Finding my strengths...but they were never really lost!

Just over a year ago I was asked to buy the book Strengths Finder 2.0 and take the online assessment to better understand what my strengths are...truth is I have taken several of these assessments all with different names and felt relatively self aware but being that I am self aware, I was more than willing to take another.


The thing that is different about this particular assessment is found in the name...it identified my top 5 strengths, not my weaknesses. It is founded on how I am made and then suggests that I take action on those strengths and not my weaknesses. It wants me to celebrate my unique qualities and then look for people that I should align myself with that come with their own strengths that complement mine and vice versa. Here is where I realize, oh those people probably excel where I am weakest! BUT DON'T TRY TO BECOME THEM...BE ME!

What a relief because I am best at being me...best at being who God made me to be and I would much rather celebrate that than wallow in what I am not! LOL So here is the funny part of my enthusiasm 


with this...my number one strength...POSITIVITY! In a nutshell, I am generous with praise, quick to smile and always on the lookout for the positive in the situation. Have some lemons? Give them to me and I will make us some fresh squeezed lemon drop martinis!

Ready for my second strength? This one may shock you...wait for it...COMMUNICATION! For the love! Yes I am serious! I know HUGE surprise for me too (insert sarcasm here)! Bahahahahaha! This explains my need and desire to explain, to describe, to host, to speak in public and to write. Just let me use WORDS in any capacity!

And with all the positivity and communication, I then role into EMPATHY! Yes, here is where I start to sense the emotions of those around me and I feel what they are feeling as if the feelings are my own. My intuition drives me to see the world through their eyes and although I don't always agree with their perspective, nor feel what they feel, I am absolutely instinctively able to understand. If you are happy, I will laugh with you...if you are sad, let's cry...I get it! So some of you that mock me for crying for others...sorry it is a strength, not a weakness! =)

The fact that another one of my strengths is called WOO, really makes me laugh! Just the word itself seems silly but I love the description of it! It is actually an acronym that stands for "Winning Others Over." Basically I enjoy the challenge of meeting new people...strangers are rarely intimidating to me. My dearest friend told me over 20 years ago that she loves to watch me "work a room." That is woo in action! I want people to feel seen and I want to get to know them. 

My final strength is STRATEGIC which helps me sort through the "clutter" of a situation. Now there are some people that might find this more than amusing or irritating but not me! When I look at the world I see things differently and I have a tendency to see a situation and I will run different scenarios through each situation. Why in the world would you want to do this? Seems like a waste of time!? NOPE...it is absolutely helps me choose and direct things down the best path and not waste time waiting for the wrong path to be chosen and then we need to start over.

So to sum it all up...I love life, even when it is hard, I love it and I want to tell people all about it! Ok, I just love words, so let me talk please but trust me I will also listen to you and I will listen so that I understand what you are going through. And honestly I enjoy meeting new people and when things are all said and done it was all a part of God's plan that I have thought through and considered because I find so much JOY IN LIFE'S DETAILS! 

If you haven't found your strengths, do it! I promise you won't regret it and you should feel better about who you are and how you are made. Then call me and we will celebrate YOU!