Last week, I attended the conference,  The Mind That Changes the Brain featuring Norman Doidge and Daniel Siegel two of the current authorities on how mental experience and mindfulness can change the structure  of the brain. The Breath Awareness Exercise, introduced at the workshop, is useful to create cognitive focus.  I like this exercise because it is short but effective, especially if done 1-2 times per day. Science Daily has recently reported that even 20 minutes of breath awareness meditation increases concentration.   Here is the website that Dr. Seigel provided us that guides individuals through this exercise: http://www.wwnorton.com/common/flvplayer/?flvID=/npb/MindfulTherapist/BreathAwareness.mp3 (Click on the arrow in the center of the screen to start the practice. Dr. Seigel will guide you through it).

A few things to keep in mind when doing this exercise:

1. Meditation is a a mind training exercise.  It is not a relaxation exercise.  Even though you are still, your mind is active.

2. The mind gets distracted.  That is what minds do.  If you find your mind is losing focus on the breath, gently and without judgment, redirect it to the breath.

3. You will learn how to recognize when your mind is chaotic, judgmental, and  distracted and with Breath Awareness Practice, you will learn how to redirect your attention to a task.

One of the drawbacks I have had to other mindfulness exercises is that they are time-consuming.  If you do this one twice per day, it is only 20 minutes out of your day and the benefits are enormous. Another way to adapt this exercise so it reaches the prescribed 20 minutes per day is to set a timer to go 10 or more minutes past the end of the recorded meditation. Currently I use no guided practice such as the one suggested in the aforementioned link.  Instead, I use a meditation timer for the full 20 minutes.  If I miss a few days, however,  I revisit the guided practice link just to create focus then resume my independent practice after that.

Welcome again to Portland, Maine where I have just finished day 2 of the MBTI Step III training.   To review, yesterday the theoretical basis of the instrument was discussed including the allocation of mental energy based on type,  type development theory and defining what is considered good type development versus ineffective type development.  Also a general overview of the factors that generate the Step III interpretive report were discussed, namely, sufficiency scales, developmental scales and patterns that trigger “rules”, which ultimately  create  an interpretative report of statements (verbal descriptions of current behavior) and corresponding suggestions for personal growth.  It is worth repeating that even as the construction of this instrument is highly complex, the end product is user friendly and highly personalized for the  client.  The ultimate goal of the instrument is to initiate and give some direction to a productive dialogue between the client and the counselor/coach regarding personal growth and insight.

Construction: The questions that make up the MBTI Step III come from 3 sources: the items from the  MBTI Form M; the items  from the MBTI Step II Form Q; and questions from the MBTI Form F.  The reason for the inclusion of the Form F items is that they were used to produce the original “Counselor Report” in 1972, a report that described how well a person perceives and judges. Recall that type theorists assert that the  basis of  good type development and ultimately, success and satisfaction in life was based on optimally developed perception and judgment.    Furthermore, a large archived data base of Form F responses had been gathered by Isabel Briggs Myers that provided evidence to back this assertion up.  This was in fact her unfinished work, developing patterns and scales of behavior that described type development

The  MBTI Step III was constructed using MBTI forms M, Q, and F.  However the interpretative report needed updating from it’s precursor, The Counselor’s Report,  so that the language describing a client’s current behavior (statements) and the corresponding suggestions for personal growth were understandable  irrespective of a client’s knowledge of type.  This is perhaps the  greatest strength of the MBTI Step III,  the notion that  often complex patterns of behavior based on how well a client is using his perceiving and judging functions can be described in layman’s terms with easy to understand suggestions for self-improvement. (more…)

A critical step in the reliable use of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is verification of type through a dialogue between the individual completing the inventory and the practitioner interpreting the results.  After receiving the results, the client will read the description of the personality type, in the aggregate, to determine if it is  largely accurate.  In my experience, I have found the INFJ  notoriously difficult to type.   Even after the verification step, the INFJ  can be uncertain that this description fits. It isn’t due to shortcomings in the Myers-Briggs  questionnaire.  It is mainly due to the rarity and complexity of the INFJ type.

Exact percentages vary but the INFJ, the rarest of the personality types, is said to account for 1-2% of the overall population, females slightly more often than males.  The INFJ has been called “The Mystic,” “The Counselor,” and “Empath”.  They are described as  original, gentle, caring, and highly intuitive. The quality of extrasensory perception, or ESP, is often attributed to them. People who have known INFJs for years continue to be surprised when yet another layer of their complex personality is revealed.  As a result of their inferior sensing function, they can be stubborn and obsess about an inconsequential detail , usually when they are under stress. Their ability to see the big picture can be affected during these times. INFJs are deeply concerned about their relations with individuals as well as the state of humanity at large. They are, in fact, sometimes mistaken for extroverts because they  are so genuinely interested in people — a product of the auxiliary feeling function they most readily show to the world (Introverts show their auxiliary function, or the function that supports the dominant function, to the world first). Still, INFJs are true introverts, who can only be emotionally intimate with a chosen few from among their long-term friends, family, or mate.   Yet, INFJs will suddenly withdraw into themselves, sometimes shutting out those closest to them. This apparent about face is  necessary, providing both time to rebuild their energy and a filter to prevent the emotional overload that can happen as they deeply experience other individuals.  This is perhaps the most confusing aspect of the enigmatic INFJ character to outsiders particularly if experience with this type has been limited.  I have 3 INFJ’s in my life, my brother, my daughter, and my best friend and I can attest to the fact that they are like Russian nesting dolls, when one doll is exposed,  another one lies inside. (more…)

There is nothing more infuriating than technology that won’t work, especially for someone born before the age of WiFi, as I was. It seems that every time I want to add something to my home office, I find myself asking why it always has to be so difficult! In my day, the only thing you had to worry about was finding an outlet to plug the device into.  You never had to ask, “Why is this component not recognizing that component?”  Bah!!! Where is my sledgehammer?

I had wanted to purchase a printer for my cozy office nook in the living room. It is an inspiring little corner, with a soothing view, a fireplace, and English Country furniture.  It is a quiet place away from the energy of an active family, and a place where no one can disrupt the feng shui by depositing clutter into the workspace. I believe in  creating islands of perfectly flowing energy in the home even if some areas are ravaged by chaos.  To expect perfect harmony everywhere would amount to nagging but that’s a different topic.  So it was this backdrop of flawless serenity that called for a printer that could be hidden in an armoire with no cords to offend the eye.

How was I to know that setting up a cordless printer was going to be so challenging?  I figured all I had to do is unbox the device, push a button and the wireless laptop would immediately pick up the signal giving me the full office experience with the atmosphere of a retreat site.  No such luck.  As my friend and I struggled to make the appropriate adjustments (since my friend was a man, we were not allowed to read the directions), I finally suggested that we go to the Hewlett-Packard on-line “Tell Me How This Works Before I Destroy It “  technical assistance site.  Reluctantly he agreed and an hour long help session ensued.  Basically, this was the gist of the conversation: (more…)