Strengths

a little over a week ago i met with my friend Gina about the results of my strengths test...
(check Gina and her blog out here) to see more on my strengths click here)

Gina is a certified Strengths Finder couch and talking with her this morning brought me to tears as she explained my strengths and the ways they work together. What an amazing thing to learn that by the time i was 3 these strengths were more than likely already developed. God has big plans for my life and my strengths play a huge part of it, He plans things well. And the amazing thing is that this is the same for each of us, strengths He created in us when we were very young to work for the good in our life!

Learning this stuff puts things in more perspective...i was given so much information this morning, i will no doubt need time to process. i still have so much to learn about my strengths. Donald Clifton, who is the father of positive psychology and created strengths finder's believed that when we focus on our strengths and not our weaknesses we can achieve so much more. Instead of trying to be strong in the places we are weak, we learn what areas of strength we have so that we can focus on those and exceed to our full potential.

Gina put it into a simple equation for me...

i naturally will start at a 5 in my strengths, where someone who doesn't have them starts at 0... when i work at it i can reach 25 in that strength, where the other will only get to 5 with work because it isn't their natural strength...

right now in my strengths i believe i am walking in a 5, but i want to be at a 25 to reach my full potential!!! i believe this is where i will come alive and really make a difference for the Kingdom of God!!!

i have my BA in Psychology so trust me when i say i have taken my fair share of personality tests and the like, however this strengths finder test and coaching experience has been more revealing than any of them i have participated in.  i LOVE that kind of stuff,exploring why we behave the way we do, exploring who we are and how it effects our story!

so with all this said...i am declaring 2013 to be the year that i start growing in my strengths and i greatly encourage you to explore your own strengths here!

blessings...
Natasha