Your Personal Rorschach Test

Your flight is delayed. You spill your coffee. You are turned down for an interview. What if how you respond to these kinds of situations says more about you than about the situation itself? 

In a Rorschach Test people are shown various random ink blots. The theory is that what people see in the images reveals something about their inner world. For example if someone interprets a blot as spattered blood, it might be because they’ve had a recent violent experience. Chase Hughes, an expert on behavioral profiling, suggests that how we respond to the events of our lives can be viewed as a sort of Rorschach test. How we experience and respond reveals our thinking. 

When my child is cranky and I respond impatiently, I could interpret it as an objective response to objectively annoying behavior. I could also view it as my personal Rorschach Test, asking, “What does my reaction reveal about me? Where is my impatience coming from? Is this the only way to view the situation? What other ways could I interpret my child’s behavior?” 

Learning to be curious about my reactions has helped me better regulate my emotions. It has also helped me better understand my previously hidden thought patterns. This week, I invite you to try out this tool:

What recent event in your life would you like to get curious about? What was your response to the event? What does your response reveal to you about how you might be interpreting the event? Is this the only way to view the situation? How else could you think in the future in order to produce a better outcome? 

God bless,
Dan

P.S. It seems to me that this tool can also be applied to positive events and experiences to uncover resourceful ways of thinking. Also, I missed last week’s letter so lucky Reader #77 will be receiving $100. I will send the Good Leaven Letter on Mondays, and if I miss an issue, another reader will also get $100.