Chapter 2: How You Approach Life and How You Appear To Others

The following is a description of your basic stance towards life, the way others see you, the way you come across, the face you show to the world. In Chapter 3 you will read about the "The Inner You: Your Real Motivation", which describes the kind of person you are at heart and where your true priorities lie. Read this chapter and the next one and compare them - there may be significant differences between them, in which case "the inner you" may not shine through and others are in for some surprises when they get to know you at a more than superficial level. This chapter describes the costume you wear, your role in life, while Chapter 3 talks about the real person inside the costume. You have a sensible and realistic outlook on life and your two feet are always planted firmly on the ground (though you may, on occasion, have your head in the clouds). Others often see you as a rock of strength, solid, reliable, dependable, and constant. You are, in fact, amazingly consistent for you possess great powers of endurance and do not like to make changes or adjustments in your regular routine. You do things deliberately and methodically and do not easily accommodate the unexpected. Though you have a gentle, even soft, appearance, you are enormously strong-willed and stubborn. You go at your own pace and refuse to be rushed or pushed into anything before you feel sure about it. You can be coaxed and persuaded by charm, beauty, love, or affection - but never forced. You won't fight either, but simply stubbornly resist any attempt to coerce you to do something you do not want to do. When you have a purpose, you are extremely fixed, immovable, and bullheaded about it. Your obstinacy is often infuriating to others, especially since it takes much provocation to make you flare up or respond to their anger. You appear calm, unruffled, and unemotional most of the time, but behind your easygoing and peaceable appearance there lies great strength. When it comes to a contest of wills, you often win simply due to your relentless persistence, your ability to outlast just about anyone. Another reason for your slowness to make changes is your very strong need for security. You are most comfortable in stable, relatively unchanging conditions and you also have a strong desire for tangible security - a home of your own, money in the bank, job security, etc. The other side of your steadiness is that you easily get caught in a rut and will stay in a familiar situation (be it job, marriage, or whatever) long after it has lost its vitality and interest. You have a keen appreciation of the natural world and get much happiness from simple creature comforts and the physical world, with all of its myriad delights. You are quite sensual in a very natural, wholesome way and you know how to enjoy yourself. You are appealing to the opposite sex in an earthy way. You are also a great lover of beauty and your tastes are basically conventional or classic - not modern. You may come across a bit scattered, nervous, or restless, as if you can't sit still. You seem alert and quick, but sometimes a bit on edge. You tend to stay perpetually busy, and would find handiwork of some kind to be soothing. You appear to be unusual, highly independent, and a free spirit. There is a touch of brilliance, of the creative genius, in your manner. You are also restless and easily distracted, tending to fly from one thing to another, which may give the impression that you are unreliable. You have a strong desire to make an extra-ordinary or unusual impression on your environment. You have the ability to fascinate and sweep along others, but also can be quite inconsiderate and ruthless. You have a sympathetic understanding of others and the ability to see through people. Very sensitive, your emotional state depends a lot on the influence of your immediate surroundings. For this reason others may see you as a somewhat unstable person. You have a strong desire to build an image of yourself that captivates everyone around you, and with your attractive and fascinating personality, you have the ability to influence many people. You are likely to have some unusual love affairs. You tend to think of work as a hard and necessary chore and may feel that you have little freedom of movement because of pressure caused by your surroundings. You are likely to feel hemmed in and consider dealing with others quite burdensome.