Just like large and small businesses, churches and places of faith are run by people who have to collaborate together to execute a vision. At reCreate, we have had the privilege to work with places of faith in helping the members and leaders discover their strengths to better equip them with their mission. Because the church is made up of so many volunteers, it is critical to put people in the places they will thrive and grow both for the individual and the message of the church. Gallup has found more than half of churchgoers report that they don't get to do what they do best in their congregations or parishes. And this is driving people away. Even in church, you can find less than enthusiastic volunteers and it could just be because they are not given the chance to do what they do best. I want to highlight a few Strengths that people of faith have a harder time accepting. One of those being Significance. People with Significance want to leave a legacy and they leave that legacy through their own lives and desire to be recognized. An example of someone with Significance in the bible is the blind man Bartimaeus in Mark 10:46-52 who’s desire to be recognized and his confidence led to his vision being restored. Competition is another strength people have had trouble with in the faith community because completion in some people’s eyes implies that do whatever you have to do to win. But in the Bible, Paul recognized the importance of being competitive to spread the gospel when he said, Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore, I do not run like a man running aimlessly. 1 Corinthians 9:24-26 In whatever capacity it is that you use your Strengths, we at reCreate want everyone to appreciate and own the uniqueness of how you were created, see the power and edge it brings to your relationships as well as your unique mission in life.
0 Comments
What's your top 5? Communication Strategic Woo Developer Futuristic How do you see them playing out in your life? Communication is the strength I see that impacts most of life because I use it 24/7 with my career as a newscaster. Also being a business owner I use my communication strength to be the voice of my fitness studios. I pretty much get paid to speak! I see my Woo playing out as well because I'm constantly connecting and interacting with tons of people and love hearing about their lives and stories. It’s cool to see how the majority of what I do everyday revolves around these strengths! What's your favorite theme? My favorite theme is Developer. I love mentoring and coaching people to help them achieve their goals.I love pouring myself into people and seeing people flourish by taking the time to offer wisdom, resources and simply let them know I believe in them. It gives me energy to see people grow and figure out the right paths for themselves! What's the one theme that "gets in your way"? Even though Developer is my favorite strength, it also is something that can get in my way quite often. Probably because I have a hard time saying no! When people need help, I desire so much to be of service to them that I sometimes become deflated because I tend to neglect parts of my own life. I would consider myself very independent and usually am the one helping others so I have to be very aware of setting good boundaries and remember it’s ok to ask for help. How has knowing your top 5 empowered you to live a more authentic life? Knowing my strengths has given me permission to be who I was made to be instead of trying to fill the role of someone else. It has also given me the reassurance that the things I love doing I should invest my time into instead of trying to be good at things that aren’t my strengths. For example, I despise doing things like administrative tasks because they suck energy from me so I’ve stopped trying to be good at those things and have delegated them to others that enjoy them much more. I now concentrate on the things that bring life to me such as coaching and engaging with people. I can better embrace the things that I excel at and feel less pressure to be good at the things that leave me depleted. Want to be featured? We would love to showcase you! Haven't taken Strengths yet? Click here Like this post? Comment below! It’s been fun and exciting times for reCreate! We want to highlight some of the amazing organizations and businesses we’ve been privileged to work with in the past few months. The Honor Foundation This incredible non-profit organization educates and equips our amazing military heroes who are transitioning out of their military careers and into the corporate sector of civilian life. We had the privilege and honor of coaching these men to better understand their Strengths and how to utilize them as they transition into their next phase of life. http://www.thehonorfoundation.org Viacom One of the biggest media and entertainment companies known to man, which encompasses names like VH1, Spike TV, CMT, MTV partnered with reCreate to implement a Strengths-based culture with their employees and management teams. http://www.viacom.com True Chiropractic
