually I prefer them to activities outside the home.

It’s important to note that your personality (mine included) play a huge role in how you live your life. The decisions you make or the paths you take, are all influenced by who you are as a person. For me, the aspects of my personality that effect my everyday life are primarily the need for order, or finding the best method for doing something. I spend SO much energy trying to decide how I’ll handle a situation, or how I’ll make something fit into my schedule. If things don’t fit perfectly or it doesn’t quite make sense in my head, I will to spend more time thinking about it, essentially wasting more time, instead of just doing it. I can’t even put into words, exactly what I mean. I seem to just be on a constant search for complete order and it has definitely had a negative impact on my life.

There is some positive in it, I think things through, I don’t often make rash decisions but on the other hand, I have wasted so much time trying to figure things out. There have been times when months have past before a decision was made. I’d really like to find a way to overcome this so that less time is spent thinking and more time is spent DOING!

So there it is, I’ve poured my heart out! I realize that this is a pretty personal post but I hope that those of you who read my blog will continue to do so as I take this adventure into being happier.

If you’re interested in signing up to take the course, check out the Everyday Happy homepage.

Your turn!

What is your Myers-Briggs Personality overview? Do you feel that it truly describes you?