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Box: “Email me”

Circle: “Facebook me”

Triangle: “Leave me a message”

Squiggle: “I’ll call you!”

 

Differences in communications style are more pronounced in Space—cyberspace, that it. Just as all four shapes interact differently in face-to-face and group interaction, they also relate differently with today’s technology tools and social networks. Think mobile phones, Facebook, Linkedin, and Twitter.

 

The Boxes (squares) prefer writing—they can take their time, elaborate, get the facts right—and have proof! Email is best (with electronic back-up, of course) but if forced, they’ll tolerate (at first) then exploit the Let’s-get-down-to-business, No-hankies-needed approach. Case and point—“Email me.”

 

Circles are all about Facebook; they share everything—where they went for lunch, the dog’s trip to the vet, Susie got her nose pierced. They post often and comment on others’ post frequently, always offering encouragement. THUMBS UP! They take time to send personal messages…in between working 8 hours at the office, volunteering for School Board, and hauling the kids to soccer practice, band rehearsal, and chess club. They’re often on the go but will take time to write you—on Facebook!

 

Triangles—always 4 or 5 steps ahead of themselves—prefer the phone. Might as well have that Blue Tooth surgically installed. They’re driven by getting things done—that means getting it off their “to do” list and on to yours. They prefer to talk to your answering machine (they don’t talk back or ask all those pesky questions). And they prefer you leave a message for them. While leading the pack they like to screen their calls and return them on their terms. If they use social media, it’s probably Linkedin. All business; all bottom-line. You know you’re talking to a Triangle when you’re asked to leave a message.

 

Squiggles—the consummate shifters, morphers, and chameleons of the Shapes is comfortable using any of the communication tools. Left to their own devices, they’ll use all of them but for different purposes and with different people. Tammy’s a Circle—I’ll chat with her on Facebook. Susie’s a Box—I’ll email her. Linda’s a Triangle, I’ll just give her a call. But if the Squiggle is off on one of their interplanetary adventures, they’ll contact you! “When”…is the question.

 

More on Shapes in Space soon…

 

 

PsychoGeometrics: Sunday Morning BreakfastImagine a typical Sunday morning. Breakfast is on the mind of each of the communication styles, Squares, Triangles, Circles, and Squiggles. A simple suggestion of “going out for breakfast” gets different reactions:

Creatures of habit and ritual, Boxes (because “Square” makes some people uneasy), Boxes awake at their normal time and begin their customary routine: bathroom time, grooming time. If you’re going to disrupt the routine, now is the time to interject.

Cue the Triangle and the Squiggle…

Triangles most usually have a Sunday morning agenda–a list of projects longer than the day, and mentally they’ve already finished breakfast and begun the first task. In reality they haven’t eaten their first bite. They’ll have breakfast at home, if they can delegate the task to you, or just get it themselves on their way to Home Depot. Triangles really don’t care whether you go out to eat or stay in—–as long as you do it FAST!

Squiggles, having declared loudly their intent to sleep until noon, suddenly pop awake at 7 and are out of bed with the chickens. Like Triangles, they have a few things on the “to do” list, that probably includes Circles, but be certain the day is about fun and people–and fun. Breakfast down the road is a great idea and the Squiggle is probably the one that suggested it. Unless he/she sleeps til noon.

Circles could be just as apt to issue a breakfast invitation as a Squiggle, and chances are they have a standing Sunday morning play date, and usually with old friends and family. Or a Circle will be the one whompin’ up biscuits for a sleepy crew. And if a Circle takes time to make breakfast, you’ll find the finishing touches–pretty plates, the newspaper and a small trinket–evidence of their affection. Or the Circle might just take a kitchen break and suggest a nearby restaurant. They will take care of those around them, rest assured.

In the meantime, with the Triangle out the door, the Squiggle and the Circle round up the accessories or the kids. The Square is just now catching on, and they have questions: Where are we going? What do they serve? How far away is it? Do we have gas in the car? Did you know gas is $4.00/gallon? When did you want to leave… They haven’t committed to going to breakfast yet.

A typical Sunday morning breakfast with the shapes.

Our words create our worlds. 

Positive affirmations, prayers, spells, whatever you call them, what we speak has a greater potential of turning into reality than the words we don’t speak.  That’s why I try hard to never utter words or phrases that I don’t want to come true. And I’ll deny or negate negative phrases when someone idly tosses them my way…like, you’re going to get a speeding ticket–you’re due.  Delete, delete–not me!

Here are a few words I’m letting go of–removing from my vocabulary–now:

1.      FEAR. I’m letting go of fear in the traditional sense of the anxiety and doubts we focus our thoughts on. Someone once told me FEAR is False Evidence Appearing Real.  Translation: A situation only appears fearful because of the interpretations we place on it.  I’m changing my interpretation of FEAR to Forgetting Everything’s All Right. 

2.      WORRY.  Worrying is stewing without doing.  Worry is also a fear-based emotion.  Playing off of Forgetting Everything’s All Right, I’m letting go of the emotional angst of worry.  After all, worry is only a question of what’s going to happen in the future.  From now on I’m going to “wonder” what will happen.  Instead of “I’m worried about what’s going to happen,” I choose to think (and speak) “I WONDER what’s going to happen.”  It’s open with positive expectation.

3.      BUT.  When’s the last time you were “but”ed in a conversation?  And how did it make you feel?  Negated, right?  And how about the popular phrase “yes, but”?  It sounds as if someone is agreeing with you but they’re not.  They’re negating your words (and consequently your opinion and you).  Instead of “but,” why not the word “and”?  “Yes, and have you thought of this?” Or, “yes, and I see it this way.”  AND is a word that affirms the other while opening them to another way of looking at something.  Your way.

Let go of these words and you’ll let go of a bit of negativity.