Me?

I created an exercise in English for my Design School students that required them to choose words that described themselves. The goal was to create a vocabulary that they could use to highlight their positive qualities when writing a CV and cover letter. Each student would then tell the class how he/she saw him/herself. The group gave feedback, agreeing or disagreeing with the selected description. They then had to describe the person on their left…While the students were more critical of themselves, they were very diplomatic when describing others.

Before we did this second part of the exercise, I asked them to describe me. I know that this was a bit risky, but I liked to play along with the games that I proposed and it was only fair that I did so.
They described me as creative, passionate, patient, enthusiastic, organized, entertaining…I agree with this description, in particular in my role as a teacher.
Friends have described me as loyal, compassionate, well-intentioned, fun, adventuresome, loving…
I agree with all that, too! But I would add stubborn, sometimes indecisive, and sometimes too kind (I get “used” by others)…Stubbornness is a family trait. I don’t consider it as a negative quality, but like perseverance, never giving up and always trying to achieve my goals. I don’t always succeed. I have neglected myself and need to focus more on my own well-being. I am not egoistic, but realize now that taking care of myself is a necessary and positive thing. I can help others better if I am of sound mind and body myself.

— MCW