A Position of Strength
“The good life is using your signature strengths every day to produce authentic happiness and abundant gratification.” – Martin Seligman
As we focus on the theme of self-discovery this month, a key element in truly knowing ourselves is to identify our strengths. This is so important for caregivers because we often fail to recognize all of the strengths that we must draw upon as we focus on helping others. As a result, we can lose sight of ourselves, including all of our unique capabilities and strengths that lie at the core of who we are.
Identifying strengths gives us self-confidence – the ability to say “I’ve got this” – and the belief that we are capable, responsible, reliable, and able to manage life on life’s terms. This approach also allows us to gain insight by looking inside ourselves, asking difficult questions, coming up with honest answers (even if they are uncomfortable), and finding solutions to difficult problems.
And recognizing our strengths can make us even stronger. If we know where we’re strong, we can also identify areas where we might need improvement. Those areas represent opportunities for self-growth that can provide many additional benefits for ourselves and our loved ones.
The following three tools may help you identify your current strengths and work on gaining new ones:
RECOGNIZE YOUR ABILITIES – What makes you uniquely YOU?
IDENTIFY YOUR POTENTIAL – You have so much to learn and so many ways to grow. Aspire to achieve your best self!
BE TRUE TO YOUR VALUES – What are the things that are most important to you?
According to healthypsych, “People tend to be happier and more satisfied in their lives when using their ‘strengths’ on a regular basis. The Positive Psychology movement, started by Professor Martin Seligman, Ph.D., emphasizes things like abilities, potential and values. So, if you’re looking to make some changes in your life, you may want to start … by identifying and reflecting on your core strengths as a person.”
Remember, you are a unique person with many strengths, some of which you may not have even discovered ... YET! Cultivate your interests and abilities because they help you to be a resilient, well-rounded, interesting, and interested individual. Be confident in who you are, what you can do, and what makes YOU different and special!