Personality Dimensions® – Colourful Travel

A while ago I was speaking with Lynda McKim. She was, as usual, making plans to travel. To say that Lynda likes to travel is about as understated as possible! I still vividly remember the photos she showed me following a trip that she and Rob, her late husband, had taken – of Lynda zip-lining from treetop to treetop! The grin on her face was unmistakable (Rob was quite happy to serve as official photographer, from the safety of the ground, as I recall).

Now, Lynda’s favourite travel companion is her cousin.  If her cousin can’t go, Lynda will change her plans until they can go together.  They spent 24 hours a day, for 31 days, in Europe and never even got the least bit annoyed with each other.  They both love seeing the same things, skipping the same things, eating the same things, spending money on the same things, scrimping on the same things and, most of all, doing the same things (although Lynda did confide that her cousin was a little hesitant about the para-gliding at first, but Lynda didn’t push and, surprise, surprise, they both went para-gliding in the end … and LOVED it).

Lynda said that she hasn’t ‘coloured’ her cousin, but she would be very surprised if she’s not very similar to Lynda, Resourceful Orange/Authentic Blue or Authentic Blue/Resourceful Orange. I’ve always admired Lynda’s “wow, there’s a chance to walk on a tightrope, let’s give it a try!” approach to life and it sounds like she and her cousin both enjoy the spontaneous freedom so typical of Resourceful Oranges that such an opportunity provides them with. On the other hand, being in the close company of someone for such a long period of time, and always agreeing with the other person is clear representation of the wonderful warm and caring values of Authentic Blues.

Speaking with Lynda brought to mind another conversation I had several years ago with a colleague who was planning a major trip with her husband. I asked her what her plans were, were there specific places or things that they wanted to experience or were they just going to see what evolved and enjoy whatever presented itself. Marilyn was almost horrified at the thought of just  letting the trip unfold on its own. She was absolutely adamant that it was essential that she be totally involved in planning every aspect of the trip to ensure that they didn’t miss anything that was important to them. She said that she and her husband enjoyed researching, planning, and looking forward to their travels almost as much as the trip itself. Marilyn’s need to do comprehensive research into places of interest is absolutely in line with her Inquiring Green preference and her love of actually planning the actual trip fits so well with her second colour preference of Organized Gold.

I know that para-gliding and zip-lining hold little appeal to me (but I have perfected the art of holding the coats/bags/other stuff that shouldn’t go on rides and waving and smiling at the same time), I can lose myself for hours on end in a museum. Likewise, hiking old railroad tracks in Algonquin Park and observing the forest, animals and birds or the night sky holds tremendous appeal to me. My kids were always thankful that their father enjoyed taking them to amusement parks, baseball cages and go-karts when they were young! Isn’t it interesting how we “are” who we are, even when we are at our most relaxed.

Denise Hughes is the Director and owner of Career/LifeSkills Resources Inc. and general editor of Personality Dimensions® materials and products. She just noticed the calendar and realized it is just past the 41st anniversary of her introduction to career and type and temperament materials. Those experiences and the expertise she gained through her years with the Guidance Centre, University of Toronto, and now with CLSR, continue to shape the direction that both Career/LifeSkills Resources and Personality Dimensions® take.