Bounce-Back Quiz
Willow
You bend with a strong wind instead of fighting it, and when it drops, you spring back into shape on your own.
Willow branches are supple; even in a strong wind, they bend deeply without breaking. There's a Japanese saying that a willow never snaps under snow — its strength lies in not taking things head-on. You, too, tend to let setbacks slide off rather than hold on to them, and move on to what's next.
When you get yourself back on track, you don't lean on other people much. While you're walking, tidying up or busy with something you enjoy, you find you're back to your usual self. When the wind stops, the willow returns to its shape without anyone's help.
Willows are also quick to start again — a cut branch stuck in damp soil will put out roots. Because of that, things often end without you telling anyone what happened, and the people around you may never notice you'd stumbled.
Strengths
- You don't dwell on small mistakes; you can get right back to what you were doing
- You know how to get yourself back on track, and can settle yourself on your own
- When plans fall apart, you can find another way to spend the time by yourself
Where you may stumble
- You move on so fast that when you try to look back later, you can't remember the details
- Even when people are worried and reach out, you end the conversation with “I'm fine”
- Because you sort things out alone, people never learn about your effort or your ingenuity
Sounds familiar, Willow?
- On the way home after a bad day, you deliberately take the long way
- You often say, “Oh, there was a bit of a thing last week,” once it's all over
- When you want a change of mood, for some reason you start rearranging your room
Where you shine
A day that doesn't go to plan, or an outing where you're on your own. Even when one surprise follows another, you bend lightly each time and choose your next move yourself.
Tips for “Willow”
- Of the things you let slide, jot down one line only for the ones likely to happen again
- On days when you got back on track well, leave a one-line note of how you spent them
- Decide on three mood-changers that work for you, so you can pick one without thinking
Matches
See every match in the Bounce-Back Quiz compatibility chart →
Dandelion — Listening to the Dandelion's lively stories of its blunders, the Willow can mention its own slip-ups lightly too. You recover in different ways, but by the next day you've both started on something new.
Pine — The Pine also settles itself alone. You each know when the other wants to be left alone, so neither of you pries or gets pried open.
Moss — Moss wants to take time to absorb things while talking them over. The Willow's lightness — “That's done with” — can feel to Moss like a conversation cut off halfway.
Which one are you? 12 everyday situations, about 2 minutes.
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