Knowing Thyself Elevates Us All
Human relationships… Complex, I know. But what if we started with the relationship we have with ourselves?
What do you think about yourself? Your preferences? Your strengths? Your potential?
If you’re like most adults focused on the day-to-day, you probably haven’t given yourself the luxury of pausing to ponder these things for too long.
Would you believe me if I said you (and billions of other humans) have untapped strengths and talents that, if revealed, could greatly elevate our communities and our world?
I got a little obsessed with this idea and got into action.
I asked a new friend, Sarah Gustafson, to speak with my internship program participants about CliftonStrengths last week. An accomplished REALTOR® and Gallup-Certified CliftonStrengths Coach, Sarah blew us away with her passion about empowering people to uncover their top strengths and develop them to live their very best lives.
Sarah Gustafson
The conversation with Sarah got me so fired up, I bought the StrengthsFinder 2.0 audiobook, took the test (you get a 1-time online test code with the book), and even got the upgrade for the more complete report.
If you are interested (Mom, I know you’re out there!) my top 5 CliftonStrengths (and correlated ways to achieve my potential) include the following:
- Strategic - Always have options so you can adapt
- Input - Keep exploring; always be curious
- Arranger - Organize resources to maximize impact
- Belief - Honor your values
- Relator - Connect deeply with the right people
Distinct from personality tests, CliftonStrengths assessment (formerly known as Clifton StrengthsFinder) is a performance-based tool developed by The Gallup Organization to help people discover and develop their top strengths.
They believe, “You will excel and become the absolute best version of yourself when you take a strengths-based approach to your life. Do more of what you do best, and you’ll feel more engaged, empowered, and energized.”
Yes please. Lol.
While I’m on a roll, let me list other self-assessments you may or may not have heard about.
Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is a popular personality typing tool to illuminate people’s preferences and understand and appreciate their differences.
DiSC is a personality assessment tool aimed to provide a common language for people to better understand themselves and others– with the larger goal of “improving teamwork, communication, and productivity in the workplace.”
Color Code is a motives-driven personality assessment that helps people understand why they do what they do vs. simply confirm their behaviors or preferences.
Enneagram is a 9-type personality assessment system that “describes patterns in how people interpret the world and manage their emotions”
And what the heck, with Valentine’s Day around the corner, I might as well throw in the 5 Love Languages - based on Chapman’s best-selling book - offers an assessment for people to identify their “primary love language” and use it to build stronger personal (and professional) relationships. HERE is a nuanced free 7-style version of the original quiz.
I hope you have derived even ⅓ of the amount of fun I had looking into these resources.
The whole idea is to remind you how AMAZING YOU ARE. When we come to know ourselves better, we can better serve the world.
Love and Connection,
Amy