As little girls, we used to sing this song while jump-roping, not giving the weather a second thought. Now, I can't help but think about the weather.  It's still rainy and cold here in Missouri.  Normally, we have wonderful seasons - three months of each, just enough to welcome a change, but not too much to cause despair.  Spring seems to be having a hard time coming this year.  I've started to run outside and bask in the sun when ever I see sun shine peeking through the clouds.  No chance of sunburn or cancer - it doesn't stay out long enough!
 
Thinking back to childhood can be a good exercise for us. Have you ever wondered why family members who share the same personality traits, behave so differently from one another?  I open most of my workshops with, "No Two Alike." I haven't met too many people that want to be just like someone else - well other than Playful Sanguines that is. Most people hate being pigeon-holed, so I walk them through the six things that make you - YOU.  It's like mixing paint.  With three of these components we have no choice in the matter, we just get what we get - Personality, Birth Order, and Gender. The next three components we have the ability to participate in the outcome - Childhood, Adulthood, and Spiritual Bias.  In this month's teleconference, I will be going over each of these topics and how they affect our personality.
 
There were four Powerful Cholerics in my childhood home, and not one of us behaved exactly the same.  My mother is a NTN Powerful, but she is not a first born like myself.  I remember knowing I was stronger willed than she was - I knew I could outlast her when it came to a battle of wills.  My younger brother, a second born, was always in competition with me, and God help you if he didn't win! While I was secure in my position as "top dog' he was not happy being "low man on totem pole" even though there were two children younger than him.  My younger sister, third born, was squished under the weight of too many Powerfuls in her life, there was no lack of someone older and more powerful, telling her what to do and how to do it. In order to survive, she became Phlegmatic.  It took her 40 years to find her personality voice and boy did she find it!  She has become a two fingered Choleric. 
 
Sometimes it's easier to identify a behavior by giving it a tag line.
First Born - Judge, jury and executioner. The moment a second child is born the First Born is in training to become a leader. "Could you be mommy's helper and get me the ______."
Second Born - (Aggressive) Eat my dust!  (Passive) Lead the way, I'll follow. The second born comes in two categories, aggressive - desiring to overtake the first born's position or passive - happy to let the older child call the shots.
Third Born - Sneaky is, as sneaky does.   This child is mysterious, they are somewhat independent and can mimic smoke - they disappear on a regular basis.
Last Born - Not my job man.  Rarely does this birth order have to take care of anyone - many times not even themselves, so it's not uncommon for them to be laid back, care free, some time to the point of being irresponsible. 
Only born - It's all mine.  When there is only one, life becomes single mindedly focused.  It's not hard to know who owns it or who did it.
 
Obviously this is over simplifying birth order traits, but I hope you are getting the drift.  There are some birth order traits that can look like personality traits and this confusion can lead to misreads on the profile.  First Born traits may look very Choleric: bossy, over bearing, showing natural leadership abilities, while Last Born traits look Phlegmatic: laid back, lazy, willing to let other's do it for them.  Onlies have an air of Melancholic about them:  proper, self-centered, studious and orderly.  
 
Another way birth order can affect personality is by intensifying the natural personality traits. The most common misunderstanding happens with First, Only and Last Born.  A First Born Powerful Choleric will tend to be overly concerned about enforcing the rules, becoming a mini-policemen, assuming they have the right to boss everybody around, while a Last Born Peaceful Phlegmatic, may never get off the couch.  Life for a Proper Melancholic Only, will tend to be tightly scheduled serious and very self-focused.
 
It is a good idea when coaching or counseling to ask about birth order, if your client's personality isn't obvious.  The more we know about the way we are wired up, the better Personality Trainer/Consultant/Coaches we can be.