Have you ever wondered how you got your personality?
When I was 13 I discovered the Myer Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), a popular personality tool. It felt like a huge relief and validation of who I was and that was the beginning of my obsession with personality profiling.
The study of personality is over 2000 years old, but in case you aren’t a nerd like me, here is the lowdown.
Personality is a combination of traits that come from thoughts, emotions and behavioural patterns that over time, influence your expectations, perceptions , values and attitudes. In other words, your personality is a driving force in your life.
The word “personality” originates from the Latin word persona, which literally means ‘mask, character played by an actor’.
I used to style clients based on their personality in an attempt to wade through the sea of fashion and find clothing that suited them and made them feel good.
But much like these dramatic masks used to portray a character, our personality is actually not the whole truth of who we are. It is only a slice of the whole pie, if you will. We are not born with a personality. We may have certain tendencies, but these only account for about 30% of how we show up. The other 70% is as a result of our childhood environment, including family, social and cultural norms.
Essentially, our personality is just the parts of ourselves that we felt safe to share.
The good news? That means there is MORE of you
This ah-ha I gained from Identity Psychology has permanently changed the way I see myself and the way I now work with clients.
When we operate under the belief that our personality is who we are, it reinforces our need to keep wearing the mask. That if we truly showed all of ourselves that others might withdraw love.
It also stops us from growing and evolving as a person and strengthening the parts of our identity that we actually need to live a satisfied and successful life.
Why is personality especially important for women?
In the same way that cultural norms influence personality expression, gender norms have been shown to have a significant impact on the way that women show up. Women are expected to exhibit certain behaviours and tend to emphasise traits like submissiveness, agreeability and nurturing, regardless of how they are wired.
Women who attempt to comply with gender norms at the expense of their core identity, can suffer from a sense of deep conflict, resentment and disorientation as a result.
WOMAN OF INFLUENCE
If you are ready to lay down your masks and reconnect with yourself, experience radical self love and increase your income and impact, you should check out the Woman of Influence immersion experience.
Over the course of 6 months, you are invited on a journey of empowerment, embodiment and self expression that guides you back to your true north by teaching you to be fully aligned with yourself.
This is not just another course or a new skill to acquire, it’s an unbecoming. A stripping back. A chance to surrender what no longer serves you in exchange for a whole and healed identity. One that allows all the parts of you to show up so that they can be seen, validated and healed.
We are now opening up the Waitlist for the next intake of WOI launching later this year. Because of the intimate nature of the group, places are extremely limited, so if you feel drawn to this work, hit the button below to apply.
We also offer 1:1 coaching if you prefer a more bespoke approach.
Find out more about Woman of Influence today.