Alcohol

Reasons why people drink:
To forget
To hide the pain
To relax
To be more outgoing
To have fun
To be braver
To fit in
To lose control
To get away
To not have to be responsible

Reasons why people don't:
It's illegal for people under the age of 21
To set a good example
To follow a good example
Because it tastes weird
To stay in control
To keep their friends safe (Designated Drivers)
Because it's unhealthy
To make wise choices
To not take advantage of others
To avoid date rape

Alcohol's impact on my life:
My mom's father used to drink, and it had a negative impact on her life as a child, therefore she does not allow alcohol in our current household. She has maybe one or two drinks a year- a strawberry margarita when we vacation in Laughlin, Nevada in the summer. My dad drinks a beer or two during the Superbowl over at our neighbor's house, but he's allergic to alcohol, so he never has enough to cause any damage. No one in our house drinks, smokes, or does drugs, so basically, I've been pretty sheltered from that aspect of life while growing up. Thank you, Jesus.

Strengths and Weaknesses

My strengths are Adaptability, Input, Developer, Harmony, and Empathy. These could all easily become weaknesses, so this semester, I must try hard to build on these strengths.

Adaptability means that I am easily distracted, and not as organized as I could be. To make better use of this strength, I should try partnering with someone with strong Discipline, Consistency, or Arranger talents to pick up some time management/efficiency skills to keep me on track when I'm under pressure.

Having the strength of Input suggests that I should partner with people with Focus or Discipline talents to organize what I've learned and to be more productive with this skill. I also should set time limits on researching, so I don't get carried away.

Developer means that while I may be able to notice the "baby steps" of progress, I need to be able to articulate these intermediate steps to others who expect bigger steps. This strength is very focused on encouraging others, so I should be careful to take time to encourage them.

Since I have Harmony as a strength, I need to remember that conflict is inevitable and sometimes necessary. I should partner with people with powerful Command or Activator talents to promote more positive group interactions during the conflict. I also need to be more open with my feelings, even though it may lead to a disagreement.

I need to take time at the end of the day to let go of all the stress my Empathy talents can cause, and establish clear boundaries between myself and those with whom I connect, otherwise I can become emotionally drained.