Showing posts with label Thoughts and Ideas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thoughts and Ideas. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

I am Me


I am a Mormon.

I am a Romantic.

I am a Mother.

I am Politically Undecided.

I am Fashion Impaired.

I am a Wife.

I am too Frightened of Scary Movies to Actually Watch Them.

I am Addicted to Smores.

I am a Dreamer.

I am Uncomfortable in Large Crowds.

I am a College Student.

I am Dorky Dancer.

I am Funnier Than You Are.

I am Someone Who Cries Over Commercials.

I am a Sister.

I am Obsessed with Books and TV Shows that are Meant for Teenagers.

But most importantly, I am so much more than any one of these things.

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

To Vote, Or Not To Vote? 10 Reasons Why You Should

image via
So I don't think that there is any denying that it's an election year, and this presents us with the chance to something special. We get to vote. We get the chance to take a hand in choosing our nations leaders. One of my favorite teachers from high school, Ms. Barton, told me once that if you choose not to vote then you have no business complaining. I've never forgotten that.

Did you know that only 57% of voting aged people voted in the 2008 elections? That's almost half of our population that lett their chance to speak up pass them by! Can you imagine the difference that could be made if the people who are too busy or too lazy or too uninformed made it a point to use their power to vote?

So here is a list of ten reasons why you should vote (brought to you by Savings.com) , I think any one of them is worth getting yourself to the polls. Especially reason #10 :)
  1. Not voting is a vote for the other guy. You might not love your guy, but how much do you dislike the other guy or gal? Yes, "lesser of two evils" isn't so inspiring, but it still has some merit.

  2. It gives you the right to complain. Say the winning candidate supports an issue that you're vehemently against. You have no right to complain if you didn't participate in the election.

  3. People have died to secure the right to vote. Literally died. Voting is extraordinarily important right--not just a chore.

  4. You can change the world. Given that America's a huge player on the world stage, any vote can have wide repercussions.

  5. Because every vote matters. Elections have been changed based on just a few votes. Let's not have a repeat of the Florida vote in the Bush/Gore election.

  6. "You're mad as hell and you're not going to take it anymore!" (Not really party specific.)

  7. The midterms are as important as a presidential election. After all, the election will determine how much of his agenda President Obama can or cannot get through Congress.

  8. It's your civic duty. Regardless if you do or don't like the way the country is heading, voting is like paying taxes: it's your rent for living here. Sure, taxes are mandatory and voting isn't--but when voting actually determines how much you are or aren't taxed (among other things), it really shouldn't be something you consider optional.

  9. It's easy. If you can take a trip to the supermarket to buy food, you can take a short trip to a polling station.

  10. You get an "I Voted" sticker. This one may trump all the rest.

Monday, December 26, 2011

After Christmas To-Do List

After the joy and chaos of Christmas has come and gone I'm usually left with a touch of depression. I wait all year long to enjoy the Christmas season and it's gone before I can drink my hot chocolate! All that's left to do is more on to my After Christmas To-Do List! Which goes as follows:

#1 Take Down the Christmas DecorationsThis always makes me a little sad, but somehow I manage to do it every year.

#2 Rearrange the FurnitureI don't need much of an excuse to rearrange the furniture, and clearing out the Christmas tree is as good as any!

#3 New Years ResolutionsSo here is what I've come up with so far.

3.1 - Lose weight & firm upThis last week I felt chunky and uncomfortable in my own skin every day. I also got some major inspiration that getting skinny was possible for me from my awesome brother! I feel determined to find a way to feel good about myself again.

3.2 - Make/Follow a weekly schedule for me & the kidsOh my poor kids get so board every day. Yes, they now have all kinds of new toys thanks to their Christmas haul, but that's just not enough. So I am planning to plan! We are going to have at least a semi-structured schedule to follow this year to help us all get through the day.

3.3 - Start writing regularly againI used to love to write, it was so satisfying to see my ideas and feelings take form on paper. So I'm making a formal declaration to the whole handful of people who actually take the time to read this post. I will be trying my hand at writing once more.

