Recognising what your strengths are. The power of understanding your worth.
In our self-deprecating society, it can be easy to lose sight of our innate qualities that make us unique. From an early age we’re taught not to boast, to be humble and never raise our head above the parapet. But what if you could live a happier, more fulfilled life, simply by identifying and acknowledging what your strengths are?
Too often we default to dissecting our weaknesses, focusing on our flaws and limitations and defining ourselves by those traits. I encourage you to instead focus on what positive qualities you possess. Perhaps you’re cool under pressure? Or a loyal friend? The adjectives you use to describe yourself don’t have to be linked to where you are in your career or personal life – being a great leader isn’t reserved only for people with that job title, nor is being artistic reserved for people with the time to create art. Take some time out of your day to sit down and reflect on what your strengths are, then choose five words that represent you. If you struggle, there are plenty of online resources that have collated words together. When you know what your strengths are, you can find your way in life, whatever challenges are thrown your way.
“They tried to bury me, but did not know that I am a seed”- Mexican proverb
Before moving on to assessing your weaknesses, it’s important to understand the concept of a ‘growth mindset’. Essentially, growth mindset is the concept that believing you have the ability to develop a skill, is more related to success than inherently possessing the skill itself. The ‘fixed mindset’ that many of us are guilty of, instead believes that our abilities are outside of our control, that we either naturally have skill in an area, or not.
We will all be faced with challenges in life, how we approach these challenges defines our view of the world. Did you get passed up on that management promotion because you aren’t good enough? Or do you know that you have great leadership skills, but that one of your weaknesses is being vague, which might have hindered you in your interview? Knowing yourself innately allows you to see opportunities for development, instead of problems. As obstacles present themselves, you are equipped to deal with them based on your knowledge of self.
Introspection and self-analysis are not always easily done alone – it can be difficult to see the forest for the trees, so to speak. If you feel that you would benefit from exploring what your strengths are with a qualified practitioner, we would love to help.
