Results of MBTI and ISLE conference

I must start this week's entry by saying I was very shocked and somewhat impressed by the results of the MBTI report. Last week I wrote about the many places that I saw flaws in the study. I was hesitant (to say the least) about whether or not the test could actually gauge who I was within a 144 question survey. How can the essence of me be summed up so simply? (make sure to read in a very dramatic tone of voice :) ) While I still think there may be flaws in the survey, I was exceedingly shocked to find that my results from last year matched this year. I am a ISFJ. Introverted, Sensing, Feeling and Judging. Those who know me best could probably throw in a few more adjectives (stubborn, aggressive, dramatic etc.) but we won't mention those.

Too stubborn to admit that I can be summed up so simply, I try to reflect on who I was when I took this last year and who I am now. How did I answer the questions last year as opposed to this year? Did I have the same mindset? I see such drastic differences in the girl I was when I walked into college and the woman I feel I am now. So how could the results be the same? I feel that in some of my responses as a freshman, I answered in a way that reflected who I wanted to be. I've grown and changed in the past year and a half, and maybe I've gotten closer to that person. Also, in all honesty, the survey pretty well sums me up. After talking to a few people closet to me, I found that the "Rachel" MBTI describes is pretty much the real Rachel others see. Who knows. Maybe I take it again in the future, I'll get a report that describes, even more precisely, the Rachel I'm supposed to be.

Switching gears to the conference, I truly enjoyed the key note speaker. As a fan of the movie clips shown through the speech, it was easy to understand the concepts of leadership he was explaining. In everything we do, we have to lead ourselves and allow ourselves to be changed before we can help change the lives of others. I feel like it's easy to live under the belief that we have it all figured out. Our comfort zone allows us to exist without being influenced, touched, or changed. Once we step out of that area we feel the safest and walk into the darkness of questions and doubt, we will be able to forge a new path of discovery. And, in the end, our discoveries can lend light along the paths of other's journey.  Hopefully, as I discover who I am and allow myself to be changed for the better by those around me, I will be able to be a positive influence in the lives of those incoming freshman who need a helping hand to start their journey.