My personality type

This weekend I've discovered some real interesting insights of my personality. While I was researching a possible career change this weekend, I came upon the concept of the Myers-Briggs personality types (MBPT), see for instance here. Based on their classification, there are 16 different personality types. Using an online quiz, it turned out that I have the INTP personality type. INTP stands for Introverted iNtuitive Thinking Perceiving. On the MB website it is described as follows:

Seek to develop logical explanations for everything that interests them. Theoretical and abstract, interested more in ideas than in social interaction. Quiet, contained, flexible, and adaptable. Have unusual ability to focus in depth to solve problems in their area of interest. Skeptical, sometimes critical, always analytical.

There are many other websites dealing with MBTP, describing the personality types in more detail. I especially like this one, and this one. Most of the statements on those two pages about INTPs are spot on, and I recognize almost every bit of it in myself. It explains a lot of my behavior, and more importantly, I now finally realize that it (my behavior) is not something bad, but it is really who I am. It almost feels like coming out, and it allows me to accept who I am and knowing that there are many others who are like this, and that there is nothing wrong with it. I was so glad to have found this, and when discussing it with my wife, it also gave so much more insights into our relationship and interactions, and I am now much better able to understand why I sometimes act the way I do with respect to her. One characteristic of INTPs is that they tend to live in their own world, and have difficulties expressing their feelings and be compassionate towards others. This state of 'absent minded-ness' can be easily interepreted by others as disinterest or coldness. But by realizing all this, I have been in such a better state all weekend, was much more focused, and we've had great discussions, we relaxed, just so wonderful to feel and be loved. It would be interesting to learn what personality type she is, she hasn't taken the quiz yet. But I know she's definitely a 'feeling' type, whereas I am a 'thinking' type.

On a side note, I have also decided to quit the band I was in for the last few years. There was just no more chemistry for me. We had a show on Thursday night, and once again it became apparent to me that I wasn't enjoying it anymore. Interestingly, my decision to quit was done before I learned about MBPTs, so I wonder if I also felt much more relaxed in the last few days because of the relief I felt after quitting.

All in all a very revealing weekend for me, and I feel very positive about moving on, and am curious where I will be in the months to follow.

Raceday

I DID IT!

This morning I ran my first ever half marathon, 13.1 miles, or 21.1 kilometers. I never ran more than 10 miles, so this was definitely a new challenge for me. I ran with my good friend and we decided to go for a 2 hr final time, and lined up at the start close to the pace group for that time. It's a bunch of experienced runners that make sure we keep the right speed to end at a 2 hr time, and they were easy to spot with their yellow balloons. After about 2 or 3 miles I noticed that my friend was having some problems, but he told me to keep going and not to wait for him, so I stuck with the 2 hr group, and it kept on going really well. And after 11 miles I felt so good that I accelerated and got ahead of the 2 hr group. My final time was 1:58:13, pretty good for a first time, if I say so myself. My friend finished in 2:03, only a few minutes behind me.

Now I'm back home, relaxing with my family after a nice breakfast and a hot shower, watching NCAA basketball.

Race day coming up!

In less than 2 weeks, I am going to run my first half-marathon. I have been training on and off for the last 2-3 months, and I've had bad days and good days. On Sunday a week ago we ran 10 miles, and it was warm, I had some drinks the evening before, and it felt very bad. I walked at least 2-3 miles of the total route and it felt as I was completely out of shape and had no energy in my body. So I learned my lesson. Last Sunday we did the same route, and now we ran at 8 am, and I only drank water the evening before. What a difference! I felt like I was flying. We stopped at one point to drink some water at a fountain, and it took my 46 year old legs some time to warm up after that again, but I did it without much problems, and could easily have run a little bit more. That was our last long training, from now on we will only do shorter runs, the so-called 'tapering'.

I'm ready!

Birthday party

This weekend my son celebrated his 11th birthday. Amazing how fast he is growing up. We got a very nice birthday cake for him:

Then we went to a bowling alley where he invited some of his friends. It was difficult to take some nice pictures since all the kids were constantly running around, but this one turned out pretty good:

All in all a great weekend!

Spring is here!

I can hear the birds
Outside in the trees
All they tweet about is
Follow me, please

I'm sure they know that spring is here
There's not much else to do
What they are really saying is
I love you

Creative goals

Besides the personal goals for 2011 I posted about a few days ago, I also want to explore my creativity more this year.  For instance, take more photos (and I will post them here), write more music (and I may post it here), make bread, prepare Indonesian food, read more books.

So, let's start with a picture. I took this last week when the kids were playing in the snow. I like the contrast between the black and white landscape, and the colors in their clothes and faces.

By now, the snow is all gone, and it's unseasonably high at 60 degrees.