Awareness of Strengths

Why be aware of your strengths?

• To enhance confidence and self esteem.
• For a clear foundation to build on.
• A basis to decide your next career move.
• Deciding whether to play to strengths or address development needs
• An excessive emphasis on weaknesses pushes strengths into the background.
• Understanding what personal resources you have to draw on to solve problems
• Sometimes we are so blinded by a problem we overlook resources we have at our disposal to help us solve them.
  

Strengths as assets

• Strengths are great assets, but they aren't the whole story.
• They're not like mandatory professional qualifications.
• Not having them shouldn't stop you from achieving what you want.
• Can you cultivate the attitude that you can achieve anything you put your mind to regardless of your strengths and weaknesses?
• Strong motivation can often overcome even serious weaknesses.
• Determination to succeed could be your greatest strength.

Why is it hard to recognize our strengths?

• If your confidence isn't strong, you might feel you have no strengths at all.
• Worrying about weaknesses pushes strengths into the background.
• Things you do well seem so easy that you don't see them as strengths.
• Modesty can incline you to discount your strengths.
• People often ask ''Doesn't everyone do that?''
• Or they say ''That's just my job.''
• We are good at discounting our strengths by saying that surely anyone can do that.
• Getting more negative feedback for weaknesses than positive feedback for strengths creates more awareness of the former.
• Comparing ourselves to people whose act we could never follow.
• Unrealistic standards - if we are not perfect we are no good at all.
• Beating ourselves excessively for even minor failings.
• Feeling sorry for ourselves for what we don't have rather than feeling good about what we do have.
• Frustration with our present situation can lead us to blame ourselves, blocking our ability to see our strengths.
• Blaming others or circumstances for our fate can make us feel powerless to do anything about it.
• To develop a balanced understanding of your strengths, set aside negative feelings towards yourself and cultivate a more positive outlook.
• Make a list of your strengths. Get objective feedback if you are not sure what they are.
• Despite obstacles, always ask yourself the question: ''What can I do?''
• The key is to look at what you can change, even if it is only your perspective.
• When we allow ourselves to be defeated by external circumstances we disempower ourselves.