So now that you've seen mine, why don't you tell me yours?!

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Color Coded Personality

Have you ever wondered what color you'd be coded under? Well here's your chance to find out! This is a great personality test recommended by my Psychology Professor. In case you were wondering I'm a Blue with a minor in White :)

HARTMAN PERSONALITY PROFILE (COLOR CODE)
Directions: Mark an “X” on the answer sheet by the one word or phrase that best describes what you are like most of the time. Choose only one response from each group. Read down first. After you have finished question 30, total your scores for each letter.

PERSONALITY STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS
1.a)___ opinionated
b)___ nurturing
c)___ inventive
d)___ outgoing

2.a)___ power-oriented
b)___ a perfectionist
c)___ indecisive
d)___ self-centered

3.a)___ dominant
b)___ sympathetic
c)___ tolerant
d)___ enthusiastic

4.a)___ self-serving
b)___ suspicious
c)___ unsure
d)___ naive

5.a)___ decisive
b)___ loyal
c)___ contented
d)___ playful

6.a)___ arrogant
b)___ worry prone
c)___ slightly stubborn
d)___ flighty

7.a)___ assertive
b)___ reliable
c)___ kind
d)___ sociable

8.a)___ bossy
b)___ self-critical
c)___ reluctant
d)___ a teaser

9.a)___ action-oriented
b)___ analytical
c)___ easygoing
d)___ carefree

10.a)___critical of others
b)___ overly sensitive
c)___ shy
d)___ obnoxious

11.a)___ determined
b)___ detail conscious
c)___ a good listener
d)___ a party person

12.a)___ demanding
b)___ unforgiving
c)___ unmotivated
d)___ vain

13.a)___ responsible
b)___ idealistic
c)___ considerate
d)___ happy

14.a)___ impatient
b)___ moody
c)___ passive
d)___ impulsive

15.a)___ strong-willed
b)___ respectful
c)___ patient
d)___ fun-loving

16.a)___ argumentative
b)___ unrealistic
c)___ directionless
d)___ an interrupter

17.a)___ independent
b)___ dependable
c)___ even tempered
d)___ trusting

18.a)___ aggressive
b)___ often depressed
c)___ ambivalent
d)___ forgetful

19.a)___ powerful
b)___ deliberate
c)___ gentle
d)___ optimistic

20.a)___ insensitive
b)___ judgmental
c)___ boring
d)___ undisciplined

21.a) ___ logical
b) ___ emotional
c) ___ agreeable
d) ___ popular

22.a) ___ always right
b) ___ guilt prone
c) ___ unenthusiastic
d) ___ uncommitted

23.a) ___ pragmatic
b) ___ well-behaved
c) ___ accepting
d) ___ spontaneous

24.a) ___ merciless
b) ___ thoughtful
c) ___ uninvolved
d)___ a show-off

25.a)___ task-oriented
b)___ sincere
c)___ diplomatic
d)___ lively

26.a)___ tactless
b)___ hard to please
c)___ lazy
d)___ loud

27.a)___ direct
b)___ creative
c)___ adaptable
d)___ a performer

28.a)___ calculating
b)___ self-righteous
c)___ self-deprecating
d)___ disorganized

29.a)___ confident
b)___ disciplined
c)___ pleasant
d)___ charismatic

30.a)___ intimidating
b)___ careful
c)___ unproductive
d)___ afraid to face facts

STRENGTH AND LIMITATION TOTALS
___ Total a’s ___Total b’s ___ Total c’s ___ Total d’s Enter your totals in the proper spaces. Now let’s see if you respond the same way to the following situations as you did to groups of descriptive words. Again, pick only one answer, and record your totals for each letter at the end of the section.

