“Working hard to manage weaknesses, while sometimes necessary, will only help us prevent failure. It will not help us reach excellence.” Martin Seligman
Working with strengths is powerful. People who use their strengths daily are happier and more productive. Using your strengths adds meaning to work by bringing in your own values. When you engage with your strengths, your accomplishments and impact are greater. Acknowledging your impact helps you see that your efforts matter, it is a counterweight to low self-worth that occurs with burnout. Knowing you are making an impact is motivating and can also help your overcome some of the emotional fatigue which is associated with burnout.
A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of publicly acknowledging the members of the board of International Coach Federation of CT (ICF-CT), all volunteers. As president of ICF-CT, I chose to identify one strength that stood out to me that each board member brought to our work together, read the meaning and told a quick story about how the person manifested the strength. What fun! I think I enjoyed this as much as each of them did. This was a way of letting these volunteers know they were seen. It acknowledged a value they held and how they brought this to the work we did and the impact the strength had.
What was the fun about? One of my top strengths is gratitude, so I got to engage in expressing gratitude. When I mentioned the strength of another to that person, I got to see their eyes light up. I also got to have a mini-experience of the strength; this was a surprise to me. The ICF-CT board has diverse strengths, so, I got to experience the strength of 11 others as I acknowledged them at our annual luncheon. Uplifting is the word that comes to mind, I was uplifted and so were others in the room.
What is one of your strengths? Please share, we all will benefit.
You may be asking yourself, “Strengths, specifically, what are you talking about?” VIA Institute on Character offers free online validated surveys to help individuals recognize their strengths. They also provide a way to develop a vocabulary for strengths and ways for you to recognize strengths in others.
Take the VIA survey and engage in your strengths daily. If you are already using your strengths, spend a little time recognizing how you bring these strengths to life. If you want to engage in them more, what will you do?
To develop more ways to increase your joy and make the difference you desire, contact me.
Revitalize Your Life,
Dina, Well-Being Coach
203.744.YOU3 (9683)
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