March 2017 – blog.colorcode.com

Recognizing the Good in Your Red Child

For those who are raising one or more Red children and are struggling to do so, here are some strengths Red children have that you can focus on.

Parenting is exhausting as it is, and if you are the parent of a Red child, you may find yourself in over your head as you learn to handle some of their difficult limitations. As children, Reds can be poor listeners, defiant and resisting of control, critical of their parents and demanding and manipulative of their parents to get their way. Are you pulling out your hair yet?

Yes, Red children have limitations that will aggravate their parents, however, they also have some fantastic strengths. If you’re raising a Red and are wanting to focus on the positive in them, take a look at these strengths Red children possess.

Red children communicate what they are thinking.

You don’t have to play any guessing games! Sure, if the dinner you make tastes gross to them, they’ll make it known, but it’s nice not to wonder what’s going on inside their head or if they’re really happy about something. They’ll tell you their opinions and in turn, you can engage each other in conversation! Plus, the honesty of children can be hilarious!

Red children have a strong sense of independence.

This is especially nice when you have several children to care for. Who doesn’t want a child that wakes up on their own, makes themselves breakfast and gets themselves ready? And doesn’t it make it easier to send your child off to school knowing they can hold their own? An independent child makes for a low maintenance child in some areas.

Red children are willing to risk and try new experiences.

What a great quality! If you’re wanting to take your family on a boating trip, your child may be first in line to try out wake boarding. When it comes to extracurricular activities, they won’t be shy to run for student government or try out for the soccer team. While some kids may be too afraid of failure, your Red child is willing to risk failure for something that leads to success. (And they probably don’t think failure is an option!)

Red children take charge when their parents are gone.

Why hire a babysitter when your Red 9-year-old is just as capable? 😉 Red children are comfortable in the lead. They will feed their siblings dinner, change diapers and make sure their younger siblings are punished if they don’t obey bedtime! 😉

Red children are self-confident in their ability to perform.

When you think about it, kids will be required to or have the opportunity to perform a lot. Whether it’s performing on tests, in spelling bees, in the school play or the other various activities they find themselves involved in or exposed to, Red kids will benefit from their ability to be confident in their performance. While some kids get nervous for the limelight, your Red child will be comfortable there.

Can you see how awesome it can be to raise a Red? Their strong personality may be tough to handle at times, but it can also bring a lot of fun to the family. Parents who’ve raised Reds, what do you love most about your Red child? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

—The Color Code Team

5 Ways Yellow Parents Are Awesome

This post highlights some of the strengths of Yellow parents.

In our last “Ask the Expert” post, Jeremy Daniel responded to a woman who wanted to know what strengths she brought as a parent as a Red. This woman said she was very well aware of her limitations. Does that sound familiar to anyone? Parenting is the hardest job in the world, and it may be very easy to see your limitations as a parent while being somewhat blind to your strengths.

I have two wonderful parents, one Blue and one Yellow. As a Blue myself, it’s very helpful to have a Blue mom who is sensitive to my emotional needs and who appreciates and understands me. I could go on and on about the strengths she’s brought to our family as a Blue (and maybe I will in a future post), but today I want to talk about the strengths my Yellow dad brought as a parent. In turn, I hope the other Yellow parents are able to recognize these strengths in themselves and hopefully see the value they’ve brought to their own families. Of course, the Yellows reading this may already see themselves as being pretty great, but just in case you’re having doubts, I’ll reassure you of your awesomeness. 😉

The strengths I mention are specific to Yellow parents.

Yellow parents flow easily with negative experiences

As a Blue, I am definitely opposite of this. I feel ALL the feels. If something negative happened growing up, whether it be friend drama or boy problems, my dad exuded an attitude that helped me believe my life was not completely falling apart and that things WOULD work out in the end. If something negative happened in his personal life, I literally didn’t even know about it or it didn’t seem to bother him too much. He never complained about his job and when he lost his job a few years ago, I felt the sad and angry emotions while he maintained a positive attitude that he would be taken care of.

