We all have what is known in Human Art as “can be’s.” “Can be’s” are our best traits turned negative. They are characterological defects; negative traits we are not born with but have picked up along the way. Our good traits usually turn into “can be’s” when we experience negative emotions, such as feeling insecure or inadequate. When this happens we take one of the best traits from our design and push it just a little too far. When we do that we run the risk of it becoming a “can be.” We call them “can be’s” because they are potential negative traits. It can be negative, but isn’t always. If you have the positive side of a trait from your design it does not mean you automatically have the negative side (or the “can be”). It just means there is potential to go into the negative side of that trait. The best part of a “can be” is it is only one step back and we are immediately on the positive side of the trait again.
Case in point. There is a girl in my neighborhood that I really admire. I had not seen her for a long time when I was shopping one day and ran into her. I was so excited to see her that, without realizing it, I used one of the best traits of the Whitened design to approach her (that trait is social: being able to enroll easily and being able to talk to just about anyone) and I’m afraid I took it too far and it turned into a “can be.” In my excitement I caught myself going on and on about me (I am pretty sure I told her just about every accomplishment I have made since I was 2). As if things were not bad enough, I then proceeded to use a Saturated trait of being cool and collected and, through my embarrassment, managed to turn that into a “can be” and became cold and aloof. I literally stopped mid-sentence, turned, and walked right out of the store. I went to my car and found myself with my head down on my steering wheel asking myself why I had felt the need to recite to her everything I had ever done.
Something about that situation must have made me feel uncomfortable early on in the encounter. If I was functioning in control of my emotions and had a do over, I would have simply just caught myself in my Whitened “can be” and said something like, “Hey I am talking about me and what I really wanted was to know about you… ” One step back. That’s all it would have taken to make that a positive thing again. I then could have moved one step back from the “can be” of aloof and used the Saturated trait of quiet dignity (people with a lot of Saturated are very naturally dignified) and calmed everything down. I don’t think I will ever forget that interaction. I still get embarrassed when I reflect back on it. If I dwell on it I tend to think about how I came across that day. Not my finest moment.
We all have moments of inadequacy, even if they are brief. It does not feel good. I know. That is when we have the most potential to go into our “can be’s.” And if we do, it truly is not necessary to stay there. Every person has a unique design. There are so many great and wonderful traits that accompany these unique designs. All we need to do is take that one step back into that good trait, or several of them. Understand that we all slip at times. It’s a human thing. Move forward with your authentic self. It will turn things around.
Here are examples for each design. Find a few of your good traits and the potential “can be” for each design.
Saturated Central Focus or Attractive Traits: quality, cool, and in control
Can Be: cold, aloof, and controlling
Whitened Central Focus or Attractive Traits: social, enrolling, can talk with ease
Can Be: talks too much, come across as obnoxious
Grayed Central Focus or Attractive Trait: Meticulous and calm
Can Be: Over think, worry, and avoid
Blackened Central Focus or Attractive Trait: Task oriented, just fix it, or resourceful
Can Be: Forceful and resourceful to a fault
There are many more but this is just to mention a few. Remember we all have all four designs we just usually lead out with one design or trait and its potential “can be.”
Let’s get rid of our “can be’s.” Focus on the authentic trait and stop beating ourselves up every time we fall in to a “can be.” Let’s just understand ourselves, pick up and move forward as fast as we can. Take that one step back to our authentic brilliance, our authentic design. And remember: everyone is a masterpiece.