Quiz

SELF-TEST TO FIND WHICH ECHELON YOU ARE IN

1. When you feel a sudden wave of joy, how do you typically process this emotion?

A. I embrace the feeling and hold onto it for as long as I can.
B. I acknowledge the joy and consider what may have triggered it.
C. I observe the internal dialog that created the emotion, but I do not otherwise engage with it.

2. How would you describe your approach to managing a day filled with unexpected challenges?

A. I feel the weight of every challenge and often reach my tipping point where I have to stop because I can't handle it anymore.
B. I try to silence my internal critic while dealing with each event.
C. I use established strategies to manage myself and simply deal with each challenge as they come.

3. When you are criticized, how do you respond internally?

A. Criticism, especially from someone I respect, hurts. I would have a bad couple of hours, or more, working to deal with the feelings of hurt and betrayal. I might decide that even if the score was not all perfect, there are areas I can bring up about the person being critical to take some of the pressure off myself.
B. I am open to criticism, and I understand I need to be able to hear and process it. However, this does not mean it won't sting.
C. When I am criticized, I might have an initial wave of emotion, but I am quickly able to get in front of it. Then, I am able to ponder the information. Generally speaking, I am able to process criticism and compliments about the same; sometimes, there is something helpful in the comments, and when there is, in either case, I take it to heart.

4. How do you perceive that voice in your head?

A. That voice is me, and I use it constantly to help navigate the world.
B. I can monitor that voice, observe it, and work to become aware of how it affects me. I am starting to suspect that my internal voice might not always have my best intentions at heart.
C. Largely speaking, I have captured the voice, and it only peaks through sometimes. When it does, I have tools in place to manage it.

5. When facing failure, what is your immediate thought process?

A. I analyze the external factors in the world that need to change so that the same actions next time are viewed as successes.
B. I start to question what I could have done differently.
C. I do not see life as failures and successes; it is all just stuff that happens. If I can learn from it, I do.

6. Consider your experience with mindfulness practices like silent prayer.

A. I am curious about these practices but haven't tried them much.
B. I occasionally practice mindfulness when I remember to do so.
C. I have a regular mindfulness routine that I stick to.

7. How often do you set aside time for personal reflection?

A. Rarely, I am terribly busy, and the daily grind consumes most of my focus.
B. Sometimes, when I feel like I've just had a strong emotional event.
C. Regularly practice observing my thoughts and accepting that I am part of something greater than myself.

8. When you experience a strong emotion, such as anger, what do you do?

A. This is a silly question. When I experience anger, I simply get angry.
B. I'm often able to observe the thoughts that lead to anger, and I try to take a few moments to understand why I'm angry.
C. I am rarely angry as I have mental tools in place to capture the thoughts that lead to anger.

9. In a moment of high stress, how do you regain composure?

A. I might not have a specific strategy and need time to calm down.
B. I take a few deep breaths and try to focus on something stable.
C. I implement stress-reduction techniques that I have practiced over time.

10. How do you approach personal growth and self-improvement?

A. I'm not sure where to start, but I am open to learning.
B. I'm exploring different areas where I can improve and setting small goals.
C. I have a clear plan for self-improvement and self-management.

11. How do you usually deal with a bout of sadness?

A. This is a silly question. When I experience sadness, I simply get sad.
B. I'm often able to observe the thoughts that led to sadness, and I try to take a few moments to understand why I'm sad.
C. I'm rarely sad as I have mental tools in place to capture the thoughts that lead to sadness.

12. When you catch yourself having negative self-talk, what do you do?

A. I engage with my internal dialog to try and figure out what it is trying to tell me.
B. I monitor the voice in my head and observe my interaction with it.
C. I largely do not have any internal dialog, and when I do, I observe the voice, and I do not interact with it.

13. How do you approach feelings of envy or jealousy?

A. I feel them and wish I did not, but I don’t do much else.
B. I recognize them and remind myself of my own values and achievements.
C. I'm rarely jealous or have other negative emotions as I have mental tools in place to capture the thoughts that lead to those feelings.

14. If you are feeling anxious about a future event, how do you deal with the anxiety?

A. I worry and hope that it will somehow work out. I sometimes run scenarios through my head to prepare, although it rarely seems to help.
B. I try and monitor where the anxiety is coming from and try and bring myself into the moment so as not to worry about things that have not happened yet.
C. I employ mindfulness to pull myself back into the current moment. I understand that the future does not exist, so there is no reason to worry about it.

15. When faced with a difficult decision, what is your thought process?

A. I think about it a lot and weigh the pros and cons of each option.
B. I consider the pros and cons but might still feel uncertain about the right choice.
C. I calm my mind, even sometimes taking time for a silent prayer. Often, I find the best choice reveals itself.

16. How do you handle situations where you have hurt someone's feelings?

A. I feel bad but do not always know how to make amends.
B. I reflect on what happened and try and figure out why their feelings got hurt.
C. I do not worry about other people's feelings as much as I reflect on myself. If I spoke the truth, then I'm fine.

17. When you have a disagreement, how do you analyze the conflict?

A. Conflicts happen because other people do not respect my point of view, so I work harder and get louder to get my point across.
B. I consider the other person’s perspective and my own to understand the disagreement.
C. I make sure my perspective is based on real facts and logic. I will discuss the disagreement with the other person as long as the conversation is productive, but I can't help someone who doesn’t want to be helped if they believe wrong things.

18. How do you approach self-criticism after a failure?

A. I dwell on negative feelings. It is hard to fail, and I need to live in that moment as long as I can to learn. Often, my failure is because other people have the wrong opinions of me.
B. I try to understand what went wrong and remind myself to do better next time.
C. I'm aware of the event just like I am a successful event, and I note the details for future improvements but do not spend a tremendous amount of time in the headspace.

19. When trying to change a habit, how do you go about it?

A. I tell myself to change and often rely on willpower to force myself into different behaviors. It is fair to mention that this rarely, if ever, works.
B. I try to start observing myself and being aware of when I am repeating the habit I want to change.
C. I am generally able to observe what I do and why, and when I do something I want to change, I find I lose my taste for it after a few times observing where the impulse comes from internally.

20. How do you react when someone asks for your advice on self-awareness?

A. I am struggling to manage myself. I do not have much advice to give others.
B. I am starting to see how some of the tools I have developed might impact others. I am not sure I know enough to share those concepts yet, but I want to.
C. If they ask and I think they are serious, I am confident enough in my ability to manage myself and that the approaches I use work to discuss.

21. When a friend is struggling with negative emotions, what is your approach?

A. I listen and provide comfort, although I may not have strategies to offer.
B. I listen and let them know I am also working on this. I may provide some insights into the journey I am on.
C. If I believe they are serious about it, I suggest techniques that I’ve found helpful for managing my own emotions.