SITUATIONS
31. If I applied for a job, a prospective employer would most likely hire me because I am:
a. Driven, direct and delegating
b. Deliberate, accurate and reliable
c. Patient, adaptable and tactful
d. Fun loving, spirited and casual

32. When involved in an intimate relationship, if I feel threatened by my partner, I:
a. Fight back with facts and anger
b. Cry, feel hurt and plan revenge
c. Become quiet, withdrawn and often hold anger until I blow up over some minor issue later.
d. Distance myself and avoid further conflict

33. For me, life is most meaningful when it:
a. Is task oriented and productive
b. Is filled with people and purpose
c. Is free of pressure and stress
d. Allows me to be playful, lighthearted and optimistic

34. As a child, I was:
a. Stubborn, bright and/or aggressive
b. Well-behaved, caring and/or depressed
c. Permissive, easily persuaded and/or often overwhelmed
d. Playful, casual and/or irresponsible

35. As an adult, I am:
a. Opinionated, determined and/or uncompromising
b. Concerned, sensitive and/or critical
c. Permissive, easily persuaded and/or often overwhelmed
d. Playful, casual and/or irresponsible

36. As a parent, I am:
a. Demanding, quick-tempered and/or uncompromising
b. Concerned, sensitive and/or critical
c. Permissive, easily persuaded and/or often overwhelmed
d. Playful, casual and/or irresponsible

37. In an argument with a friend I am most likely to be:
a. Verbally stubborn about facts
b. Concerned about others’ feeling and principles
c. Silently stubborn, uncomfortable and/or confused
d. Loud, uncomfortable and/or uncompromising

38. If my friend was in trouble, I would be:
a. Protective, resourceful and recommend solutions
b. Concerned, emphatic and loyal--regardless of the problem
c. Supportive, patient and a good listener
d. Nonjudgmental, optimistic and downplaying the seriousness of the situation

39. When making a decision, I am:
a. Assertive, articulate, and logical
b. Deliberate, precise and cautious
c. Indecisive, timid and reluctant.
d. Impulsive, uncommitted and inconsistent

40. When I fail, I feel:
a. Silently self-critical, yet verbally stubborn and defensive
b. Guilty, self-critical and vulnerable to depression -- I dwell on it
c. Unsettled and fearful, but I keep it to myself
d. Embarrassed and nervous — seeking to escape the situation

41. If someone crosses me:
a. I am angered, and cunningly plan ways to get even quickly
b. I feel deeply hurt and find it almost impossible to forgive completely. Generally getting even is not enough.
c. I am silently hurt and plan to get even and/or completely avoid the other person
d. I want to avoid confrontation, consider the situation not important enough to bother with and/or seek other friends

42. Work is:
a. A most productive way to spend one’s time
b. A healthy activity, which should be done right if it’s to be done at all. Work should be done before one plays
c. A positive activity as long as it is something I enjoy and don’t feel pressured to accomplish
d. A necessary evil, much less inviting than play

43. In social situations, I am most often:
a. Feared by others
b. Admired by others
c. Protected by others
d. Envied by others

44. In a relationship, I am most concerned with being:
a. Approved of and right
b. Understood, appreciated and intimate
c. Respected, tolerant and peaceful
d. Praised, having fun and feeling free

45. To feel alive and positive, I seek:
a. Adventure, leadership and lots of action
b. Security, creativity and purpose
c. Acceptance and safety
d. Excitement, playful productivity and the company of others

SITUATION TOTALS
____Total a’s ____Total b’s ____ Total c’s ____ Total d’s

Now add your totals from number 1-30 to those from Situations 31-45 to get grand totals. At this point, the four personality color types are assigned to each of the letters’: Red for “a”, Blue for “b”, White for “c”, and Yellow for “d”.

GRAND TOTALS
Red (a) _____ Blue (b) _____ White (c) _____ Yellow (d) _____

The Color Code NAME________________________________
A New Way to See Yourself, Your Relationships and Life
By Taylor Hartman, PhD.