Yellow parents are highly entertaining

Who doesn’t like to be entertained? When I was in 3rd grade, different parents of students in my class would come into our classroom every so often and educate us about influential musicians. Of course, the norm was to learn about Bach, Beethoven and the like. Well when my dad came in, he decided to teach us 9-year-olds about The Beatles. He asked if anyone in our class had a birthday coming up, and when a boy raised his hand he had him come up and he played The Beatles’ song “Birthday” for him. I’m pretty sure he whipped out his trusty air guitar, too. He is very comfortable in front of an audience, and he doesn’t disappoint with his killer Neil Diamond impression and corny Dad jokes.

Yellow parents are very present in the moment

We’ve all seen the movies where the parents are more concerned with work than with their children. I was lucky enough that when my dad left work, he left work. Although he was busy with work and church responsibilities when I was growing up, he made a lot of time for his family, and he was always present with us. If we went out to dinner or on vacation he was there to have quality conversation with us and enjoy the activities we were doing.

Yellow parents are excellent short-term leaders

When it came to some of my more complicated or creative school projects or contests, my dad was great at taking the lead. In 8th grade, my science teacher assigned us to create a contraption that would crush a grape through the use of simple machines. For a girl who hates science, that was very overwhelming! In stepped my dad. Over the weekend, he took me shopping for the parts and proceeded to basically do my project for me as I watched him without a clue. He was always good at taking over short-term projects like that as well as the pumpkin-carving contest at school and answering boys to dances in creative ways.

Yellow parents promote fun family activities

When I was a kid, my family was listening to the song “Nowhere Man” by The Beatles. (Can you tell my dad is Beatles obsessed?) As we were listening to the lyrics, “He’s a real nowhere man sitting in his nowhere land making all his nowhere plans for nobody,” we kids asked my dad where “nowhere” was and how somebody could go to a place when it was called “nowhere.” Rather than explaining the meaning behind the song, he packed us in the car and drove us for about 45 minutes up to the mountains, or in other words, in the middle of nowhere. He told us that this was “nowhere,” and to this day we call that area by the same name!

Yellows, your suspicions were correct…you guys are great parents! Your kids are lucky to have you. Readers, what are some of your favorite strengths about your Yellow parents? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Megan Christensen graduated from Brigham Young University-Idaho in 2014 with a Bachelor’s degree in communication. She previously worked as the head writer for KSL.com and is now the digital content manager for the Color Code. Her core color is Blue, but she is almost just as White.

Five Things Blues Should Do Before They’re 30

This article lists and discusses five things the Blue personality should do before they turn 30.

As humans, we seem to thrive on to-do lists of sorts. We make to-do lists for our days and bucket lists for our lives. We set New Year’s resolutions, we have planners and organizational apps. You may feel like you don’t need another list, but the Blues out there may find this is one that adds value to their life and their journey of becoming a better or happier person.

Five Things Blues Should Do Before They’re 30

1. Create something uniquely personal

Blues usually struggle to believe in their own creative talents. They are so self-doubting and demanding of themselves that they often hide their skills and abilities because they fear they aren’t good enough. But Blues are often very talented and creative. Walt Disney was a Blue! Can you imagine a world without the creative genius and magic of Disney movies and Disney parks? It would be a sad life. Blues, instead of hiding your talents, find them and use them! Have you ever wanted to write a book, choreograph a musical or get into painting? Don’t delay! The world could use your creative talents!

2. Become competent at a skill you value

Blues are very self-disciplined. When they throw themselves into a project, it brings out the best in them. One of their natural strengths is being detail conscious. Use these qualities to your advantage! Find a project you’d like to swallow and let it reveal your strengths. If you’ve always wanted to become a yoga instructor, rely on your self-discipline to get you on the mat daily. If you’d like to start a photography business, begin by taking photos daily and posting them on Instagram.

3. Experience something new

This is where your Yellow friends come in handy. Blues are not very spontaneous and they are risk averse. They really like routine. Not that you have to take a great risk or forgo your beloved routine, but it’s important that you experience life. Rather than taking the same vacation to the same beach year after year, try going to Paris or Portugal. Instead of ordering the same fajitas at Chili’s, go out on a limb and try the buffalo wings (they’re delicious!)

