Everyone has different strengths that they bring to the table. Whether it’s creativity, empathy, discipline, or adaptability, we all have something we are naturally good at.. We also all have difficulties in our lives- low self-esteem, relational conflicts, mental health concerns. What if we used the strengths inside of us to help us overcome some of the challenges in our lives?
In order to draw on your strengths to overcome difficulties, you have to identify your strengths.
Identify your Strengths
Define What “Strength” Means to You
Think about what you define as "Strength,” then allow that definition to grow. For example: As a teenager, I thought strength meant being tough and not getting tired. Today, my first word for strength is "kindness." Do you have any idea how much strength it takes to be kind towards unkind people, the energy and effort to be kind towards an unkind world? Whew! So start asking yourself, what's my definition of strength today? Then ask others how they would define it.
Notice What Lights You Up
Self-Awareness is your best Mental Health muscle. Notice yourself. Notice which topics make you smile when you are talking about them. Notice your body when you are talking about certain topics. When do you start talking more with your hands or start talking really fast? Notice what topics make excitement rise up in your chest. When do you want the listener to get as excited as you are about a topic? It could be religion, art, travel, sports, music, books, adoption, the homeless community. Your passions could be a vessel to explore your inner strengths.
Take a Strengths Finder Test
There are many free and affordable tests that can help you figure out your strengths.
Strengthsfinder by Gallup is a self-assessment that lists 34 different strengths of people, from Responsibility to Empathy to Strategic. It helps provide some information of the strengths you offer to the world.
Talk to Your Closest People
Think about a few people you know and trust. Choose people that cheer you on and you know want the best for you. Ask them, “what do you think my strengths are?” They can reveal parts of yourself that you may be blinded to. They can also affirm strengths you thought you might have.
Ask Someone From Your Workplace
There are parts of us that only come out at work and nowhere else. So, reach out to a trusted supervisor or coworker. Ask them “what strengths do you see from me in work.” If you are in school, as a friend you work closely with, an advisor, or a professor you trust.
Find Your Strengths Through Fun Activities
Do a FUN activity with friends that involves problem-solving. For example, sign up for an Escape Room and notice yourself, what you do, how you approach the problem, and how you respond to the group. Sign up to volunteer at a non-profit like a Soup Kitchen or a child's center, or animal adoption organization and notice yourself, how you feel among others, what you want to do, how you interact automatically. Some of these problem-solving situations can reveal your natural strengths.
USING your strengths
Once you have identified what your natural strengths are, there are several ways to develop awareness of how these strengths can be used in your life.
Journal About Your Strengths
Journaling about your strengths can help you reflect on times when you used your strengths to overcome adversity in your life. That way, you can have a better understanding of how to draw on your strengths in the present or future. Some journal prompts could be:
What was a time I used my strength of ____ to overcome a difficult situation?
How can I use my strength of ___ to overcome this current situation?
Your journal entries can be messy and a flow of thoughts. It does not have to be perfect and you don’t have to spend too long doing it.
Strengths-Based Counseling in Texas
VerywellMind defines strengths-based therapy as a theoretical orientation where the counselor focuses on a client’s existing resources, resilience, and positive qualities in an effort to use these abilities to improve quality of life and reduce problematic behaviors. Some of Neema Counseling’s therapists use strengths–based therapy approaches with their clients in Texas. If you are interested in learning more about your strengths and how to use them, schedule a free consultation with one of our counselors.
