The exercise involves a book by Tom Rath called Strengths Finder 2.0. The key idea in the book is that we should focus on discovering, and then improving, our strengths. I learned that our strengths are actually the totality of the following three things:
- skills (acquired through training and practice),
- knowledge (acquired through learning), and...no way to get around it...
- talents (things that come naturally to us).
Part 1 discusses what's "right" with people. Instead of focusing on our weaknesses, like so many self-help books do, this book doesn't even hint at a "fix" for ourselves. This book recognizes and celebrates that, as individual as we each are, we possess unique strengths, in varying degrees. So that...instead of ruminating about what I need to work on, I can acknowledge my strengths with the goal of turning those strengths from good to great! People who have the opportunity to focus on their strengths, according to the book, are 6 times as likely to be engaged at work and 3 times more likely to report just having a pretty excellent quality of life generally!
Another compelling notion is that we CANNOT be anything we want (this goes against popular American culture but let's face it, I'm not gonna dance with the Joffrey ballet) but encourages us to realize that we can be a lot MORE of who we already are!
Part 2 includes a unique ID code which allows you to take an online strengths assessment. The assessment report is a valuable tool to help identify what strengths I had...and it was a fun kick on a trying day, too! I list my strengths, for you dear reader, below, in the hope that you will share yours with me, too! Naming our strengths to those we interact with can help with understanding and influence. Imagine if we all recognized and appreciated others' strengths as we approached them for time, money, assistance, attention, comfort. What might you achieve and who might you influence if you tapped on and leveraged your strengths more intentionally?
You can see that I'm borderline obsessed on this topic. Fair foreshadowing for anyone coming over to open gifts under our tree with me soon - get ready!
Harmony - practical, realistic, attentive to what people share
Input - your goal is to read a lot and comprehend everything you read so you are transformed in mind and spirt
Intellection - acquiring knowledge is as much a pastime as it is a necessity of life
Learner - you yearn to increase your knowledge and engaging in "small talk" seems like a waste of time
Learner - You love to learn. You are energized by the steady and deliberate journey from ignorance to competence.
ReplyDeleteResponsibility - You take psychological ownership for anything you commit to, and whether large or small, you feel emotionally bound to follow it through to completion.
Positivity - You are generous with praise, quick to smile, and always on the lookout for the positive in the situation.
Achiever - You feel as if every day starts at zero. By the end of the day you must achieve something tangible in order to feel good about yourself.
Connectedness - Things happen for a reason. You are sure of it. You are sure of it because in your soul you know that we are all connected. Yes, we are individuals, responsible for our own judgements and in possession of our own free will, but nonetheless we are part of something larger.
Wonderful words of wisdom for all of us, we can all be a lot more of who we are. i think the world would benefit from that.
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