Fun Game!

[LettingGo]

  Before we get started I want you to promise to be honest & truthful to yourself--that is first and foremost the most important thing!

Stick with the very first image. As you go along do not second-guess or rewrite, nobody is judging so you don't judge yourself either. Nobody will see your info -- unless you choose to share it later. Just the very first thing that comes to your mind. There are no right or wrong answers, it is just a fun game. And like with all game the more honest you are the more you will get out of it.

Congratulations, Today someone has given you a gift -- a car. What does it look like?

What is the first image that comes to your mind?

Quickly describe the car, . . . seriously, stop what you are doing right now, grab some paper and a pen and write down very detailed information, describe it using your senses sight, touch, smell, and sound. Go head and do it. This is a rewarding experience. Just take the time quickly and do it.

What kind of car is it, foreign or domestic, model, year, condition (provide lots of information from the roof to the tires, the interior is . . . . looks like, feels like, smells like, the exterior is it damaged, slightly damaged, where is the damage located, or is it in perfect condition), and the color of car. Give yourself a second, can you think of anything else you want to add that you forgot? Does your car have heat, air, do the windows, doors, etc work? Do you have a place for music, what kind, radio, CD, or no music at all?

Where will you store your car? In front of your house, in the driveway or in the garage?

Who is the first person you are going to share the news with that you just received a car? Who else are you going to tell or are you going to keep it a secret & surprise others?

What do you do with your car?

How do you feel about your gift?

Some people will choose to use this gift right away, others will not.

Some will wait a minute, some will wait an hour, some will wait a day, a week, a month, a year, or a decade.

Some will never use their gift. Why not -- it is a gift, so why wouldn't you use it?

Some will not use the gift because they don't trust the gift itself. It might not work; It might be broken; It might fail to take me where I need to go, or they devalue the gift and say that it is not good enough for me; I need a different kind, a better quality.

Some will not use the gift because they don't trust the gift giver. Never heard of Him/Her before. What I have heard about Him/Her is not good or confusing & conflicting.

Some will stay in their house, look out the window, and long to use their gift.

Some will listen to encouragement of others and use their gift.

Some will listen to discouragement of others and not use their gift.

Some will grab their keys and use their gift.

Some will have great success first time out using their gift.

Some will not.

Some will ignore the warning signs & get into an accident.

Some will blame the gift for the accident & not use the gift again.

Some will acknowledge that they ignored the warning signs & take responsibility.

Some will read books & take classes to improve their skills.

Some will use their gift again & now have great success, because they have learned to use their gift.

Some will use their gift & still struggle.

Some will stop using their gift.

Some will continue to seek knowledge until they have learned to use the gift successfully.

Some will use the gift to get to places they want to go.

Some will use the gift to get to places they need to go.

Some will find new freedom & power that using the gift provides.

Some will travel to new places. And some will not.

Some will listen to the discouragement of others and stay close to home.

Some will take their gift beyond their horizon line.

Some will use the gift to adventure out into the great unknown.

Some will meet the Gift Giver and thank Him/Her.

Now recall the first time you received your gift was it your perfect dream car, something different & still valuable, something less valuable, or a fixer-upper?

Now imagine that some time has pasted since you first received your gift, what did you do with your car? What shape is your car into today? Have you taken great care of it? Have you listened to the Owner's Manual and did what it said? Have you done the required maintenance & tune ups? Did you invest in some upgrades? Did you take your gift for-granted? Did you share it with someone else throughout the years?

Did you let someone else borrow it, use it, or abuse it?

Or Did you get rid of it? Did you substitute your gift for someone else's gift?

Some will discover that their car, their Gift, represents their intuition/instinct and that great gift is a God-given gift.

When did you discover that your gift was your intuition/instinct? Right away, pretty soon after, mid-way, towards the end, right before the end, or not until the very end?

It doesn't matter when you discovered your gift -- the only thing that matters is that you use it, and thank God for it!

Anybody want to discuss his/her information about their car? Again, there is no judgement only learning. Anybody want to share. I promise sharing is rewarding too!

[RB22]

I envisioned a red VW beetle bug... convertable... with white interior... leather I think.  Black roof.  Cool soundsystem... cd and IPod friendly.  It also came with a white daisy in the little vase in the dash. 

I would instantly text all my kids (they are in school, and text is the only way to get an instant communication to them), and call my BF and tell him.  Then I would change my clothes..(I am working in the yard and have dirt all over me) and take it for a spin.... with the top down. 

After I showered, drove by the kids school to show the kids and take them for a ride... I would visit BF and take him for a ride.  They I would tool around enjoying the heck out of it essentially blow the rest of the day off.... and have fun with it.

