hi, i'm keri the chameleon

nice pic, huh?!
i've been thinking about this lately. who am i, really? i feel like sometimes i'm a pretty good chameleon. and what i mean by this is...i can be like whoever i'm with. if the person i'm with is funny, i am funny. if they are talkative, i can be talkative. if they are goofy, i can definitely be goofy (just ask my college buds...), if the other person is open and vulnerable, i will be vulnerable back. if the other person is reserved...well, i'm that way with them. get my point? so who does this make me? a chameleon. but, i'm wondering....who does that make the person i'm with? are some of them just like me? and if so, there's got to be a more dominant personality that comes forth. if the other person is a chameleon like me...then maybe when i'm with that other chameleon, my true self comes out. but to find out what i'm really like, i think about what i'm like at home...with my spouse, with my kids, by myself. i think i'm just a laid back personality...one that can be flexible.

i've been fascinated with personality tests in the past, and i've taken several different ones. one in particular is called "Uniquely You in Christ"...combining 16 spiritual gifts with 4 (DISC) personality types by Mels Carbonell, Ph.D. this test is pretty cool b/c it will describe how your particular personality type can be used for good (and bad) with your spiritual gifts. of course, its just a test...so you have to take it with a grain of salt. but it's fascinating to me. so the results of this test showed that i was high "S" Behavior...also known as "Phlegmatic"...i am passive and people-oriented.
Description: submissive, steady, stable, security-oriented
Basic Motivation: stability and support
Desires: an area of specialization, identification with a group, established work patterns, security in situation, consistent familiar environment
Responds best to leader who: is relaxed and friendly, allows time to adjust to changes, allows to work at own pace, and gives personal support
Needs to Learn: change provides opportunity, friendship isn't everything, discipline is good, boldness and taking risks is sometimes necessary

so this is me in a nutshell! i was also high in "C" - passive/task-oriented (Melancholy) and then "I" - Active/people-oriented (Sanguine). my "D" was super LOW....(dominant, direct, demanding, decisive). so just to explain myself even further...i will copy what it says about my results:
C/I/S: Competent Influencing Specialists
"C/I/S"s like to do things right, impress others and stabilize situations. They are not aggressive or pushy people. They enjoy large and small crowds. They are good with people and prefer quality. They are sensitive to what others think about them and their work. They need to be more determined and dominant. They can do things well, but are poor at quick decision-making. They are capable of doing great things through people, but need to be more self-motivated and assertive. They are stimulated by sincere, enthusiastic approval and logical explanations.
when i first read this a while ago....i was AMAZED at how accurate this assessment was about me. everything that it says is so true about me. and i think this may explain my chameleon syndrome. i'm a people-pleaser....so when i'm with certain people, i tend to be like that person...to make them feel comfortable, to make them happy, and to "stabilize the situation" as it says above. i can "change my colors" to even help myself to relate well to different people. when i first thought about my tendency to be this way, i thought it was a weakness....and it can be at times...but i'm beginning to embrace this quality of my personality type. i'm ok with being a chameleon...as long as i'm not losing my true self in the process. there are 40 different behavioral blends in the test....each with its own detailed description....its just really cool to think about how everyone is so different. this world would be a boring place if we were all the same. if the world were made up of all chameleons like me....it would be quite scary i think. and maybe you are thinking....."so who are you...really?" if i can blend in so well with others, then what am i really like? well to put it simply, i'm a girl who loves to have fun, loves to laugh, enjoys being silly/goofy sometimes, a great listener and can talk openly when i want to, can be very independent yet very needy, am fearful...of many things, hate being wrong, horrible at decision making, am passive and sensitive, procrastinator, loving and considerate, and enjoys people. i sound like i'm trying to sell myself on eHarmony or something! anyway, i know this has gone on long enough. i just thought all of it was pretty interesting and its been on my mind lately. so thanks for reading and would love your comments....tell me who YOU are!

in case any of you are wondering where to find this particular test (there are tons out there though), go to:
http://www.uniquelyyou.com/newsite/disc.shtml