Things I've learned about me...

Do you and your reactions to people and situations ever take you by surprise? I used to be shocked by my behaviour every so often (not usually in a good way) but now I feel I know understand myself better and therefore deal with things better.

For example I truly like being alone - it refreshes me - I don't want to be alone ALL the time but I have realized that people drain me and so I NEED time alone. If I don't get time alone then I get too drained and when I get too drained I get cranky!
The amount that people drain me depends on the person. Some people I can be around alot and be fine and others I can only handle a couple hours before reverting to cranky Sarah (yes I am using cranky instead of a much stronger and perhaps inappropriate word). So what do I do to keep myself refreshed? I make sure that I spend enough time alone and don't let myself get bullied into too many draining activities.

I also have learned that I like a plan. If something is in THE PLAN then it will work - if you try and shove something else into or adjust THE PLAN then you run the risk of cranky Sarah. Please do not attempt to plan my life for me - I have it handled. If you want me to be involved in something then present the option to me and I will analyze my current plan to see if it is 1) feasible and 2) worth adjusting THE PLAN. It really has to fulfill both requirements for me to participate. Don't push it - just accept it and move on - I have.

I have also noticed that if I try to do too much then I become Perma-Cranky Sarah and really no one wants that. This is why I plan - everything - I need to know ahead of time that everyhting I want to do will fit nicely into the alloted amounts of time available. I also hate to feel rushed - this ties into the fitting nicely thing. If I figure something will take half an hour then I would want an hour available just in case something happens and it takes longer I don't need to feel stressed about it. For example - I have just started taking a night hcourse in Surrey which (according to Mapquest) should take me 50 minutes to get there - knowing myself and my penchant for getting stressed I gave myself 70 minutes to get there. It took me 60 minutes to arrive at campus and then another 5 minutes waiting in the pay parking line (because someone didn't know how to use the machine) but I was able to get to class with 5 minutes to spare - and I didn't get all stressed because I had given myself extra time.

Meh - maybe I'm crazy but this works for me.