Tim and I are always intrigued by (ahem, obsessed with) our Myers-Briggs test results. We were RAs in college together when we first took the test to understand ourselves better and learn how our individual personalities would best thrive in leading a floor of college students. Since then we’ve seen our results only shift slightly, depending on our circumstances, jobs or lack thereof, and general season of life we happen to be in at the time. Tim and I come back to our results over and over because they help us better understand the way we each think and operate. Our results provide a framework for us to talk about our marriage, our business, our families, and how we interact with and understand each of these things. I’m INFP and Tim is ESFJ, if you really want to know.
Last year a good friend of ours recommended the Strengths Finder test – he even bought two books for us so Tim and I could each take the test! I gave mine away to my brother as he was in the midst of job searching and applying to grad schools at the time, so I didn’t end up taking the test until last week. The results were fascinating to me, and comparing my strengths to Tim’s was even more interesting.
The test is a simple one – 177 questions where you choose from one of two phrases or sentences that resonates with you the most. It only takes about a half-hour, and at the end they provide you with 5 strengths – the things you’re gifted at, the areas you excel in. If you purchase the book which includes descriptions of all the strengths, you get one voucher to take the test online. If you’d rather just see your own 5 strengths, you can take the test online for around ten dollars. I promise Strengths Finder isn’t paying me to tell you this! Hah! We’ve just found it so valuable that I think everyone should take it! I believe it’s valuable for your friendships, your marriage, your workplace, and the ways that these relate to one another and how you relate to each of them.
One of the most valuable take-aways for me after doing the test was seeing that Tim and I both have the strengths that this test labels “Empathy” and “Developer.” Out of 34 different strengths this test names, we share those two. I began to think about how Empathy (the ability to sense the emotions of those around you) and Developer (the ability to see the potential in others and take great joy in seeing others grow) relate to owning our own photography and videography business, the ways that we work with our couples, and how we can maximize our strengths to better serve others and dream bigger. I don’t have a conclusion yet – I feel like we’re just getting started. But as we begin to unpack all of these thoughts and brainstorm what all of it could mean, I’m excited to see where it leads us.
Have I convinced you yet? Will you take the Myers Briggs and Strengths Finder tests? I’m certain we could all stand to learn a little more about ourselves and how we interact with and understand the world and the people around us.
The other night we invited my parents over for dinner. We sat around the table eating good food and chatting about many things – our “strengths” included. I especially love looking at the two of them, seeing the areas they excel in and the things they’re gifted at. I’m endlessly fascinated by the traits I inherited from each of them (that sounds horrendously narcissistic, I know, I know.) Really it just fascinates me how the human brain is a little sponge that soaks up and adapts and reacts to its environment.
Somehow in all my years growing up I inherited some of my dad’s love of dreaming about the future, his compassion and love of animals, his desire to carefully craft each and every thing he sets his mind to creating or building, and even some of his fondness for making up silly lyrics to well-known songs. And somewhere along the way I also got my mom’s penchant for crafting all the things, a fraction of her determination and dedication to projects and causes she believes in, and her deep love of those around her and her desire to see each of them grow. I love that I’m finally starting to be able to put words to these traits, understand a little about where they came from, and begin to wonder how they’ll be used in the long run.
I made this recipe the other night when we had my parents over, and it’s one I make often – tzatziki might be one of my favorite foods. And I’m okay with that. If we ever have leftover tzatziki, you can find me hovered over the sink, using tortilla chips to scoop out every last morsel of this garlicy-minty-goodness the next day. And GARLICY it will be. Stay away from friends, family, pets, you name it, if you’re eating this on the second day. The garlic “flowers” overnight and becomes much stronger. But I’m okay with that too. Gotta keep those vampires away somehow right?
Be sure to check out the links below the recipe to see what else I served with tzatziki this past Wednesday night!
Tzatziki
Ingredients
- 1 c plain Greek yogurt
- 1 large cucumber peeled, seeded, and finely chopped (you can grate the cucumber but I'm too lazy for that)
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1/8 tsp pepper
- Juice from 1/2 lemon
- 1/4 c mint finely chopped
Instructions
- (Optional step) Place finely diced (or grated) cucumber in a sieve over a bowl and sprinkle with 1.5 tsp salt. Stir and let sit for 20 minutes or so. Press the water out of the cucumber with the back of a spoon and shake the sieve to release the water. If you do this step, you'll likely not need to add salt later on.
- Combine cucumber with the rest of the ingredients and place in the fridge till ready to serve.
- Note: the garlic will "flower" over time and the flavor will be much stronger the next day. I recommend serving to guests the day it's made, and staying away from friends if eating it the next day 😉
Make it a meal! We served tzatziki with the following:
Grilled chicken with tikka masala spices – Recipe from The Perfect Pantry
Cilantro Mint Chutney – Recipe from Spice Roots
Cucumber Tomato Salad – My own recipe! You can find it here!
Naan – Store-bought this time. I’m working on perfecting my naan-making skills 😉 Let me know if you have a good recipe!