Tomorrow I would get back to business in my yard...while I looking over at my new gift and smiling.  Maybe do a happy dance or 2.

Now imagine that some time has pasted since you first received your gift, what did you do with your car? What shape is your car into today? Have you taken great care of it? Have you listened to the Owner's Manual and did what it said? Have you done the required maintenance & tune ups? Did you invest in some upgrades? Did you take your gift for-granted? Did you share it with someone else throughout the years?

Did you let someone else borrow it, use it, or abuse it?

When I got my first new car... I was dating X,  He drove it to his parents, we were leaving on vacation the next day.  We loaded it and it sat till the next morning.  I showed my mom and dad a week later, after we got back.  My dad co-signed the loan for me for the car.

The next new car I got was a van..still married to X... had 3 kids and pregnant with number 4.  My step mother had passed away and left me money to buy a vehicle that would fit our growing family.  I chose a full sized van.  I DROVE that vehicle home... x followed me in our other car.  His parents were babysitting the kids... I took everyone for a ride to get ice cream.. even his parents.  It took an hour to load and secure car seats...

I still have that van...it has over 300,000 miles on it.... some things are going wrong with it(age does that to a car) ... but it has been maintained...by me.   

This exercise was very interesting to me.....

I realized part way thru that this was about my intuition....and yes it is a gift.

Thank you. 

PS..... X and mrsX are on their 4th or 5th car since he left.    And he was the one person whom I wouldn't tell.  No reason too.... and why spoil a great gift?

Hugs,

[LettingGo]

  =msn tulip=RB22 Thank you for being the first brave person to blaze the trail and share--hope others will do the same when they get the chance!


PS..... X and mrsX are on their 4th or 5th car since he left. --great instinct/intuition. There is a corelation between the amount of cars one owns currently, have own, and how they use their gift.

  And he was the one person whom I wouldn't tell.  No reason too.... and why spoil a great gift?--love that!

I am happy you found this exercise very interesting.

One quick question, maybe you said it and I missed it, referring back to your red VW beetle bug... convertable... with white interior... leather I think.  Black roof.  Cool soundsystem... cd and IPod friendly.  It also came with a white daisy in the little vase in the dash -- nice touch! -- Where did you store your car?

I store my car in the drive way. I would store it in the garage, but that is too cluttered right now!

[RB22]

I store my car in the drive way. I would store it in the garage, but that is too cluttered right now!

Me too... besides I am working in my garage... restoring furniture...so there are chemicals in there that would hurt the car's paint.

Besides I could see it from my den, dining room and living room in the driveway.  In the garage it can't shine like it can in the sun that is in my driveway.    Besides I would have to keep seeing it, just to make sure it was real and it really happened.

Hugs,

[CZBZ]

I enjoyed very much this fun game. I have to run to an appointment, otherwise, I'd post my results.

Well, I won't actually be RUNNING to my appointment because that would be exercise that's good for me, LOL, but you know what I mean!!

I will post later this evening since some of my answers have made me think about how I 'see' myself...the gift of life I've been given.  I suppose we are 'free' to interpret the test however we wish????


Hugs!
CZ

[LettingGo]

Hugs back to the both of you two! I am glad you both are enjoying it!

CZ-

I will post later this evening since some of my answers have made me think about how I 'see' myself...the gift of life I've been given.  I suppose we are 'free' to interpret the test however we wish????

Looking forward to what you wrote! Remember because it is a game there are no right or wrong answers or interpretations. Yes, most definitely, the gift can also represent the Gift of Life.

[tango3]

Ok I'll play, a black mercedes, all leather interior, sports car, two seater, awesome acceleration, fabulous breaks, really responsive.  Heated/air conditioned seats.  Fabulous BOSE sound system with CD player and satellite radio.  Holds the road.
Don't have room in the garage, so it would have to sit out in the driveway and just like RB I'd like it to shine in the sun.  I might even buy it a cover to protect it from the weather!!!!!  First people I'd tell, probably a couple of my friends, my oldest son.  After inspecting it all over and briefly reading the owners manual I'd take it out for a spin.  Find one of my favourite roads and let rip!  (Hope I don't get a speeding ticket). 

I always take care of my cars (mechanically anyway).  They might not get washed too often but the engine and important parts are always taken care of.  No, no-one would borrow it, not even the kids because they don't take care of stuff.