4. Tell yourself you’re amazing

You know that scene in “What About Bob?” when Bill Murray is chanting to himself, “I feel good, I feel great, I feel wonderful?” Well, it may be a good idea for you to come up with your own mantra along the lines of, “I AM good, I AM great, I AM wonderful.” Blues are hard on themselves. They have unrealistic expectations of themselves and demand a lot from themselves. You’re not going to change that overnight, but it’s important to have a healthy relationship with yourself, and you’re probably going to like yourself a whole lot more if you treat yourself better. Even if you feel silly, telling yourself you’re amazing every day may help combat some of that self-doubt!

5. Forgive someone who didn’t measure up!

Blues forgive less than the other personalities. Blues are capable of forgiving, they just have a hard time doing it. They take things personally and when an offense occurs, it roots itself at their deepest core, making forgiveness a much more difficult challenge than for other colors. Blues are also very critical of themselves and of others. Don’t worry Blues, you have fantastic strengths, but it’s important that you hear the limitations as well so you can work to become better. The next time someone says something that offends you, try to work on choosing not to take it personally and letting it go — especially if they didn’t mean offense!

Exhale. Blues, that may have been painful to read at times and it may have been positive and enlightening to read. Whatever you felt while reading this, just know you are an extremely important personality and we want you to have a positive relationship with yourself and others. If anyone over 30 has accomplished these feats, share your perspective in the comments below!
— The Color Code Team

Admiring and Learning From the White Personality

Whites are the peaceful, calm, kind people among us. And though they have limitations like the rest of us, they have really admirable strengths. In this article, we will explore some of those strengths so us Yellows, Blues and Reds can appreciate and hopefully replicate them.

You know that moment when someone irks you and you snap back an angry retort, only to wish you could take it back seconds after you say it? A lot of us say things we regret frequently and maybe wish we could just learn to keep our mouths shut. For those who are nodding their head, let’s step out of our own lives for a minute and learn how to be more like the personality type who emulates qualities we so wish we had: The Whites.

Whites are accepting

Have you ever had that friend who you could talk to without being judged or with whom you felt didn’t expect you to be more than simply who you are? There’s a good chance either their primary or secondary color was White. Whites have the easiest time of all the colors being friends with each of the four personalities. Whites are able to find the good in anyone, so accepting others is easy for them. People like the fact that Whites have minimal expectations of others. Whites value others for their diversity, and in return, people seek their nonjudgmental companionship. Whites like doing just about anything with anyone in any place.

Whites are diplomatic

Whites move quietly through life with an easy, unruffled style. They work to obtain a peaceful coexistence among all things living. Whites are very compatible with almost everyone they encounter because they have a gentle diplomacy that normally shines through. Do you have any friends who seem to get along easily with difficult personalities or at least personalities that are difficult for you to get along with? They may be a White! Whites are the only color that can score 25 percent on each color of the Color Code profile. Their fluidity allows them to embrace other colors’ gifts, but their innate core remains peace.

Whites are peaceful

Whites are amazing peacemakers. They sincerely believe in the value of diplomacy and they diligently seek to promote cooperation at all costs. It confuses them when people fight over petty issues. They don’t want to start fights. The social media world would benefit from more Whites. We’ve likely all witnessed awkward, resentful fights about politics, religion or maybe even what so-and-so wore to the Grammy’s on Facebook and it’s amazing what people say to each other behind a screen. The Whites are the ones staying out of it and surely enjoying their day far more than everyone else because of it!

Whites are tolerant and patient

Whites feel it is important for them to hear and see all sides of an issue before forming their opinion. What an admirable quality! Therefore, they invite differences of opinion where other personalities don’t. They are a lot less biased than other personalities, so they are able to enjoy a large variety of people and preferences without prejudice. Whites are charitable about others’ motives and choices despite the negative impact said motives and choices may have on them.

