The visual image that comes to mind when you think of a bull in a China shop well depicts clashes that occur because of personality. The poor old bull gets a bad rap for just being who it is. The problem is not the bull nor is it the China shop. It’s the combination that causes trouble.
On the full scale of human personality, some of us may well seem like the bull when around people on the other end of the scale. The Birkman Method reveals the intensity we have in personality characteristics, and yes, some of us are pretty intense. If our intensity in any particular area is high or low, how do we avoid shattering the China shop as it were?
Acceptance is the place to begin. If we look in the mirror of our personality and find our nature is strongly one way or another, then accept it. It’s not a bad thing no more than the power and beauty of a bull is a bad thing. Just know that if we are more intense in a particular way, there will always be some people who can’t easily deal with us.
When we accept the characteristics of our personality then we can learn to “tiptoe” as it were through life’s China shops when necessary. This is where we demonstrate emotional intelligence. We don’t have to hate ourselves nor be different all the time, just know when we need to tiptoe.
Often though the hardest part is acceptance. We don’t want to think of ourselves as being so intense in any particular way. But the sooner we get over that, and recognize our unique qualities, the happier we will be, our friends will love us more for our modesty and, we can make a greater contribution to society.
Look in the mirror and learn who you really are by taking a Birkman assessment.