My first car was a beat up, VW Rabbit, stick shift, no A/C, crappy radio, I think the heat worked.  I took care of it.  It ended up being abandoned by N on a street in Brooklyn when it broke down.  (He was using my car because he'd ruined the engine for the second time on his Volvo).  My next car was a Hyundai, again stick, no A/C, crappy radio.  I maintained it sold it when it was time.

So I'm a little slow, didn't realise it was about my intuition until the end (I was so busy admiring my car).

[LettingGo]

Hi Tango, are you doing a lot of introspection & self-discovery lately? Thus paying a lot of attention to the car/gift.

I don't know if anyone has any questions about the actual questions and what they represent, if you do just ask.

The order of importance in who you tell first represents the order of importance in your life. The order represents who you feel closest two, not necessarily who you love the most, but rather who you are most vulnerable with, those who you trust to share your deepest feelings/thoughts with, those that know your story, the good, the bad, and the ugly.
 

disclaimer, okay the representations of the game/exerise are not necessarily the thoughts & feelings of this writer.
These interpretations were my strength, but I haven't done them for a little while. These are interpretations, suggestions, not facts & absolutes. Unfortunately my books & notebooks are all packed away in the very cluttered garage. Actually don't even know which of the many boxes their in -- analyze that one . It could mean that I gave them little importance, or that my H has a hard time throwing things away and he was completely in charge of the packing and moving since I was unavailable.


The question to ask yourself is, Did I forget someone? If so, why? Did I purposely leave someone off the list?

Of course there is the representation of color, Red = love, very passionate, outgoing, lead w/the heart over the head, optimistic, glass half-full intuitive, picks up on nonverbal behavior, etc. Black = (please don't take offense, wait for the second part of this) some traditionalist say that black rep. death, death of a relationship or a dream, or a desire, a longing for something more, unattached, closed off, close minded, very passive, low self-esteem or self-worth, pretty much the negative attributes in life. if there were a hierarchy of color black would be @ the bottom. HOWEVER the new school of thought -- which is the one I personally believe is more accurate, that black = classical thought & design in ones life, you lead w/your head not your heart, great vocabulary, sophistication, prestigious, "appreciates the finer things in life", refined, more conservative, cautious approach, one who likes to observe the situation, gather all the info. and since you choose a sports car, after you have gathered all the info -- you go for it!

By the way my two strongest colors in games/exercises are red & black. I also enjoy wearing these colors. My vocab. grammar, spelling, etc. is weak which is the reason I never entertained the thought of being a great writer. But I have such a passion to write lately, so who knows anything is possible!

[tango3]

Yes, interesting game.  No offence on the black color - black has always been my favourite color (got a closet full of black clothes - LOL).  So negative connotations to black don't disturb me at all:)

Kind of interesting too that it was a mercedes that popped into my head - I'm so not a luxury car type person, current car is a mini-van that I can get four 400 size crates in!  Not really a sports car type person either (not practical at all), though I do like to drive fast, weather conditions permitting (i.e. nice, dry, straight highway).    As to doing a lot of introspection lately, I've always been kind of introspective, what I haven't been is vocal about that introspection, I thought but kept my thoughts to myself - not a good thing to do really.

I'd agree with the order of who you'd tell.  Notice I left out my two children that had the N as their father.  My eldest I'm a lot closer to.

I think your writing is absolutely fine and don't forget the more you read/write, the better your vocabulary and writing skills become.  I'm pretty sure Shakespeare wrote some bad stuff when he first started

[Litha]

Audi TT Roadster, fiery red exterior with butterscotch leather interior. MP3 player, bluetooth, Onstar. Still has the new car smell.

I keep it in my garage.

The first person I tell is my son, then my family, then my friends

ExN can read about it on facebook if he wants to.

The first thing I do is pack a picnic lunch and drive along the river bluffs to find a nice spot.

[SusyP14]

I would like to go for a ride in everyones new car 

Let me know when you guys are in the South and I will stand out by my driveway!!!!

[RB22]

Susy,

I am in the south... I can pick you up in a red van or 2.... Both my van's are red. LOL.

Just because of this site... I am buying a lotto ticket for tonight.. If I win... the ride in my Bug may have to wait till I get it... 

Hugs,

RB

[Julia]

Honest answers:

I pictured first, a brand new, loaded version of the car I have now, a Honda Accord, blue.

I told my daughters, roommate, best friends, family. Didn't tell N.

Drove with kids to get ice cream cause it was a weekday. Now on the weekend we would probably drive out the Gorge (scenic).

So symbolically I'll say that I must be fairly pleased with the way things are, just wish they were a bit more secure (new car wont need repairs), and with a few new upgrades (CD player).