Maybe you knew Whites were great, but did you know how amazing they can be?! Our world is a much better place because of the White personalities in our midst. They’re not going to show off their qualities, so it’s important that we recognize and value them. Next time you’re wrapped up in an argument, think about what a White would do, and you’ll come out on top! Hopefully by learning about and trying to apply these qualities in your own life, you will be happier individuals!

-The Color Code Team

Parent Like a Red: 7 Tips for Raising Amazing Children!

A Color Code expert teaches a Red about the positive qualities she brings to parenting.

Dear Jeremy,

As a high Red, What sorts of positive traits do I bring to parenting? (I’m very well aware of the obstacles/negative traits). I really struggle to feel fulfilled at home with little kids, especially because I have a high-powered job that I find exciting and challenging … but I also want to be happy on the weekends when I’m home with my kids!

Thanks!!

Lisa C.

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Dear Lisa,

Thank you so much for asking this question! I’ve been married to a wonderful Red for over 18 years. We have four kids who adore her; however, sometimes she doesn’t see the same value in herself as they see in her. Sound familiar?

So, I’d like to answer your question and dedicate this post to both of you so that you can hopefully see the gift that you are to the rest of us.

Obviously work and family life are very different. As a Red, sometimes work life may seem quite a bit easier. You are challenged. You make things happen. You have goals and deadlines. And then, of course, there are those wonderful weekly paychecks!

It’s all so logical, and dysfunction is not tolerated long-term because if you can’t be efficient and productive (my wife’s favorite adjectives), you will simply be asked to find another job.

Right?! It’s a Red’s kind of world, for sure.

Then there’s family life, which can be so opposite.

It can be so irrational at times. You try to make things happen, but sometimes those darn 3-year-olds just refuse to cooperate! People create chaos instead of order. Children can be defiant, and there is very little respect for their “leaders.”

There are no scheduled “emotional paychecks,” and you can’t “fire” your kids for not measuring up to expectations.

BUT…

Your nature brings so many gifts to their very existence from which they will benefit for the rest of their lives.

I’m prepared to give you seven examples here:

1. You teach and model urgency.

Abraham Lincoln once said, “Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle.”

As a Red parent, you teach your kids, by example, to be go-getters. You instill in them a sense that if you want something in life, you need to take the responsibility upon yourself to make it happen.

They may not like it at the time. They may even fight you on it, but those hard lessons pay BIG dividends later in life.

2. You are a practical problem solver.

You see logical answers to problems and instinctively move to solve them. When your children are emotional and frazzled, you don’t get drawn into the despair. No, you RALLY! (and you teach them to do the same).

Learning to move from an unproductive emotional state to a more productive rational one is a tool that your children absolutely need in order to thrive in a world that is full of problems, challenges and complicated issues that will affect them.

3. You create action and adventure.

There are two types of people in this world – those who have grand dreams and those who actively pursue them.

What kind of person do you hope your child will be?

Walt Disney said, “If you can dream it, you can do it.” The focus here, of course, is on the action and the achievement – not the daydream.

That is one of the great gifts you bring to the table. If your child told you that he/she wanted to try out for the basketball team, or be a heart surgeon, or travel through Europe, you would never respond by saying something like, “wouldn’t that be nice?”

No way! Through my own personal experience, I know what you would do is help them chart their course and gather the supplies they will need for their journey.

4. You help them feel secure.

Whether you realize it or not, I promise that to your children, you are an absolute rock. Kids need that, because sometimes even kid life can be scary.

In their eyes, you are fearless. You are bold. And if, by chance, a mountain somewhere needed to be moved, they know you could do it.

I know you feel insecure inside – just like everybody else – but you likely don’t show it or panic under pressure or get easily overwhelmed. Never underestimate the value of that.

Further, Red parents tend to be resourceful in providing for the financial security of families. They work hard and smart to always keep things on track and to prepare for the future.

5. You provide structure.

Kids don’t want to be responsible, dislike doing homework and hate eating their vegetables (at least the non-Blue kids – haha!)

