Playing into Your Strengths

I think it's safe to say that most of us could easily rattle off a list of our weaknesses. And, it's our weaknesses that we so easily focus on with the effort to make ourselves better. But, if you think about it, we call them weaknesses because it's really not something we're good at. Why is it that we play to our weaknesses rather than our strengths?

I don't like math. Never have, never will. I don't like the scientific side of things. So, why in the world was I always worried and focused on trying to understand math better? Why did I begin to pursue a nursing degree after high school? I didn't like pharmacology or chemistry. I don't even have the gift of mercy, which I would think is an important virtue to being a nurse. Dennis dreads being sick because I'm just not the greatest caregiver.

If I had life to do over again (and there are only a few things I would do over... getting braces is one of them), I wish I would have understood my strengths as a young adult and leaned into them then, rather than in my 50's. But it's okay... there's lots of life left and sometimes it just takes the journey of life to figure it all out. But, a helpful tool that may have helped me to discover my strengths earlier in life (if it had been published then) is the book Now, Discover Your Strengths by Marcus Buckingham and Donald O. Clifton, along with the StrengthsFinder Profile, an online talent assessment tool that helps you find where you have the greatest potential for a strength (the book comes with a ID code than enables you to take the assessment - check out the profile website for other books that connect with the profile assessment).

Discovering my strengths has revolutionized my life. In fact, where I sit at my desk in my study, I can see an 8x10 sheet of paper tacked on the back of my book shelf listing my five signature themes - my five most dominant themes of talent. It's just a reminder to concentrate on what I do best, not my weaknesses. The book and the profile tool not only highlighted my strengths, but validated my significance in this world, giving me a fresh confidence to function in what comes most naturally to me, which leads to a more fruitful and fulfilling life!

You may be asking, "Hmm, what are Gwen's strengths?" Well, out of the 34 possible themes, I discovered five that fit me to a T... next time.