Julia

[CZBZ]

"Congratulations, Today someone has given you a gift -- a car. What does it look like? What is the first image that comes to your mind?"

The first car coming to mind was...(please, no diagnosis...  ) was a car like the one the Jetson family used. I think it's called a Space Mobile that folds up into a briefcase once you get to the office or grocery store. If someone gave me a space mobile, I'd keep it on a kitchen shelf next to my cookbooks. It would have to be red, of course, since red is one of my favorite colors and any woman worth her WoNderfulness wouldn't be caught dead in a boringly green space mobile. Plus, it would have to have colorful daisies glued to the outside like my first VW in high school (my Volkswagen had a hot pink roof, black paint job, black-and-white seats) and yes, lots of 1960's Flower Power.)

Back to REALITY, though: the car coming to mind is the one parked in my garage right now. A white, classic convertible with black leather interior, euphemistically called my Midlife Chrysler. When first buying this car a long time ago, I didn't even dare drive it off the show floor. I had my husband drive it home and then slowly got up the courage to drive it myself even though I'm the one who wanted it!  After that, nobody drove that car but me. It's the only possession I've ever had that wasn't shared with the whole tribe. It's been 'babied' since 1993 and still looks fairly new (other than the outdated body style but who cares not me.)

I thought about your test all day yesterday (I was working on my draperies and finally finished them!) and ya know what's really weird? I don't have a dream car in mind, well, other than a space mobile. What does that say? My dream car is sitting in my garage right now; but if I got a Space Mobile, the first person I'd tell would be my daughter and son and then family members, the forum (LOL) and a few close friends.

(I have written several times that I'm like an old school bus. Not sure what that means either but your questions got me thinking about it!)


Hugs,
CZ

[LettingGo]

Hi Julia, was it by trial and error that you discovered that Honda Accords are the best car ever? -- this is my bias, I owned a Honda Accord. In my opinion, they give the most bang for your bucks. I now drive a Honda mini van. We originally got it for business reasons, but knew it would come in handy when the kids came along. What shade of blue is your fantasy car?

Blue in general means calmness, peace, tranquility and balance. Notice that dentist/doc waiting rooms are painted in shades of blue? My D doc. office waiting room is painted in a sea blue w/lots of bright sea creatures. Dark Midnight blue represents mysteriousness. Where a sky blue would represent what one would feel while they are looking at a blue sky, calm, happiness, etc.

Textures & Colors of the interior of the car are important too. Leathers are a tough/protective material indicating that one had/or still has the need to protect his/her deepest thoughts & feelings. Leathers are also a luxury high end material, meaning that one appreciates the finer things in life.

Dark Colors in the interior represents being reserved in expressing ones deepest thoughts & feelings, where Light colors represent the ability to freely express one's deepest thoughts & feelings. Cool colors are associated with people who are more interested in how others think, then Warm colors are all about how people feel. Therefore, if the interior of the car is of a warm color and soft material this person was identified as the warm, caring people-person and "the sensitive one" in the family, work environment, circle of friends.

Now w/further research into the Meaning of Colors, I discovered that we have either a biological warm or cool undertone to our skin which is the reason why certain hues & shades of a certain color (for example, purple) look better on one person compared to the next. A purple that has more red than blue will look better on a warm undertone person where as person with cool undertones would look better in a purple that has more blue than red. This natural tendency to gravitate to colors that are more appealing on us can confound/interfere w/Color interpretation. This is why it is important to gather all the information that will either confirm or reject a certain interpretation/conclusion.

CZ, please know that I am not diagnosing, just having fun. I think you know that, so will tread lightly with the following. If I can say that since you selected a futuristic car one would say that you are very optimistic into what the future has to bring and you are very much looking forward to it.

When I was in high school I took my first personality assessment test/game. I too chose a futuristic car -- I wanted to get the hell out of The Land of Narcissism as fast as I could. Both the past & the present offered nothing good for me. I couldn't wait to fly past my horizon line! The amount of seats in the car, 2 vs 4 etc is suppose to represent people you depend/rely on in life, Big surprise -- I had none!

Personally I believe, the amount of seats in the back of your car can also represent those that depend on you & where you are in life. Those that selected a 2-seater sports car, are your children all grown and in their own cars? Or perhaps you still have little ones at home and desperately need to get away from some you time, or husband & wife time.

I have written several times that I'm like an old school bus. Not sure what that means either but your questions got me thinking about it! -- that it very fascinating to me.
Let me know if you are open to my interpretation of it. It is not bad at all!

[CZBZ]

No offense taken! I do believe the future will be better. It couldn't possibly be worse, could it? Nah, let's not go there!