Your response? “Tough!”

You teach that there must be structure and order to things. You know the value of responsibility and have your sight set on a much larger vision. You are willing to sacrifice in the short term to win in the end.

Show me an adult who never learned that lesson, and I’ll show you a very limited and unfulfilled human being. That is NOT an option for your kids – even if you have to be the “bad guy” every now and then.

6. You teach them to be resolute and to never give up!

Victories that come easily do little to shape character. One year, my wife chose the following theme for our family: “We can do hard things.” She pushed everyone to challenge themselves to do something difficult and daunting, which is a very Red mind set.

You never shy away from a challenge, and if you decide you are going to compete for something, you will stop at nothing on your way to achieving your goal.

You teach your children to have that same resolve. You help them learn from their mistakes and rise up stronger and better each time they fall short.

7. You give them the confidence to believe in themselves!

Self-confidence comes from doing, from achieving, from taking something on and seeing it through to the end.

That style is all you know, and you support your children in adopting that same mentality.

I have a daughter with a White personality. She is naturally abundantly kind, but is not necessarily outgoing and friendly. She wanted to run for student government, but didn’t think she would be elected.

In stepped my Red wife, whom I affectionately refer to as my daughter’s “life coach.” She gives her mini-assignments to work on daily. Some are as simple as asking three people what they did over the weekend and then show interest in their responses. Some are outlining the steps for a successful campaign, or asking her how she would design posters and handouts, etc.

Would you believe that my daughter is her 9th grade class president and is running for president again next year?

Confidence, like anything, can be taught, and I can think of no better role model than YOU.

In conclusion…

So there you have it, Lisa. I hope that you are beginning to see the wonder of who you are and what you mean to your children.

Can you imagine what they will achieve in the future and the example they will grow up to be for their children and their grandchildren because of the lessons you teach on a daily basis?

You are establishing a legacy that we should all work to emulate.

Here’s to the magic of YOU!

Jeremy Daniel

Jeremy Daniel is the Vice President of Training for Color Code. He leads our Trainer Certification Program and has been teaching the Color Code and delivering motive-based applications to clients internationally since 1998.

Do Personality Tests “Profile?”

There are many very positive reasons companies use personality assessments as an integral part of their recruitment model and management training process. These valuable tools benefit not only the company using them, but their future employees as well.

As more and more companies are using personality tests as recruitment and management tools, the question arises, “Do these tests profile?”

According to Merriam-Webster, the definition of profile includes, “…the extent to which an individual exhibits traits or abilities as determined by tests or ratings.”

So, in the very strict sense of the word, the answer is yes.

However, the way in which the question is asked often indicates that personality testing is negative and intrusive — a violation of our most personal self, and perhaps that is the issue that should be addressed.

What Color Code profiles is a person’s innate personality and, in fact, we go deeper to profile a person’s driving core motive. In other words, we identify the needs and wants, instincts and preferences based on what driving core motive they were born with.

Why is this positive?

Corporate Culture

Businesses, like people, have personalities that shape their corporate culture. It is important for both the company and the employee to ensure a good cultural fit. In fact, Harvard Business Review states that according to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), “Culture fit is the glue that holds an organization together. That’s why it’s a key trait to look for when recruiting. The result of poor culture fit due to turnover can cost an organization between 50-60 percent of the person’s annual salary.”

As an example, imagine that you run a company with a proven laid-back style. You don’t have a time clock or dress code. You trust that your employees will put in their time whenever. Creativity is important, and you provide a room with a Ping-Pong table and beanbag chairs to stimulate brainstorming. Now imagine that one of your job candidates has all of the qualifications you require, but believes in the adage “dress for success” and thinks employees should adhere to a strict timetable and should buckle down to work “while on the clock.” It is unlikely that he will change his personality and accept the laid-back style — leading to a very real possibility of conflict and discontentment, leaving everyone unhappy.

Management

Studies abound on the subject of employee retention. Without exception the saying “employees don’t leave companies, they leave managers” is the main theme. Forbes Magazine states, “Wherever the macro trends are headed, the ability to engage and retain talented employees is a critical skill for managers.”

