The Body Type Cafe

"Thanks for sharing all that with me, Claudette."

"My pleasure, Tony. Now, how about you, what makes you tick? What's your body type?"

"I'm an Eye type."

"Does that mean you have excellent vision?"

"It depends on what type of vision you're referring to, Claudette. Some Eye types actually need glasses, but when it comes to inner vision we have eyes like a hawk.”

"What do you mean by inner vision, Tony?"

"It's easy for me to implement a vision. I visualize what I want to create and then I make it happen. I also tend to see things others don't notice."

"What kinds of things?”

"As an Eye type, I have a heightened capacity for intuition and discernment. I've actually been told it's quite remarkable. In fact, by having a creative outlet, my true nature and abilities can be fully expressed.

"So what does your intuition tell you about me?"

"I get the sense that you want another cup of coffee."

"Oh come on, I really want to know."

"Okay. I get the sense that you are a very genuine, caring individual, and you value hon-esty in your communication with others."

"That's pretty accurate, Tony. Let me ask you this. How are you at making decisions? Does your intuition help in that area?"



"When I'm able to recognize the reality of a situation, I might struggle with a certain indecisiveness. Typically, I'll look for and find not just one solution to a problem, but several. This results in the awareness of a number of possible outlooks and options which in turn cre-ates difficulty in my taking a stand or choosing the right direction. I may, in fact, know what I need to do, but not be able to trust myself to do it. As a result, I may refrain from taking the necessary action unless I've achieved a degree of personal growth to assist me in trancending this area.”

"How does that affect your confidence?"

"Sometimes I lack self confidence, and I may hold myself back unless someone else provides, through a kind of gentle push, the necessary motivation."

"You know, I was just thinking how the eye is such a fascinating organ. It's the only organ of the senses that is in direct contact with it's environment."

"Yes, you're right. The eyes are our link to the world and our environment. The Eye body type links its world to itself. Eyes connect the world and make it function by integrating the body's intelligence throughout all the cells."

"Do different styles of upbringing have varying effects on the Eye type?"

"Actually, they can. Eye types that have had a repressive upbringing tend not to have been able to develop their innate gifts, and can be rather "short-sighted" and unable to move beyond their restricted viewpoint to accurately perceive the whole picture. Think about the mind/body connection for a minute. It's worth noting that Eye types who experience early environmental obstructions frequently require prescription glasses while still in childhood."

"I noticed you are more on the quiet, reserved side. What other characteristics do Eye types share?"

"We do tend to be somewhat introverted, quiet and restrained, rather than boisterous. I don't require a lot of external attention. However, I do sometimes need a certain amount of outward recognition, even just a pat on the back. Usually, I'll earn that through excelling at a task or project. This all helps if my sense of inner worth is in need of validation. But I'll tell you this: Although I may require some reassurance that my performance is satisfactory, I don't really care very much about being in the spotlight. I'm more comfortable working behind the scenes, perhaps serving as a catalyst, or prompting others to do what's needed for an undertaking to succeed."

"Speaking of work, tell me more about the kind of work you like?"

"Careers most gratifying to me have been those in which I can experience altruistically making a difference in the world. I'm quite efficient, typically demonstrating a superior ability, both with others and in my work, to get to the point or to the heart of the matter. I'm quite capable of working independently and, in fact, often prefer to do so. "Hands on" work is essential. In fact, there is a direct link between the motor reflexes in the hands, and the brain. And just as I want to and even need to make a difference in the world, I'm also motivated to help others make a difference in their lives as well."

"How about money? Doesn't that matter to you in your career choice?"

"Pursuits revolving primarily around financial gain are much less compelling to me. Occupations that especially interest me range from being involved in a Head Start program, to doing bodywork and teaching subjects related in some way to the common good, to more artistically involved fields of, say, music or photography and art, where I can utilize my sense of sight to see things professionally."

"I remember meeting someone who had no problem working 12 hour days. Are you ike that?"

