Survey Says: You are the Giraffe!
I dove into the latest ActiveRain contest, Surviving your Serengeti: An ActiveRain Challenge, with great enthusiasm. ActiveRain contests are typically designed to teach… I’ve always learned something new and insightful by participating.
As instructed, I read the first two chapters of Stefan Swanepoel’s “Surviving your Serengeti,” and then took the online quiz. The first two chapters introduce the main character, Sean Spencer, and layout the story’s setting, Africa’s Serengeti Plains. The three-minute quiz leads you through a series of questions, asking how you would react in certain situations, at the end of which you are identified as the type of animal your personality mirrors. You can download and read the first two chapters of Swanepoel’s book for free, as well as take the quiz to discover what animal type you are. The first two chapters are a quick read, and the quiz is easy. I encourage you to give them both a try.
The book’s chapters refer to seven different animal types:
- The Enduring Wildebeest
- The Strategic Lion
- The Enterprising Crocodile
- The Efficient Cheetah
- The Graceful Giraffe
- The Risk-Taking Mongoose
- The Communicating Elephant
At the end of my quiz I discovered my personality type matched that of the Giraffe. And in reading about the Giraffe’s disposition, I must say, I have to agree that I am… The Graceful Giraffe.
The Graceful Giraffe is described as embodying elegance, charm, and a positive attitude. And that “…others consider it to be divine in origin.” Well… how could I argue with that description?!!
But in reading further about the characteristics embodied by the Graceful Giraffe, many of those characteristics rang true for me, both in my personal life, as well as my professional.
Grace is described as a disposition that requires compassion toward others and the desire to extend goodwill. It also incorporates the exercise of love and kindness. I was taken aback by this since it accurately describes me… my personality. I have a deep compassion for others and try to understand the world, and the situation, from their perspective. I also strive to make people comfortable and relaxed. It comes easy for me. My actions are in my nature… just part of who I am.
As I continued to read about the characteristics of the Giraffe, the explanation noted that, “Grace is as crucial in business as it is in life.” I have to agree. In my own business life, I discovered that empathy and compassion towards others fostered lasting relationships and created a positive, enjoyable work environment.
The description of The Graceful Giraffe provided at the end of my quiz left me curious about how these traits were explored in the book. In reading the first two chapters of “Surviving your Serengeti,” Swanepoel only has the opportunity to share insights into “The Enduring Wildebeest.” I now plan to buy the book to read the remaining chapters and learn the lessons provided by the other inhabitants of The Serengeti.
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