Count up your totals of A's, B's, C's and D's for questions 1-30.
Strengths and Limitations Totals
_____ A totals _____ B totals _____ C totals _____ D totals

Count up your totals of A's, B's, C's, and D's for questions 31-45
Situation Totals
_____ A totals _____ B totals _____ C Totals _____ D totals

GRAND TOTALS
_____ A RED _____ B BLUE _____ C WHITE _____ D YELLOW

PERSONALITY OVERVIEW
RED
Motives: Power
Needs: To look good academically, To be right, To be respected
Wants, APPROVAL, To hide insecurities (tightly), To please self, Leadership, Challenging adventure

BLUE
Motives: Intimacy
Needs: To be good morally, To be understood, To be appreciated
Wants: ACCEPTANCE, To reveal insecurities, To please others, Autonomy, Security

WHITE
Motives: Peace
Needs: To feel good inside, To be understood, To be respected
Wants: ACCEPTANCE, To reveal insecurities, To please others, Protection, Contentment

YELLOW
Motives: Fun
Needs: To look good socially, To be popular, To be praised
Wants: APPROVAL, To hid insecurities (loosely), To be noticed, Freedom, Playful adventure

COLOR CODE PERSONALITIES

RED “Power Wielders”
Strengths:
natural leader
creative in crisis
thrives on independence
operates in a logical, sensible manner
direct and honest with opinions
communicates thoughts well in verbal conversation
directs conversation in productive, pragmatic way
tell others where they stand in relationship

Weakness:
unemotional and detached from feelings
insensitive and tactless
bored with idle chatter
harsh and judgmental
lacks ability to shore self intimately

BLUE “The Do-Gooders”
Strengths:
strong aesthetic sense
highly disciplined
able to enjoy sensitive and deep conversation
strong skills to empathize with others
prefers small groups
willing to let conversations run their course
deep sense of purpose
sincere and deeply emotional
stable and dependable

Weakness:
tends to over kill issues
feels intense on many issues
rigid with principles and unwilling to negotiate
argues from emotional perspective
self abusive verbally

WHITE “The Peace Keepers”
Strengths:
receptive to other’s input
quiet, reflective and peaceful
enjoys life’s simplicity
negotiator and mediator on issues
listens superbly
strong empathy skills
dependable in all situations
patient with self and others

Weakness:
fearful of confrontation
unable to respond quickly in conversation
agrees to please others
doesn’t contribute openly
prefers to observe others interact
refuses to take a stand on issues

YELLOW “Fun Lovers
Strengths:
highly optimistic
sees life as an experience to be enjoyed
spontaneous thinker
enjoys and promotes the physical
easy to converse with
comfortable with people
energized by large groups
superb at superficial conversation

Weakness:
speaks before thinking
poor listener
talks too much about everything and nothing
light minded and superficial
interrupts others freely
overly dramatic

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Are You Reading Up On Childhood Disorders?

Welcome to another post on "What Candice Learned in Psychology Today"
Today we talked about Disorders. The ones that really stuck out to me were the ones that are more common in kids. I kept searching in my mind for symptoms my kids might be showing that would point to any of these potential problems.

I'm not very well informed on this issue, but the more I learn about it the more I realize I need to be. Early detection could make a HUGE difference in helping your kids lead a normal life. Detecting Autism closer to the age of 2 or 3 gives them a gigantic advantage over children who don't get diagnosed until they are 5 or 6. So in that spirit here's the information I got today from class, and what I looked up afterwards. If anyone has any further information they could share please do!

ADHDADHD is becoming very common, there's a large streak of it in my family. Although there are worries that it's being over-diagnosed and maybe over-medicated. Regular exercise has been suggested as something that might help get some of the extra energy out.

A childhood mental disorder in which children simply can't pay attention, show hyperactivity or impulsivity, or both of these systems.

Here's a list of symptoms to look out for. Don't get over worried about this long list, but if you want to know more check it out here.

1. The child is easily distracted by irrelevant sights and sounds.

2. The child fails to pay attention to details and makes careless mistakes.

3. He/she rarely follow instructions carefully and completely losing or forgetting things like toys, or pencils, books, and tools needed for a task.

4. Skips from one incomplete activity to another.

5. The child feels restless, often fidgeting with hands, feet, arms or legs or squirming while seated or gets up from seat when remaining in seat is expected.

