As a species, we people are all very different. We all look different, sound different, and act different. We are all good at different things. Everybody also has differing interests – some people may be into sports, others into cooking, still others may be interested in music! This diversity is one of the wonderful things that make living in this world so interesting. But one of the things that fascinates me when you compare people is that they all have different strengths.
Strengths are defined as the good or beneficial qualities or attributes of a person or thing. The theory behind strengths is based on positive psychology: everyone has differing strengths that they are born with, but few people actually know what they are.
Everybody has their own set of strengths. Your strengths are shaped by the situations that you find yourself in throughout your life (and how to respond to these situations). If a person is aware of what their particular strengths are and they actively work on growing and developing them, then the things that they accomplish can be quite incredible.
By identifying your strengths and matching yourself to the roles that are best suited to those strengths, you will vastly enjoy your life more and will perform better than people who have to try harder to fill the role.
When you are using your strengths, you demonstrate flow. Flow is the state reached when we are so immersed in an activity that we cease to notice the passage of time and have deep, effortless involvement. Flow is an incredible state to get to, and once you reach it, you may never want to go back!
Are you aware of what your strengths are?
Many people aren’t. However, there is one easy way to figure it out – ASK SOMEONE! Ask a friend, a family member, a colleague… just get someone else to fill you in on the things that they feel you are best at. After all, the key to succeeding in different situations (either personal or professional) is to identify your strengths and ensure they fit the situation or task you’re undertaking! When you make the best use of your strengths, you are focusing more on doing what you are good at, not just what you are capable of. When you do that, you will probably find yourself to be more engaged in the task and perform at a higher level.
As 2017 winds down, it seems that now is the perfect time to do a serious analysis of just where your strengths lie so that you can make the best use of them come the start of the new year. Plus, doing this is like a little booster shot when it comes to feeling more engaged, energized and happy!
References:
https://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/Choosing/strengths.htm
Written for Marlene by Veronika.