Providing managers with the tools to facilitate the communication style required with each personality is of great value. Knowing the needs and wants—what makes them tick—is integral in the communication process. If, for example, you have an employee who is a smart, hard-working problem solver but likes to work by himself and avoids interoffice conflict at all costs, you would know that rewarding him with a management position might not be what is best for him or the company.

Employee Engagement

A Gallup study of 7,272 U.S. adults revealed that one in two had left their job to get away from their manager to improve their overall life at some point in their career. According to the same study, and equally troubling, is that employees who have a bad relationship with their boss can be up to a staggering 70 percent disengaged.

That means that for every employee who is engaged nearly three are not! The cost of employee disengagement and employee attrition can have a huge and negative effect on a company’s bottom line.

Color Code believes that any color can do any job, but based on the innate motive of an individual, we can also pinpoint the likelihood that person WANTS to do that job — and therefore will be content doing it. We can determine, based on the employees’ needs and wants, the likelihood that they will fit comfortably within the corporate culture — a win/win for the company and the employee.

Personality assessments have been used in the Western civilization since the time of Hippocrates—whose own personality assessment determined that we are not homogenous personality-wise, and there is nothing negative about that.

Teresa Glenn has been working with the Color Code since 2006, where her main focus is product development. She has been in the publishing and product development field for over 20 years. Teresa is a core Red with a strong Yellow secondary.

My Red Best Friend

A Blue personality discusses what she admires about her Red best friend in spite of these two heavyweight colors frequently clashing.

When I was four years old, my family moved to a new city and I found myself invited to a Valentine’s Day party attended by new, unfamiliar faces. While at the party, a timid, Blue/White me steadfastly stayed by my mother’s side, too shy to try to make new friends. As the story goes, a little girl, noticing my timidity and hearing my plight of being “the new kid,” marched up to my mom and I and stated confidently, “I’ll take care of her!”

I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that child was a Red. And true to her bold declaration, she did take care of me and has continued to do so for the last 21 years. Yes, I am a Blue and my best friend is a Red. And though these two colors don’t always get along, we can learn a lot from each other. I admire a lot about my BFF and continue to learn from her strengths.

In this post, I’m going to share some things I admire about her as a Red and hopefully other Blues will take note. When we don’t get along with certain personality types, it can be hard to appreciate them for the value they do bring. Reds and Blues naturally clash, but they both have so much to offer and would be wise to learn to appreciate one another. It should be noted that I have a lot of White characteristics, so my friend’s Red complements that nicely. Regardless of whether our personalities have complemented one another or clashed, here are some things I admire about her (and other Reds) that hopefully will help you identify some great qualities in your Red friend(s):

She takes action

One of the Red strengths is being action-oriented. This is so true about my friend — Aubree would not be Aubree without action. As kids, this was a lot of fun, because we were rarely bored. Like I mentioned, although I’m a core Blue, I’ve got a lot of White characteristics as well, so she helped drive me to action, which I needed. I remember during the Paralympics in 2002 we heard about a team from Romania who had lost their luggage. Rather than simply feeling bad for them and moving on, Aubree and I knocked door-to-door in our neighborhood collecting money for these athletes. We probably only scrounged up around $27 dollars, but we didn’t stop at that. We ended up having dinner with these athletes when they came to town and presenting our “generous” donation. I am positive I would have never had this — and other similar experiences — if not for my Red buddy.

She’s a great leader

Reds are known for leadership, and Aubree does not disappoint. I prefer to follow rather than lead, so it works great for our friendship. In my adult years, I’ve been given more opportunities to lead and I don’t know that I would have succeeded as well as I have if not for the example of the friend who was found at my side through my adolescence. If we were babysitting together, she was there to take charge during crises. When we worked on the stage crew for our junior high musical, she was made stage manager and went above and beyond the call. When we and two other friends formed an unofficial foursquare team at recess in elementary school, we were called “The Aubree Team.” The name was very fitting.

