New year offers chance to be new person January 30, 2009
Every year, as January 1st rolls around, questions begin to pop up about the new year. What will I change about myself? Will I start a new diet? Quit smoking? Read more? Each new year is seen as a new beginning, a new opportunity to explore yourself, and become the person you want to be.
To this end the Hastings Public Library has a range of books, with diverse methods, to help you figure out just who exactly you want to become in the year 2009. For starters “Who Do You Think You Are”, by Tucker Shaw, contains 12 chapters that use different tests to determine a different aspect of your life. These tests range from figuring out your Chinese animal, your enneagram type, and your sun sign. Each chapter then contains a detailed description of what your answer means, explaining gifts and weaknesses, and how you can relate to other people.
Another book similar to this one, but more based in psychological research, is “Type Talk: Or How to Determine Your Personality Type and Change Your Life”, by Otto Kroeger and Jane M. Thuesen. This book deals with the Myers-Briggs test, which after finishing procures a four letter type to identify a person’s personality. While many people take the Myers-Briggs test throughout their lifetime “TypeTalk” talks you through how to apply this test to every stage of life, from marriage and children to job hunting.
Likewise, “The Color Code: A New Way to See Yourself, Your Relationships, and Life”, by Taylor Hartman, uses a quiz to determine what color your personality is: red, blue, white, or yellow. Hartman then uses this color to explain the motives behind our actions and the actions of others. The last part of the book then shows how we can become our best color, and live our best life.
A very different way to learn about personalities is through the study of how a person writes, as is described in "Handwriting Analysis", by Dorothy Sara. An examination of the different strokes of a pencil can lead to some surprising insights into a person's psyche. How a person dots their "i"s and crosses their "t"s may seem to be insignificant, but this minor detail actually can tell if a person is punctional, stubborn, or critical. Sara even goes into the meaning of doodling, scribbles that appear to be nothing but too can provide insight.
A newer book the Hastings Public Library recently acquired is perfect for starting the new year off right. If you are looking for something new and exciting to try, "Get a Hobby: 101 All-Consuming Diversions for Any Lifestyle", by Tina Barseghian is perfect for you. If you want to find out what hobby is right for you the beginning contains a 19 question quiz that then determines your hobby personality. The 101 hobbies thus described throughout the rest of the book are categorized by these hobby personalities. For example, if your hobby personality is artistic, then you might liked animation, cake decorating, dancing, lace making, or pastry making. Or you can just browse through the hobbies, and read up on the ones that interest you. Each entry provides a playful description, complete with an overview, the history of the hobby, additional resources to learn more, and sample projects to get you started.
If you are wanting to find out just who you are this year, check out these great books at the Hastings Public Library!