"To be honest, I get quite absorbed in my work. I can apply myself to a task for several hours at a time. It really is quite natural for me to do this. I have a great deal of stamina when it comes to completing endeavors that are elaborate or complex. I like to use work as a way of channeling my creative energy. So the types of jobs I enjoy are going to be jobs that allow me this freedom and creativity."

"Do you tend to learn specific job skills through study or on the job?"

"As a rule, I learn things best through actually performing tasks. Going through a procedure just once is usually sufficient for me to gain adequate familiarity with it. I'm satisfied with my work when the results of my vision are manifested in the physical world. I instinctively realize I've completed what I've set out to do when finally it "looks" right to me."

"Sounds like work is important to you, how about relationships? You haven't mentioned anything about that."

"Relationships. You really want to know about that?"

"Come on now, I know you Eye types get introverted at times, but relationships are exciting. I'm sure you have some good information on how you handle them."

"All right. I'll share a little bit with you, though, at times, relationships aren't my favorite subject."

"Why's that, Tony?"

"I'm somewhat prone to experience personal relationships as threatening, so, in uncomfortable situations, I'm likely to become quiet and pull in my energy like a turtle retreats into its shell."

"I was wondering why you got quiet all of a sudden."

"Relationships, where do I start? To tell you the truth, I'm neither pushy nor aggressive in relationships. But when they become overly frustrating, I tend to withdraw rather than verbally strike out at whomever is provoking me. I'm really easy to get along with. I'm generally kind and patient with those around me, but I can handle only so much negativity before I back out of a situation entirely. Although I can be gracious and generous with others, I'll generally stop short of being co-dependent, fully investing myself in another person only when I'm able to experience the relationship as personally meaningful."

"You sound like a very sensitive person."

"I am. And because of this, I can have problems dealing with the harsh elements of the world. Although I enjoy being around other people, in the past I've had some difficulties relating to them."

"You seem to relate well to me, so what did you do to get over that?"

"I did a lot of personal growth work, and I've successfully dealt wih issues of personal insecurity. But it wasn't easy for me. A few years ago I was really gentle and soft spoken, more giving than taking. These are good qualities, but they gave me a tendency to set up barriers or otherwise distance myself from others to protect against the pain of being vulnerable. If I was badly disappointed or deceived in a relationship, I closed myself off from other such relationships. To avoid getting hurt again, I was apt to overgeneralize what might be a single negative experience. In fact, at one time I had avoided going out on a date for three years."

"Three years! That's a long time."

"I know. That was just where I was at the time. When Eye types hide inside their cocoon to safeguard their emotional welfare, they can end up deepening old feelings of hurt. That's what happened to me. Because I hadn't worked through the personal obstacles that were in the way of establishing true intimacy, I was saddled with frustrating feelings of emptiness and isolation."

"So what did you do to overcome this?"

"I developed more assertive communication skills, strengthened my courage to reach out to others, and learned how to prevent the reactions of others from upsetting my somewhat fragile equilibrium. This was really vitally important for me. Since I tended to keep more of my thoughts and feelings to myself than is healthy, it was also crucial that I regained the trust that would permit me more freely to share personal issues and concerns."

"That's great. It must be a good feeling to know all that hard work paid off."

"It is."

"Tell me about some of your strengths. You seem like a down-to-earth, practical type of guy. Is that true?"

"As I mentioned earlier, I’m more intuitive than most other types. But, unlike some similarly intuitive types, I generally have a highly developed practical side to my perceptiveness. I'm not only good at seeing what needs to be done or worked out, I'm also good at doing it. I'm good at fixing things. I'm adept at working with my hands, and also proficient in more abstract, or analytical areas."

"So are you a detail oriented person?"

"I can handle details. In fact, I'm frequently able to sort through details with excellent common sense, and to logically solve a variety of problems. But while I'm conscientious about attending to the necessary details in a task or project, I rarely lose sight of the big picture. So that's the Eye type in a nutshell."

"That's great. Thanks for sharing all that with me, Tony."

"My pleasure, Claudette."