She is confident

I believe confidence takes a person really far in life. I really admire Aubree’s confidence, because it leads her to becoming involved. Growing up she was involved in dance, piano lessons, cello lessons, soccer, tennis, Youth City Council and student government. Today she expertly mothers her two toddlers and successfully works four part-time jobs. I believe her success comes from her confidence not because she believes she’s the best but because she believes she can. I have a lot to learn from that! My perfectionistic nature could learn a thing or two about confidence so I can drop trying to be perfect and pick up just doing it!

She is determined

While I’m one of those people who sees a 1,000-piece puzzle and thinks “no thanks,” Aubree is the type who sees it as a challenge to be conquered. And while I’m not sure she’s actually done a 1,000-piece puzzle, I’m positive she would finish no matter what it takes. Aubree is very determined, despite detrimental consequences. Several years ago, she ran a lengthy race on an injured foot, and instead of quitting when it was causing her a lot of pain, she pushed through and finished. I’m sure her determination has led to her many successes in life and although I can’t say I’d like to run a race on a hurt foot, I would like to try and finish more challenging projects.

A Note to the Readers

Readers, does this sound like your Red friends? Whether we understand Reds or not, we sure are blessed to have them in our lives. If you’re anything like me, be sure to take some notes on the Reds in your life so you can try to emulate their wonderful qualities. If you personally feel intimidated by Reds or you are having a hard time fostering relationships with them, try focusing on their strong, positive qualities and how those qualities balance some of your own. Hopefully, by applying that, you can better connect with and appreciate the Reds surrounding you. Good luck!

Life Lessons We Can Learn From Yellows

For the worried Blue readers out there, the intense Red readers and the indifferent White readers, let’s take a page out of a Yellow’s book and learn more about why life is so fun for them.

It’s hard not to love a healthy Yellow. Even if you can’t keep up with their spontaneity, they sure are fun to have around. Yellows love life, which is something a lot of people hope to achieve. While every color has many qualities to admire, today’s post will focus on what we can learn from the Yellow personality.

For the worried Blue readers out there, the intense Red readers and the indifferent White readers, let’s take a page out of a Yellow’s book and learn more about why life is so fun for them.

Yellows are fun-loving

The Yellow Driving Core Motive is fun. Yellows properly define fun. Fun means enjoying someone or something simply for the sake of enjoyment. It has nothing to do with results or improvement or complex meaning. Fun means enjoying whoever or whatever you are in the moment. Blues, Whites and Reds, instead of overly worrying about your fun plans going perfectly or defining fun as something more complex or difficult to achieve, think like a Yellow and simply have the fun without making more out of it than it is.

Yellows are happy

Yellows have an innate ability to be happy. Yellows focus on appreciating what they have rather than ruminating on what they lack. Yellows wake up happy daily. Blues think they must be taking medicine because they don’t think anybody can be that happy. But Yellows are. If you struggle to adopt the happiness of a Yellow, try focusing on gratitude — it seems to work for them!

Yellows are enthusiastic

Yellows represent enthusiasm and share this excitement with everyone they meet. They are terrific at social involvements and have a way of making a party out of everyday living. They remind us of our youth and the joy that comes from innocent hopes and optimistic dreams. If you’d like to be more enthusiastic like a Yellow, find something you are passionate about and share it with those you love. It’s a start!

Yellows are optimistic

Yellows always see the glass as half full. They know things will work out no matter how desperate the situation is. Yellows have a lot of faith in humanity and in life. Subsequently, life and humanity show a lot of faith in Yellows. They have the uncanny ability to land on their feet regardless of where they fall. Faith can be a scary thing for a lot of people, but it’s an important lesson we can learn from Yellows. If you’re looking to develop more faith and optimism, start with something small — like believing at least one good thing will happen to you on any given day — then let optimism become a habit.

