Recognise And Use Your Strengths

I remember when I first realised that my wife-to-be was a lot smarter than me. We were sitting in an old church waiting for a friend's wedding to start and I noticed some strange writing underneath the stained glass windows. "Would you like me to interpret the writing on those windows for you?" I offered. "Go ahead", she replied. With an attempt at humour I said, "It's Greek, for pull down to open". She replied, "Actually, it's Latin for light and life". Fortunately, my self-esteem is nurtured by Christy who constantly tells me how clever I am. Unfortunately, it tends to be for things like being able to change light bulbs which she finds hard to do.

It's funny that we all have hidden strengths and talents of one sort or another, though we often fail to appreciate them. I do not tend to think that my ability to change light bulbs is particularly special, though to Christy, who struggles to do so, it is perhaps a talent after all (unless, of course, this reflects desperation on her part to find something - anything - to praise me for). I much prefer it when she says my special talent is my ability to make her laugh. Though, this tends to occur when I am not trying to be funny, which could be a source of concern in itself. However, the point remains that we all have strengths and it is important to surround ourselves with people who appreciate our talents.

James Platt, a famous linguist and writer, was fluent in scores of languages. He once declared that "the first twelve tongues were always the most difficult, but having mastered them, the following hundred should not pose too much of a problem". Of course, most of us are never going to learn multiple languages. But it is worth noting that having developed a strength, it can be used purposefully and effectively.

It is not only individual strengths that we can draw upon, but also the strengths present in important relationships. One couple I know who were going through a tough time said two of the strengths of their relationship were their ability to come together to work towards a joint goal as well as their ability to laugh. With this realisation, they soon decided to give themselves some joint goals including starting an exercise program together and deciding on a renovation of their home. They also decided to tap into their silliness and ability to laugh to help get themselves through their tough time.

The more we are aware of our strengths, the more we can use them to help ourselves, especially during times of crisis. Consider what your strengths are and how you might use them to help yourself.