6. The child is always on the go. Up to something like running, climbing or jumping.

7. The child usually blurts out answers before hearing the whole question or interrupts conversations or games.

8. Children with ADHD are over talkative.

9. They have difficulty waiting in line or taking turns.

10. They usually fail to give close attention to details and are unable to do schoolwork, work, or other activities.

11. When talking to ADHD child, it seems like talking to walls because he does not seem to listen when spoken to directly.

12. He/she rarely follows instructions and fail to finish schoolwork, chores, or duties in the workplace.

13. They might have trouble organizing activities.

14. An ADHD affected child avoids, dislikes, or doesn't want to do things that take a lot of mental effort for a long period of time (such as schoolwork or homework).

15. The child often loses things that they need to take care of e.g. toys, school assignments, pencils, books, or tools.

16. He/she is forgetful in daily activities.

17. The child runs about or climbs when and where it is not appropriate or prohibited.

18. Often has trouble playing or enjoying leisure activities quietly.

19. He/she can’t wait for one’s turn or stay in a row.

20. To sum it up, an ADHD child is like a toy that has a never ending battery and is always on the go!!!!!!!


Autism
Autism is getting more and more attention in the media. Shows like Parenthood (a great show on NBC that's all about families and the struggles they have and is so worth watching! It's got my favorite Gilmore Girl, Lauren Graham in it) One of the families has a son who gets diagnosed with Asperger Syndrom, an Autism spectrum.

Major impairment in establishing social interactions with others.

Red Flags of Autism Spectrum Disorders:

If your baby shows two or more of these signs, please ask your pediatric healthcare provider for an immediate evaluation. For more information on Autism click here.

Impairment in Social Interaction:

  • Lack of appropriate eye gaze
  • Lack of warm, joyful expressions
  • Lack of sharing interest or enjoyment
  • Lack of response to name

Impairment in Communication:

  • Lack of showing gestures
  • Lack of coordination of nonverbal communication
  • Unusual prosody (little variation in pitch, odd intonation, irregular rhythm,
    unusual voice quality)

Repetitive Behaviors & Restricted Interests:

  • Repetitive movements with objects
  • Repetitive movements or posturing of body, arms, hands, or fingers
3 things to remember about this post.
1-I am NOT an expert so don't take what I posted as concrete.
2-Don't freak yourself out.
3-Even if you think there's a SMALL chance your kid might be at risk for either of these disorders check it out. It's worth the time

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

America the Beautiful


2 Things I learned about western culture today in psychology

Correspondence Bias - is our tendency to view the behaviors of others as due to internal causes. Which basically means that we don't give people the benefit of the doubt. We automatically assume people do the crappy things they do because they're just bad or inconsiderate people.

We talked about road rage and what your first thought is when someone cuts you off on the high way. I know that mine is usually something along the lines of "You freaking idiot reckless driver!" I rarely consider the possibility of extenuating circumstances such as them racing an injured person to the hospital.

Self-Serving Bias is out tendency to attribute positive outcomes to our efforts, while failures are seen as due to influence of others. This basically means that anything good that happens is because of something we did. While anything bad that happens is due to the fault of someone else.Here we talked a lot about politics, and how eager politicians are to find someone to take the blame for any problem attributed to them. Although I'd say this plague of spotlight hogging and blame dodging is far more wide spread than the political arena.

What I found really interesting was that these bias's are specific only to our western culture. My psychology professor explained that the western culture is about SELF preservation, while eastern culture is more about GROUP preservation.

The more I thought about this the more I came to believe in it's truth. Our country was founded on the beliefs that everyone is entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Lately it just feels like American's believe they're just plain entitled.Why is it that we've developed a society where it's perfectly normal for each family to have 2-4 cars, or an ipod and cell phone for each family member? What was it that gave us the illusion that we're all entitled to be privileged? There is no constitutional amendment that states "All men have the right to designer clothes, the latest electronics, and elaborate vacations."

Sadly I know I'm constantly guilty of Self-Serving & Correspondence Bias. For almost every example my professor gave my first instinct was a selfish one. But now that I'm aware of it I hope to change it, and can pass on a better example to my 2 crazy kids.

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