5 Most Important Personality Characteristics

5 Most Important Personality Characteristics

  • Gratitude.
    • The ability to be grateful for what you have leads to peace of mind. When we are grateful we move out of self-pity and into appreciation for the very real riches of our lives. Incorporate gratitude into your life by adopting several gratitude rituals throughout the day. These could include offering thanks before meals, writing a gratitude journal listing 3 things each day you are grateful for, or simply choosing a particular time of day (say while brushing your teeth) to list things that make you feel grateful.
  • High Tolerance for Ambiguity.
    • People who are able to tolerate the ambiguity, “the messiness”, of life tend to fare better than those who expect life to proceed according to plan. Accepting and embracing ambiguity and uncertainty allows one to be present-focused, not too thrown off when plans change, and to continue to make progress towards their dreams even if the answers and the outcome aren’t clear.
  • Joy.
    • Joy is a state of well-being that is independent of one’s feelings of happiness. One can feel joyful in the midst of sadness. Happiness comes from external satisfactions. Joy resides within. Learn to cultivate joy in your life through gratitude, optimism, stillness, and simply deciding to be joyful.
  • Tolerance.
    • People who are tolerant, accepting and understanding of other peoples’ mistakes, foibles and personal issues are happier and peaceful. Most people, including ourselves, are frequently wrong and emotionally wounded. Tolerant people don’t expect people to always act the way they want them to. They accept people will be people. Cultivating tolerance for others makes life much easie
    • Kindness
      • By taking the time to be genuinely kind to ALL the people in your life, you will cultivate healthier relationships, greater self-esteem and an elevated mood. Often we are the least kind to the people closest to us. Start your kindness practice with those people and expand your circle of kindness to everyone you encounter throughout the day.

 

Ashley Connolly, LPC, M.Ed is a psychotherapist and the author of Life 101: 21 Practical Personal Growth Principles for the 21st Century.  www.ashleylife101.com

http://www.amazon.com/Life-101-Practical-Personal-Principles/dp/1504344863/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1455727080&sr=8-2&keywords=life+101