Comments on: Ask Carol! Question of the Week: How Do I Avoid Using My Energy Type as an Excuse?

By: Kathryn DeBra

Kathryn DeBra — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 07:55:15 +0000

As a Type 1/2 who lived a lot as a 4 when I was younger (to feel safe,) I have been slowly liberating myself from my constant lists, project lists, project breakdown lists, to do lists, etc. I naturally bounce around between many different projects, and I think those lists gave me a false sense of control and discipline. Getting lost in all those details (2 & 4 -ness) has also contributed to my creation of overwhelm and stuckness. The more I go with the flashes of visions and ideas and accept the speed of my Type 1-ness, the more productive and confident I feel and the more work I complete. I’m also much better at discerning when to let go of an unfinished project, instead of forcing myself to finish everything I start–that was another overwhelm factory! Now I schedule a 15-minute check-in on all projects with deadlines. Then I can decide whether to keep working or move on the the next. It’s taken several months for this to unfold, and I look forward to continuing on the journey into greater 1-ness! Thank you Carol.

By: Kristen

Kristen — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 03:42:41 +0000

This was interesting because I just talked to you on facebook about how I am a type 3, not a type 4, but I am an editor. When I edit, I sit down and do a little then go do something else and that’s when I do best at getting it done, so I have to pick up jobs with deadlines far enough away. I also tend to pick up a lot of editing jobs for a period of time and just edit like crazy for, say, a week, and then I stop and don’t do any jobs at all for a while. It’s sparatic, but, like I said on facebook, when I did it full time, in an office, I went crazy!!!

By: Lisa

Lisa — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 17:10:42 +0000

An example of how this has been true for me is my love of the sport of Olympic Weightlifting. Even though olympic lifting with it’s 3/4 sport(Explosive, quick, abrupt, but very simple and basic with just two lifts and precise in its form and technique), I, as a Type 1, LOVE IT!!! But, it’s how I do it that makes the difference in my level of success. As a Type 1, if it’s fun and I have lots of people around when I’m lifting and have great, fun, upbeat conversation, then I do great! There was a period of time when I trained one-on-one with my coach and I did awful-very little improvement and I didn’t enjoy it that much, which confused me cuz I had loved it so much in the past. Now, I figured out that the team I lift with is key for me for enjoyment and success. It’s all about the social aspect for me:) I hope this was helpful!

By: Carol

Carol — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 23:17:46 +0000

Great perspective and comment Suzanne

By: Suzanne

Suzanne — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 21:38:16 +0000

I have found that knowing that I am a 3 and have a tendency to become impatient with people and things has actually really helped me to become much more patient. For example, I am nursing my baby at the computer! I find things to do while I am waiting for my daughters to make it to the bathroom so that I can help them with their hair. BEP (before energy profiling), I would yell and then call them 40 times (so annoying to be like that) and sometimes get upset if it took them too long to come. That is just one tiny example. Rather than making excuses for myself and saying ‘I can’t be patient, it’s not natural for me,” I know why i get all stirred up when I find myself waiting, I smile and love myself for it. Now, I clean the bathroom while I wait, I put in a load of laundry etc etc. I ask once and then enjoy my natural tendency to multi-task and wait…patiently. Shockingly, my children listen the first time usually.
I have a tendency to become impatient while waiting. I also have a great capacity to multi-task. I choose to focus on my strength! It works and I feel balanced.

By: Carol

Carol — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 19:37:28 +0000

Since you have not known your Energy Profile and have not had this reference on a conscious level in respect to what your natural movement is for very long, you might want to allow yourself to live more from your dominant energy of a Type 4. When we default to our secondary, yes it can become familiar and a habit, but I do not believe it is in our best interest to allow it to be our dominant expression, it is not natural. We will always live in a more abundant mode of happiness and inner satisfaction when we live from our truth first. Let yourself live more in your Type 4 and see what comes up for you. Good chance your Type 4 was shamed in your early years, so you defaulted to your secondary, it may feel safer to live in your secondary but that is based on a lie that it is not okay to be who YOU truly are! The side-effects of not living our truth all manifest in our health, money and relationship patterns.

By: Jenna

Jenna — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 19:08:22 +0000

I am a Type 4/1 and I find that I accomplish things best in my secondary energy. For example, when I write, I cant stay in one place for a long period of time and I have to make it fun. I have to change locations so it becomes new. This gives me the motivation to continue. When I do finish, I do like to make sure it is close to perfect, true to my Type 4 nature but the manner in which I carry out my goals is more true to my secondary nature.