If there's any significance to visualizing myself as a school bus, I'd be interested. 


Hugs,
CZ

[SusyP14]

If there's any significance to visualizing myself as a school bus, I'd be interested. 

I think that the schoolbus 'analogy' is highly applicable.  What does a school bus do?  It carries a large amount of students to a place of higher knowledge and maybe (hopefully) enlightenment.

What have you done?  You have created this space on line where many people can come for healing and learning.  It is via learning about this disorder that we heal.  So there you have it.  Easy Peasy!  This forum is 'bus ride' to healing.

[RB22]

This forum is 'bus ride' to healing.

I like being on this bus .... thanks for steering the bus CZ.

Hugs,

RB

[LettingGo]

  Great job Susy & RB -- you took the worlds right out of my mouth. I couldn't have said it any better my self.

CZ I love that you described the image as an old school bus--love that visual. What feelings does the "old" school bus bring forth? I know due to our pasts we can feel like we have aged prematurely or that we gave our best years to the N's. Aged items in these games represent not only education & knowledge, but most importantly, wisdom.

[RB22]

What feelings does the "old" school bus bring forth?

Well for me good feelings... I had my friends on the bus.... and my brothers and their friends... who I didn't like much... but were good for making fun of by me and my friends.... but anyone else DARE make fun of them... us big sisters would do what we could to protect them.  No one could pick on them but US.

Sounds like this forum to me... 

[CZBZ]

This is so funny because last night, my daughter's car door on the passenger side, wouldn't close. She called me on the phone to see if we'd come to her rescue so I could sit on the passenger side and hold the door shut until she could get home. The whole drive home, we were laughing about the Space Mobile and how much we'd love having a car that folded up like a briefcase. We decided that any spacemobile we owned would have to be red, though. George Jetson may like 'green', but we like 'red'.

Then of course, I told her about seeing myself as an old bus and she nearly ran off the road laughing. "Well", she told me, "You are like an old school bus." I live with my adult daughter, my not-so-adult-adult sister, and her son, my 18-year old nephew who moved in when he was 5 years old.

And truth is, I do make my sister sit up front when she's misbehaving, so I can keep an eye on her in my rearview mirror. There've been a few times when I've had to send her to the principal/therapist's office, too.  

I've been thinking about that space mobile though and what it means to me because it is the first car coming to mind when taking the test. I know it's not possible for ME to ever have a space mobile but I'm perfectly content driving an old bus while imagining the kinds of cars that 'could be' at some point in the future. So maybe there's an acceptance of WHAT IS while also imagining the POSSIBILITIES? I'll take comfort in that thought!

Hugs,
CZ

[CZBZ]

P.S. Thank you to everyone who trusts me to be a SAFE driver. I may not be the most qualified driver on the road or the most competent, but I obey stop signs and stick within the speed limit.  It does tend to get a little bumpy now and then, though.

[RB22]

It does tend to get a little bumpy now and then, though.

The back of the bus was where the cool people sat, and the bumps were bigger there.. and more fun.  In the northeast... it was also where the heater was located.. so if you wanted warm toes BEFORE you got to school... you aimed for the back of the bus.

Hugs,

[LettingGo]

Thank you CZ for being a very good bus driver -- the best I have personally experienced so far! I too am enjoying the ride. I have been on other buses where the driver forgot his/her job description, where the environment inside the bus lacked responsibility & accountability and those that did not look like or sound like others were automatically kicked of the bus. I want to personally thank you for letting us be us. Recognizing that each person's viewpoint is different from others on the bus, and that it is okay to be different. That no background is better than the next. That it is okay that we don't always see the same thing in the exact same way. That each person is given the respect to voice his/her truth in his/her own voice w/out judgement & condemnation. That you permit fellow students to respectfully disagree w/one another and that respectfully disagreeing w/the bus driver his/herself wont automatically get you kicked off the bus. Once again thank you.

[CZBZ]

You are so welcome, LettingGo! Please, no spitwads at the bus driver's head though. That might get you kicked off the bus, though probably not. I tend to lecture folks into good behavior until they 'fall in line' in order to save their ears.

LOLLOL!!! Or so my nephew tells me. 

I want and need people to accept me for who I am, too. This is a mutually respectful place, this old WoN bus. the only fee for boarding the bus is NEARLY LOSING YOUR SOUL to a narcissist. After that, what's to fear?

Glad you are here and thank you for appreciating the WoN style of message board management. The managers working with me are equally dedicated to providing a safe place for people to heal. We've remained friends for YEARS. I think that says a lot, too.


Hugs,
CZ