This week on my MBTI Facebook Page, I asked each type to share a personal epiphany they’d had that had significantly impacted their lives. Here’s what 14 Guardian Personalities – ESFJs, ISFJs, ESTJs and ISTJs – had to say about the particular piece of wisdom that turned things around for them.
1. “Over time I’ve come to realize that I’m allowed to not have it all together sometimes too. That showing signs of weakness, asking for help and allowing myself to be taken care of is good for me and doesn’t mean I’m any less capable or caring.” –ESFJ
2. “I’ve learned that not everything has to be planned out. Some of the best decisions I’ve made happened after I told myself to just chill.” –ESFJ
3. “Something I’ve realized is that when we are worried about how we appear to other people, the likelihood is that others are also just worrying about how they appear to us so no one is likely to notice our awkwardness because they are all just paying attention to their own awkwardness. This can be either depressing or freeing to realize.” –ISFJ
4. “For ISFJs, everything is about pleasing other people and being there for them. But a lot of time people take advantage and we feel unappreciated and used. I’ve learned after all this time that if someone isn’t willing to give you their time then they just don’t deserve yours.” –ISFJ
5. “I’ve learned to accept that I can’t control everything. Sometimes I just need to forget the rules and spend time enjoying the moment.” –ISTJ
6. “I’ve learned that sometimes there’s a divide between what we want to do and what we feel we need to do to help others, and that sometimes there’s no way to blend the two and we just have to decide. Yes, I have ‘savior complex’, and it’s not always healthy. Giving up my health/wellbeing/happiness for others isn’t always the best choice, and it’s important to realize that I don’t always have to see myself as a ‘martyr’ for the world.” –ESFJ
7. “Recently, I have discovered the how important it is to accept emotions. I have realized I am more emotional and sensitive than I would like to be, but I am learning that it is how I was created. Emotions are not a bad thing that should be avoided at all costs. They should be embraced and can have a positive impact on our decisions. Just because I feel things more deeply does not mean I am weak.” –ISFJ
8. “I’ve learned that one person absolutely CAN make a difference.” –ESFJ
9. “An epiphany I’ve had is that I am, in fact, a perfectionist. I never thought I was one because I’m not perfect and my therapist said that was a telltale sign of a perfectionist.” –ISTJ
10. “The most important epiphany I’ve had was after meeting my husband (an ENTP), and seeing how much he was open to the world, and all its possibilities, and that despite his completely different approach to life, things didn’t fall apart around him. It encouraged me to loosen up and let go as well (to a degree – I’m still an ESTJ, and get anxious and cranky if we go too far off course.)” –ESTJ
11. “It sounds simple but an important realization I’ve had is that I can invest in more than one person at once.” –ISFJ
12. “Over the years I’ve come to learn that I need to not get upset about things I have no control over or cannot change.” –ISFJ
13. “Although my learning style is a mixture of trial and error and theoretical, I also felt guilty when I make mistakes due to the inner voices from childhood. Accepting that helped to stop me reliving mistakes in my mind over and over to death.” –ESTJ
14. “An important realization I’ve had is that I cannot and should not be saving people. Ever. I don’t know what’s best for anybody but me. I am not an authority on any life but my own. Life is much calmer when I don’t meddle, fix, smother, or tell people how to live their life. I need to focus on my own!” –ESFJ
