Characteristics of Bettys and Olives..., Part Two

It was great getting to see who our Betty’s and Olive’s were on Tuesday. If you missed that post please take a moment to review, as it has the litmus test to find out what your incredible personality type is.

Today, I am going to share with you the characteristics, strength’s & weaknesses of first, our “Betty Bohemians” and then our “Olive Organized” personalities.

Please note that not every single characteristic, strength or weakness is going to be true of you. But you should find that generally speaking this does paint the picture of who you are.

"Basic Characteristics of a Betty"

Relational - Very in tune with other’s feelings & emotions.

Processes through conversation - Learns better when able to process through conversation. More energized through talking. Masters information through teaching it to others.

Needs to be creative/ Must have wiggle room - Works better when able to come up with their own creative idea’s. Doesn’t like to follow other people’s idea’s because it crowds out their creativity.

Simplicity ='s Consistency w/ daily routine type tasks - Routine is death to a Betty. It drains our excitement and energy.

Thrives in both giving and getting words of affirmation - Because of Bettys strong relational skills they are often quick to point out area’s where others are thriving!

"Strengths"

Encouragers!!!

Excitement Builders - Because they get excited, when inspired they turn their excitement into idea’s to get other’s on board.

Empathetic- Deeply feels other’s pain.

Emotional- Very sentimental.

Forgives and Forgets easily - If someone wrongs them all it takes is a sincere apology and a Betty can bounce right back.

Visionaries - Betty’s see the Big Picture

Others Centered - Betty’s are always the includer’s

Tend to see the glass half FULL - Betty’s can tend to find good in most situations.

Doers - Doesn’t like lots of discussion, or time to process, wants to jump right in and put action to the idea’s!

"Weaknesses"

High expectations for others to be relational and affirming - Can make their Olive friends feel as though their feedback is not good enough.

Too Sensitive - Can make others feel like they have to walk on egg shells.

Struggles being excited/content with routine - Betty’s often need help and accountability with consistency in area’s that are routine oriented.

Struggles w/ self-discipline - Because Betty’s tend to be emotionally led this can lead to the mentality that more is better. More Money, More Food, More Fun.

Too quick to say “Yes” - Though this can be our strength, it is also the one thing that keeps us from enjoying those things we commit to. We put too much on our plates, and you know that when you are “full” nothing tastes good.

Struggles with details - It’s often the little things that we forget, but those little things can become very distracting from the big picture. For instance, you write up a very inspiring invitation to a party, but forget to put the date or address.

Can be naive - Because Betty’s see the glass as half full we may struggle to recognize possible pitfalls.

"Basic Characteristics of an Olive"

Informational - Olives tend to be motivated by knowing and understanding details.

Craves quiet, order and routine - Where Betty’s feel energized through conversation, Olive’s gain their inspiration through quiet contemplation.

Internalizes and ponders to figure things out - An Olive needs time to process their thoughts.

Likes to stick to a plan - Where routine is death to a Betty, it brings life and peace to an Olive. She is very consistent once she has a plan in place.

Enjoys imparting knowledge and Insight - Because an Olive spends so much time internalizing their decisions, they enjoy helping others by sharing what they’ve learned through their pondering process.

"Strengths"

Self Confident - Because Olives invest so much time in making good, solid decisions, it helps them feel confident in their choices.

Takes responsibility and commitments seriously - Olives are very dependable. If they’ve told you they are going to do something you can bet they are going to follow through.

Loyal - We found that Olives don’t have as large a friend base as a Betty, but they are very loyal and commited to those relationships in their lives.

Practical - Betty’s love this about Olive’s. Their practicalness helps remove the emotionalism and brings clarity to chaos.

Generally academic and capable - Because Olives thrive on details they find the process of learning to be interesting and therefore tend to do well in this area.

Good Listeners- You can count on Olives to give good honest feedback.

Purposeful/Diligent - Because Olives pause before jumping into a project they tend to be more purposeful and diligent.

Logical/ Analytical - Time invested analyzing decisions helps Olives make solid choices.

THINKERS- Whereas, Betty is a "DOER" an Olive is a "THINKER"! Olives often help Bettys refine their idea’s to make them better.

"Weaknesses"

Not naturally in tune with others feelings - Because Olives are so practical it may appear that they are insensitive at times.

May tend to respond to conflict with logic and reason rather than desired emotional support.

Not naturally good at expressing feelings and emotions. Can be prideful and think their way is the right way, the only way.

Can lean towards sarcasm when feeling uncomfortable Judgmental - Because Olives invest so much thought into their decisions they sometimes cannot see that though their decision is right for them, it doesn’t mean it’s right for everyone.

To Quick To Say "No" - Where Bettys get themselves into trouble by being too quick to say yes, Olives sometimes miss out because they are too quick to say NO!

Let me close with an inspiring story that illustrates why neither is better or worse, right or wrong, but that when we embrace who we were created to be, we find peace and purpose in our lives.

The Brownie Knife

“Oddly enough, I'm thinking about plastic knives today. You know, the kind you get with your to-go meal at restaurants, packaged with a plastic fork, spoon, and napkin? For years I ditched the plastic knife, thinking they are a waste of energy and not very useful at cutting my food. Steak, chicken, pot roast ...metal knives slice right through these, but not plastic knives. Hard foods are not their forte. Where plastic knives do excel, however, is in cutting fresh from the oven, piping hot brownies!

Have you ever cut brownies with a table knife and made a ragged mess out of them? Well, I've discovered a way to enjoy them, and keep them in tact, while they're still warm. I've used this trick successfully for years, as my hips will attest. Nice squares of warm, gooey chocolate goodness with smooth edges can be yours when cut with a plastic knife. Knowing plastic knives' special knack for cutting brownies, I use them specifically for that purpose. I don't try to cut cardboard, steak or wood with them. That would be a senseless misuse of their gifts.

Oh, but how often have I misused my gifts or stepped away from my natural talents, attempting something I am not really cut out to do? This usually leads to frustration and a mess. The point is this: God designed each one of us with certain abilities, but we tend to look at the abilities of the other women and we get caught in the comparison trap. We try to emulate her gifts and her talents when God has called us to something totally different. Some of my friends have better culinary skills. Some of my friends train their children better than I. Some of my friends are well organized. Some of my friends...well, it really doesn't matter. What does matter is this: What am I going to do with what I am?....,” Sylvia Basham

So based on this information, how does this line up with your personality? Your Strengths? Your Weaknesses? Who do you most identify with?