Yellows are playful

None of the other colors play like a Yellow does. They are extremely spontaneous and are always ready to do something fun. A Yellow’s play does not need to be productive. The activity of play is, in itself, valuable enough to warrant a Yellow’s attention. Yellows love to celebrate anything they can. They love holidays and special moments and will take advantage of any opportunity to have fun. If you are someone who struggles to relax enough to just play, learn this lesson from a Yellow. Say yes to more opportunities to have fun. You don’t have to give up your need for alone time, structure or productivity, but you can learn to have more fun in life.

The Yellows are probably out playing as the Reds, Whites and Blues read this, so now that you’ve come to the end of this blog post, don’t forget to go out and enjoy life. We all have a lot to learn from Yellows, but don’t feel too bad — Yellows have a lot to learn from everyone else too.

—The Color Code Team

The Dos and Don’ts of a Relationship with a Blue

To help you develop a positive connection with Blues, we’d like to provide you with some “Dos” and “Don’ts.” By reading the following list, hopefully you will be able to not only develop a positive connection with them, but understand them better as well.

The Driving Core Motive of a Blue personality is intimacy. They want to connect with you! In return, they NEED to be understood. This may prove difficult for others to do because Blues are highly complex people. They are simultaneously sensitive, intense, caring, critical, giving and unforgiving.

Regardless of their complexity, it is worthwhile to pursue a connection with a Blue. Life cannot bestow on anyone a more gratifying reward than the sincere appreciation and trust of a Blue friend, coworker or family member.

To help you develop a positive connection with Blues, we’d like to provide you with some “Dos” and “Don’ts.”By reading the following list, hopefully you will be able to not only develop a positive connection with them, but understand them better as well.

DO

Emphasize their security in the relationship

As friends, Blues are very insecure about others’ acceptance and approval. They also feel rejected easily. On the positive side, Blue friends will be loyal forever once a friendship is established. In return, they expect their friends to maintain strong loyalty. To develop a positive connection with a Blue, try emphasizing their security in your relationship by letting them know how much their friendship means to you and make sure to instigate opportunities to get together with them. Sending them an appreciative text message once in awhile or having monthly lunches with them may go a long way.

Be sincere and genuine

Blues’ trademarks are their loyalty to people and their sincerity in relationships at home and at work. Blues genuinely care how their friends are doing. In developing a positive connection with a Blue, give them a taste of their own medicine and be sincere and genuine right back. If they’re going through a hard time, show them you sincerely care by checking up on them regularly. When sharing your life with them, be real.

Appreciate them

Blues need to be appreciated for always going the extra mile. Rather than simply patting them on the back, thank them and specifically remember them for their good deeds and on special occasions. If your Blue spouse cleans the house, take notice and let them know how great it looks and how much you appreciate that they took the time to do it. If your Blue friend has a birthday coming up, remember to call them.

DON’T

Make them feel guilty

Blues already have a lot of guilt. They are huge worriers. Blues can be guilted into almost anything, and they will chastise themselves forever for wrongs they think they may have done. If a Blue does something you don’t like, don’t make them feel guilty about it; chances are, they are already doing that themselves!

Be rude or abrupt

Blues are very emotional people. On the one hand, they’re very giving and sensitive, but on the other hand, they can be unforgiving and overly sensitive. Though Blues give more than the other personalities, they forgive less. It’s not that Blues can’t or don’t forgive, it is more that they struggle to do so. They take things personally, and when an offense occurs, it roots itself at their deepest core, making forgiveness a much more difficult challenge than for other colors. If you snap at your Blue friend on a bad day, you may really hurt their feelings and they may not readily forgive you for it.

Expect spontaneity

Your Blue friends will rarely be playful and spontaneous. If you’re a fun-loving Yellow or an adventurous Red, this may be hard for you. Again, Blues are worriers. They worry about everything, and that excess worry limits the amount of excitement they can handle in one day. Rather than expecting spontaneity from a Blue, try making plans with them instead.

Now that we’ve given you a few guidelines, hopefully you can develop a positive connection with a Blue — it will be worth it! Remember, everybody is different and the above may not apply to every Blue if they have a secondary color influencing them. Those who do relate to this however will greatly appreciate you taking the time to understand how to have a better relationship with them.

— The Color Code Team