It's been said that you can tell a lot about a person by how they keep their home. A cluttered environment supposedly points to a level of disarray in the mind or emotions. Some would argue though that people who may not be the neatest might just be more creative than the rest of us. As a neat freak who is also a creative being, I would have to disagree with that though.
I thought it would be fun to correlate specific interior design styles to ways of thinking and use them as a guide to look at how we can design our destiny using these mindsets.
There are many interior design styles so I chose to focus on five: Shabby Chic, Garden, Contemporary, Traditional and Eclectic.
Here is how I have broken them down into mindsets:
SHABBY CHIC
A person with this mindset often starts off with a clean blank canvas and mixes traditional ways of being with more modern ideas. Often brought up in strict religious families, they respect time-honored modalities, but long to make their own mark in the world. Shabby Chic personalities make good business partners as they can set milestones for long-term goals and reach them and also go for the quick wins. In love they are willing to compromise and are usually fun and engaging partners.
How they design their destiny:
They build on their success with diversification. They may wind up working in quite a few fields before settling on one career and even then, they will call on their previous experience in other areas to achieve goals. They know how to build healthy personal and professional relationships that will serve them well in all areas of their life.
Challenges: Spreading themselves too thin and completing the many projects they undertake as well as learning how not to make too many promises they can't keep.
GARDEN:
A garden being is a walking, talking hot mug of green tea. They passionately adopt a zen-life existence and are very capable of shedding any outdated ways of thinking passed down by their parents. They can disagree with you without even speaking a word and will leave you with a feeling of calm even when you are very angry with them. In their professional pursuits, they seek out work that makes them feel like they are making the world a better place and will often do pro-bono projects. Their creativity is off the charts and they are often in great shape.
How they design their destiny:
This personality type uses their positivity to attract business partners, friends and relationships and can build huge networks that will tirelessly work on their behalf no matter the objective. The key to their success is making each person they come into contact with feel like they matter. An intern is treated with the same respect as a CEO in their world, and by modeling this treatment, they make everyone around them better.
Challenges: Staying relevant and not alienating others who may not understand them.
CONTEMPORARY:
People who wear the comtemporary label are usually on the cutting edge of everything that is popular and trendy. They are early adopters of technology, know all of the best places to eat, travel and worship and dress to the nines. They are driven beyond compare and will not apolgize for their love of the finer things in life. To know someone with this mindset is to either love, hate or envy them and they probably don't care either way!
How they design their destiny:
They make it their business in the beginning of their lives to know the gatekeepers in their chosen fields of interest and it is their life-long goal to be the gatekeeper in the long-run. They are world-champs at networking, schmoozing and being seen at the right time with the right people. They build their fortunes and date cards by taking risks, spending money and aligning themselves with the stars.
Challenges: Being true to themselves, modeling authenticity and fostering true and meaningful relationships.
TRADITIONAL:
These fine folks love security and will often attract professional positions and relationships that last for decades. Often they are lovers of the status quo, movie nights at home with their sweetie and are usually married in their early twenties. The traditional mindset is one that believes if you work hard and long enough you will achieve anything. They are most often judges, school teachers and sometimes work in the clergy. There are many Republicans in this group, but Democracts are also known to reside in this house.
How they design their destiny:
They keep close counsel of their parents, childhood pastor and college sorors and frat buddies. Within these familar ranks they are able to build strong bonds and allegiances that can take them from waiting tables and tending bar all the way to the White House. They also depend heavily on personal favors and will often respond in kind. They are often able to retire young as they start saving money very early on in life and often forgo the material things others crave during this time.
Challenges: Being tolerant of others with different mindsets and staying in step with the changing times.
ECLECTIC:
You can spot eclectic personalities a mile away! They wear colorful clothes, their hair is big and their ideas are even bigger. They don't believe in the words "I can't," "No," or "Maybe." Some of them were raised by strong single moms who pushed them to be better and others were raised in households with two parents who stressed achievement at all costs. Sometimes bucking their traditional upbringing, they go to the extreme in expressing themselves in art, business and in love.
How they design their destiny:
These mavericks think way outside of the square! They apply for business loans and max out their credit cards on get-rich quick schemes, build businesses with money given to them from friends and family and often break the bank and end up broke. They can rebound just as quickly though and get up without a scratch while others watch in amazement. Taking chances and risks is how they live, breathe and survive.
Challenges: Knowing when to hold them, fold them, when to walk away and when to run!
Do you recognize yourself in any of these intricately decorated houses? Which "interior design of the mind" style are you? Please share in the comments section. Let's have fun with this!
Admission: I am a mix of Eclectic and Shabby Chic!
For more info on the aforementioned interior design styles mentioned, click here: Interior Design Styles
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