Are you Type A or B?
The other day during conversation, the discussion of Type A people came up. After a few back and forths about who is and isn’t type A and exactly what it all means anyways, I made my usual joke about being a solid B+, a former type A who lost their grip and has now slid down to the B range. Finally, the question arrived “where did this whole idea of type A and type B come from anyways?” In case you are unfamiliar with Type A & B personality types, type A is usually characterized as outgoing, ambitious, highly organized, status conscious, impatient, anxious, and concerned with time management whereas type B personalities are considered easy going, relaxed, carefree, flexible, philosophical, and have a good work/life balance. There is a common misperception that a Type A personality is better than Type B because Type A’s are viewed as being hard working, motivated and competitive whereas Type B’s are often seen as less productive and have a more relaxed, carefree style, which is often viewed as not as serious and unprofessional.
After a quick google search, it turns out that the type A and B personality behavior was first described in the 1950s by cardiologists Meyer Friedmand and Ray Rosenman. The researchers were looking at behavioral characteristics that could potentially increase the risk of coronary heart disease. Interestingly enough, they credit the insight of their upholsterer who noticed that only the arms and front edges of the chairs in the waiting rooms were worn out, indicating patients were frequently getting up from their chairs and anxiously waiting for their appointment. This insight precipitated an eight and a half year long study on behavior and heart disease. The credibility of this study was later cast under suspicion as the funding from the tobacco industry muddied the waters trying to link type A behaviors as the real risk factor to heart disease and not smoking. Regardless of the history, the categorization of people as Type A or B persists today.
The human need to categorize and make sense of the world is the driver of many studies, conversations and therapy sessions. We seem to have a need to make sense of the world, creating convoluted interpretations and expressions that help us feel safe, connected, and in control. Then I stumbled upon this Rumi quote, Rumi was a solid Type B for sure.
“for the longest time, it feels like I have been trying to makes sense of life but now I see there is no sense to be made, only life to be lived. There is no set purpose to fulfill, there are no checklists to complete, just an ephemeral moment to breathe, to love, to be kind, to feel. Life is in all the simple, little things that we so often overlook, uncomplicate your heart. Be here, be present, embrace your own journey. There is so much beauty and wonder to be found right where you are.” Rumi
So simple, that it seems impossible. No amount of thinking, will ever get us where we really want to be. We cannot think our way to peace, harmony or bliss. Reading, understanding and discussing esoteric texts does not make you enlightened. It is the act of being fully present in the moment, every moment, not just the scheduled meditation, yoga session, or spiritual practice. Being fully alive, aware, immersed in each moment of this beautiful complexity we call life.
Easier said than done, however, the more you practice, the easier it becomes. Practice is essential for mastery of anything, so why not practice for mastery of life? Essential practices include anything that brings you into that sweet moment of present awareness. For me, dancing, yoga, hiking, meditation and yoga nidra all provide me with moments to be in full awareness of my own being. We all have those glimpses, those delicious moments of silence between thoughts, as Eckhart Tolle says “Enlightenment is the space between your thoughts. It's not what we think but what happens in between that brings us peace.”
Wishing you all a week full of space between your thoughts.
Blessings,
Kirsten
