Are you Formal, Casual or a Hybrid?

I recently went to a Power Within seminar in Calgary. If you've never been or never heard of, I do recommend checking them out (if you like the "get you motivated" type speakers)... one of the speakers there was Mimi Donaldson. I had not really heard or her prior to the event, but she has a book out called Bless this Stress.

So, her talk was on people's personality styles and how that style causes others (co-workers, friends, spouse, etc) stress. She started her talk about describing herself and how she was "formal" (Notice, not right or wrong, just a label)... I realized that I was "formal" when she described how it drives her crazy when her significant other does not leave the house the required 45 minutes before they need to be somewhere (when they really only need 20 to get there)... Yep, that's me. Then she talked about how she always picks the longest line at the checkout and it drives her nuts... well, I always pick the longest line too. It doesn't necessarily drive me crazy, but just the fact that I am thinking that I am in the longest line means I'm "formal"...

So flip the coin and you guessed it... the other half of the population is labelled (I know, labels aren't nice, but just play along for now)... "Casual".... Casual is the definition for my significant other. You know, the person who leaves exactly 8 minutes before we have to be somewhere and either still gets there on time, or gets there 5 minutes late, but couldn't care less one way or another! Formal people, you're rolling your eyes, just like me. Casual people, I know you're saying, "so what's wrong with that!?!"

Now the point of the story is not that you should be one way or another, but that it shouldn't cause you stress because the other half of the population is "the other way".

If you are formal, you also recognize the sound that we all make "ahhhhhhhh (breath in)..... SIIIIIGGGGGGGHHHHHHH (so that the casual person hears you)... Apparently, that causes the Casual people great stress, so I have that on my list to try not to purposely do that (especially when we need to be somewhere for 8pm, it's now 6:30, it takes 20 minutes to get there, but I already have my coat and purse and am waiting for my husband to get ready.... aaaaah....siiiiiggghhhhhhh.....

And, you know what always happens... we get there 45 minutes early and then I don't want to go in, because, well, you never want to be the first people there........ so we sit in the car...... no stress there.

Stay tuned for Part 2: Your purse will also determine your personality style.... and determine if you are truly formal, casual, or a "hybrid"....