2012 Resolution #16: Take Note of Your Personal Strengths
Posted on January 16, 2012 by Maria McInnis, One of Thousands of Life Coaches on Noomii.
#16 in our series on resolutions for the new year. Today we take inventory of your strengths.
Resolve to take note of your personal strengths.
After acknowledging your victories, it is important to also step back and take note of your strengths. Though your personal strengths spring from your personal victories, they are separate things that must be acknowledged separately from each other.
Like with victories, many people do not acknowledge all of their strengths, focusing instead upon their weaknesses. Having this sort of focus only creates a cycle of self deprecation that is as harmful to the psyche as it is to one’s chances of success. By chancing your focus to the strengths you have allows you to create new skills and capabilities that you might have otherwise overlooked.
“With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
Every day we utilize our various strengths in the world that we live in: the fact that we are, in fact living in the world is proof of this. We utilize patience, perseverance, wisdom, personal knowledge of various tasks, creativity, curiosity and so much more! All of these things are strengths in your character, and can be expanded to give you the ability to succeed.
Always focus on what you can do, rather than what you cannot do. Make that your mantra for the day: “What can I do?”
Strength is often mistaken as a physical force, or a mental one, but the truth is that your strengths reach into every aspect of your life. There are strengths that focus upon your abilities, ones that focus upon your knowledge bases and the wisdom you have earned through your years. Other strengths have to do with your moral code, and the caring that you dare to show to others. There are strengths that focus upon willpower, but also ones that allow you to connect with the universe around you.
Everyone has different strengths, some of which compliment each other, and others that clash. This is why it is so important to take stock of your strengths so that you may know where you may fit into a team environment.
“Unity is strength… when there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved.” – Mattie Stepanek
One of the greatest strengths you can facilitate is the ability to work together with others. This does not mean forcing yourself to fit into a space you were not meant for, but to rather find where your strengths would best be suited to, and going there. True teamwork is not about being forced to work together, but to realize where every person needs to work. A good employer, coach or teacher will do this for you, but as an individual you must also be willing and able to take measure of yourself and observe your environment.
In my motivational NLP classes I give everyone a sheet upon which to fill out their strengths as well as their needs and desires. I tell them that as far as the strengths are concerned that if they have less then five, they are being disingenuous to themselves. Once they are through we review their strengths together, and it always strikes me how many they miss. Appreciation, gratitude, hope and humour, as an example are almost never included, yet almost everyone admits to having these things when this is pointed out.
There are many strengths of character which are so important to building success that are constantly overlooked, or worse, looked at as weaknesses. Love, caring and humility are sometimes included in their weaknesses, and to think of these wonderful strengths in such a way is a down right shame. Never doubt the abilities of the human heart and the human spirit, for it is through these things that true strength is found.
Make a list of your strengths today, and take note of how they can change your world and the way that you do things moving forward.
