As I shared, my “theme” this year seems to have defined itself: Perspective. I continue to prayerfully consider my perspective on both every day life occurrences as well as the more complex things in life. One that was constantly nagging me were personality traits – particularly those of our kids. Having special needs kids sometimes I am the one that is guilty of labeling a personality trait negatively and sometimes it others who don’t know or understand our kids that use a negative connotation with their personality traits. So I want to walk through how I have changed perspective in regards to their personality traits.
B: Bossy = Confident. He knows exactly how he likes things to be.
Hyper = Exuberant, full of life!
Too Literal = He knows facts and understands truth.
Outspoken = He loves to socialize and is imaginative!
A: Bossy = Organized. She’s a planner and knows how to get things done.
Sensitive = Empathetic. She really feels emotions deeply – including those of others.
Refuses to be Wrong (Perfectionist – can be looked at in a negative tone) = Always wants to get things right. Pays close attention to detail. Perfectionist – in the good sense of the term!
C: Bossy = Strong-willed. This is a boy with determination!
Rough = Strong. He is physically strong. Due to being a sensory seeker he often pushes the limits, but he has such a kind heart that I know he doesn’t have mean intentions.
Anti-social = Selective. He chooses social connections carefully.
One thing you may notice is that one negative trait branched out into a totally different positive trait for each of our kids. I think it’s easy to group personality traits into negative traits, but a little harder to see them for the positive uniqueness that they really offer. Maybe you see negative traits in others or even yourself. I want to challenge you to look at them from a different perspective. Consider God’s perspective. How does He see others? How does He see you? Our kids are all very unique, and they are a huge blessing in our lives. Some days can, indeed, be frustrating, but I have to remember how unique each of them are and how special they are. It can really help to make it through a hard day when I look at it through a positive perspective!