Are you a turtle, shark, teddy bear, fox or owl?

I know, strangest post title ever right? I had a conversation with my dad last week in Virginia about this very topic and it got me thinking. Last fall one of my professors had us each fill out a quiz about conflict resolution. We each had the same 40 or so questions and had to rate each scenario based on a scale of "very much like me" to "not like me at all"

The result was a numbered range of where our personalities naturally fall. The options are a turtle, shark, teddy bear, fox or owl. Courtesy of Google here are brief descriptions of each characteristic. Read them over, any idea where you might fit into this scale? 

The Turtle immediately backs away from conflict. Unfortunately, if people get the idea that you are a Turtle they know that you will step back, or fold, when conflict hits. Eventually, Turtles feel like doormats.

The Shark immediately steps towards the conflict. Some Sharks have a "tear it up" attitude about conflict. This works in some situations, but if you are a Shark you'd better be careful; sooner or later you'll run into a bigger Shark.

The Teddy Bear wants harmony. "We'll do it your way," should be their mantra. Somewhat like the Turtle they are often overwhelmed. But, the good thing about Teddy Bears is that they will usually stand up for the few things that really matter to them.

The Fox is the compromiser. The Fox will give up a little, if you will give up a little. The Fox is often a manipulator.

The Owl is the win-win person. The Owl is always trying to think through the conflict and find a way for everyone to win.

Now I should point out that most people fall into at least 2 categories, with one being the dominant. At first i was very surprised by my dominant characteristic, but after examining it and taking a step back I realized that it's completely accurate.

I'm a complete Teddy Bear. 

Without even realizing it, I don't make decisions on my own very well and almost always wait for someone else to decide for me. "It doesn't matter, you decide" is one of my most common phrases. I'm such a people-pleaser that I can't stand the idea of someone around me doing something they don't want to do just because I want to do it. Make sense? Something as simple as shopping with a friend and deciding which stores to go into, I will work it so that they ultimately make the decision and I can just go along with it. I don't necessarily shy away from conflict, but I will try to smooth it over with both parties involved as much as I can.

It was such an eye-opener for me. I couldn't find the actual test online, but try Googling it yourself - it's seriously fascinating. 

10 Day Challenge - Day 2: Songs

Hello hello! So I'm only like 4 days behind, BUT I have a very good reason. I spent all of last week in the good ol' South (Virginia to be exact) and left this little laptop of mine at home. So here is me playing a little game of catch-up.

I'm supposed to pick 2 songs. Just 2 - really? I listen to a lot of music, particularly when I'm doing housework or driving, and songs always seem to affect my mood. All it takes is the first few chords of a song to either lift my spirits or bring back painful memories. That being said, I also don't really have a "favorite song" because it really depends on how I'm feeling at the time. Here are my current favorite songs:

1. "Empire State of Mind Pt. 2" by Alicia Keys - Sort of speaks for itself and my never-ending love affair with New York City. I'll have lots more to write about my whirlwind 12-hour vacay in NYC in an upcoming post.

2. "September" by Daughtry - I've been in a sort of Memory Lane-ish mood the last few days, and I feel like the lyrics really speak to how I sometimes feel.

10 Day Challenge - Day 3: Films

Eeek, the smaller the numbers get the bigger the categories are.

3. Fast 5 -  I know it's a very bizarre choice, but something draws me to that movie. It's the 5th and final (I think) installment of the "Fast and Furious" franchise. This movie has everything - action, romance, family, fast cars and things blowing up. I have it on DVD and I've honestly probably seen it about 10 times.

2. Dirty Dancing - The ultimate chick flick. Enough Said.

1. The Holiday - I love this movie, it has everything.

I know there are probably hundreds of other movies that I love that I'm completely forgetting about at this moment, but here you have 3!

10 Day Challenge - Day 4: Books

You really want me to *just* pick 4 books?? I make no promises on this one, I could probably go on forever.

4. The Harry Potter series - I'm cheating since there's technically 7 books here alone, but I don't care. I've been reading this series since I was in middle school and it was the first "big book" that I read on my own. I was proud.

3. The Something Borrowed, Something Blue series - total chick lit, but books that I go back to every now and then if I want something easy to read

2. Water for Elephants - One of the best books. Ever. Go read it right now if you haven't already. Then go watch the movie!

1. Breaking Dawn - skip the rest of the Twilight series if you wish, but read this one. In my opinion it's hands down the best one.

10 Day Challenge - Day 5: Foods

mmmmm food. I was waiting for the Day 5 challenge to arrive

5. Pizza - my ultimate comfort food, I could eat it day or night

4. Pasta - again, I'm ALL about the carbs. Only problem is that I'm always hungry about an hour after a giant pasta meal. Not good.

3. Veggies - but raw. I eat cooked veggies like your average toddler (speak: barely any) but will eat almost any vegetable raw with dip. A good example: The smell of cooked cauliflower makes me gag, but I love eating it raw.

2. Schnitzel - Oh I loves me some good ol' German food. It's like a pork chop, but a thousand times better. Usually served with roasted potatoes.

1. Cheesecake - The only sweet that made it onto my list. I've become less and less of a sweet eater the older I get, but I have a serious weakness for a good cheesecake.