Have you heard of StrengthsFinder? StrengthsFinder 2.0 is an assessment designed to discover your innate talents (aka strengths). Then you take those strengths, discover more about them and focus on developing those talents.
I admit, I’d heard of the assessment. I just brushed it off as yet another one of those tests. Then I went to dōTERRA Leadership in Orlando. They gave us all a code to do the test. They also gave us a book of stickers to place our strengths on our name badge. I am a sucker for stickers and the thought of empty spots on my name badge just wouldn’t do. So… I took the test. The results weren’t too surprising. They confirmed many of the things I already knew about myself…
- Seeker of knowledge
- Creative problem solver
- Challenge the status quo
- Expert and teacher
- People are more important that profit
But what shocked me – really shocked me to my core were things that came up in the personal report where they put it all together. Things that I don’t share with the world. Things I don’t lead with, repress or keep hidden. There in black and white staring up at me was Empathy. Then to really hit me over the head they went on to describe that intuitiveness that allows me to be successful as a health coach. That part of me that just knows what a body needs combined with my view that all of the health challenges and symptoms are just a puzzle that needs to be solved. For me it was the sudden realization that I need to just let go. Be open and okay with the fact that I am an intuitive healer. My unique talents help people. The how it works isn’t important – that it does is important.
I’ve been at war with myself for a long time. You see one part of my strengths is all ‘strategic’ or as I like to call it the ‘brainy’ and logic strengths. Empathy and logic go together like oil and water. Science and math are logic based. Couple that with ‘I just know what the body needs’ is met with skepticism. I can just imagine one side of my brain feuding with the other. With a little humor I can see that I spend a lot of time researching to justify what I already know so I can satisfy that logic part of me to the ‘woo woo’ part of me. (What my friend who does Emotion Code work calls Metaphysical Healing).
So why do I share this? It isn’t to give you a goofy image of a science nerd with a bag of reiki crystals. It is to share what I think is an amazing tool. This assessment might give you answers that you are looking for. You might have an aha moment as well. You might find a deeper understanding of yourself and maybe if there are parts of you that you don’t like – maybe, just maybe you’ll find that you can find some love for them.
I’m completely and utterly fascinated with the idea of playing with our talents. Letting them come out and shine. Putting most of our energy into doing things we do well. Things you might do better than anyone else on the planet if you just allowed it happen. That we might even dig a little deeper and see there is good in things like being competitive. Wanting to be an expert. Having drive, focus, determination and the ability to see how things will play out in the big picture. Letting go of stereotypes and expectations others have of us, of the role they think we should play or worse the role we think we should play.
Like this…
This fixation we all have with fixing what is wrong with us (aka shortcomings) creates stress, unhappiness, unrealistic expectations and a whole lot of frustration. I can completely relate… after all I focus a lot of energy into being a better person, working on things that are hard for me and continually trying to improve. As I sit and reflect on this, I think about how much time I spend doing things I don’t enjoy. Things someone else could be doing for me. Things that might just be their strength. Instead of me slugging through it or continually pushing dreaded chores to the back burner because I can’t bring myself to do them.
What if… instead I focused on doing things I do really well. Worked at making my unique talents stronger and just learned to live with and understand the things I don’t do so well? What Is the worst thing that can happen? That it doesn’t work and I go back to doing it the old way?
I think Don Clifton was on to something. So do millions of people who’ve taken the test. Of course it helps that it is based on forty years of research. So if you haven’t already, consider taking the StrengthsFinder 2.0 Assessment. Read the reports. Sit in them a little bit. If you don’t like one, watch the videos on that strength and perhaps you’ll see it as a gift after all like I did my with mine.
For those that haven’t taken it, here is a link. I recommend the Kindle version with access code so you can take the test and then have everything to look up (it costs $1 more than the test).
Clifton’s StrengthsFinder 2.0 Kindle
For my oily friends, I discovered this wonderful little book that shows essential oils that can amplify your strengths and ones that counterbalance it for when it can be too much of a good thing. I’ve been happily playing and making some blends for my strengths and you can to. Here is the link for the book:
Anchor To Your Strengths:
PS: Yes it is an affiliate link and I do receive a couple of pennies if you click and purchase from it.
PPS: And for the curious (because I know I would be), here are my Top Ten StrengthsFinder Talents:
And what started it all…