Dr. Matt Hubbard and the team at True Chiropractic were a blast to work with as we helped them understand their individual Strengths and how to better communicate as a team based on each person’s innate talents. Personally I believe they are the best chiropractic team out there by helping people (like yours truly!) achieve optimal health through their holistic approach. http://truechiropracticsandiego.com Want to understand your unique talents? Go to: www.gallupstrengthscenter.com Want a FREE 30-min intro session with a coach? Email us at info@recreatestrengths.com What's your top 5? Activator Communication Individualization Woo Learner How do you see them playing out in your life? All day every day!! I am a people and action person first and foremost ! I love to talk to and truly get to know people. I am truly fascinated by the unique qualities of every person and am able to get to the “root of” people through conversation very quickly. This is extremely helpful to me because I help manage a team of 25 people where this kind of communication is crucial. As a manager I am able to adapt my leadership to the different personalities on my team. The learner in me is constantly researching anything and EVERYTHING. Wikipedia is my best friend and I thoroughly enjoy the learning process even more so than becoming an actual expert at any one thing. In my work environment I am confident I can take on most things because the act of learning something new to me is so exciting . What's your favorite theme? Communication. I love to use words . I love describing, and explaining . I am always on the hunt for the most impactful way and choice of words to explain something. I naturally assume people have a short attention span so I pick the right words to make things interesting. I also love talking at length about pretty much any subject with anyone that is interested! What's the one theme that "gets in your way"? Definitely activator!!! Im very much a “whats next?” person which makes it hard for me to ever truly relax and appreciate all that I have sometimes. Im always thinking what else should I be doing. Also, I absolutely despise reading directions and instructions because I just want to “do it”!! I have messed up many recipes because of this. I can also be very impatient when others don’t take action as quickly as I would. It can also lead me to be an impulsive black and white thinker. How has knowing your top 5 empowered you to live a more authentic life? I see my strengths as the the legacy that I will leave on this world. I know that when I utilize my 5 strengths that are so natural to me that I will make the biggest impact on others. Through learning my strengths I realize that my purpose is to inspire others into action through conversation .When leading people like I do everyday its SO important to know what you as a leader bring to the table so you are clear what you can offer each person. It is equally as important to know what the strengths of your team and how you can leverage each other. Want to be featured? We would love to showcase you! Haven't taken Strengths yet? Click here Like this post? Comment below! What we love about Strengths work is that it is a universal tool. It is most widely used in professional development settings but also is highly effective as a communication tool with couples. What if we understood the filters our partner sees out of? What if the things your partner does that you just don’t get were actually their Strengths at work? At reCreate, we like to say that Strengths can also be a tool of grace. What was once seen as kooky or annoying, can actually be appreciate as the unique talents and Strengths that make your loved one special. Take David and Gloria for example. They have a hard time making decisions together and often argue because they never seem to be on the same page. This can be with small things such as what type of furniture to buy to big things like what kind of school to put their kids in. David’s Strengths include: Strategic, Learner and Deliberative. Gloria’s Strengths include: Positivity, Activator and Restorative. Being Deliberative, David does not make decisions quickly. He is methodical, cautious and a mulls over every scenario until he has anticipated every obstacle. Being Learner and Strategic, he learns about all different possibilities and maps out every possible best route. As you can see, decisions are not simple for David. As an Activator, Gloria learns as she goes. She likes to dive into anything that seems reasonable and doesn’t have to give it much thought. With her Positivity, she believes things will work out and her Restorative motivates her to want to solve problems. She loves to take risks and is not afraid to make mistakes. As you can see, David and Gloria are coming from 2 opposite sides of the scale. After understanding their Strengths, they both are able to see that David’s caution is because he wants to be sure that he has weighed every option while Gloria is not reckless in her decision making, she feels like trying things out is the best way to grow and learn. They both have learned to appreciate each other’s style in decision making and have made adjustments in their communication in this area. Gloria now gives David a lot more time to think things over instead of springing things on him while David takes less time to come to decisions and gives Gloria more trust. If you are at a crossroads in a relationship issue, ask yourself what Strengths you may be misunderstanding from your partner and find ways to compromise. Appreciating each other’s Strengths for the valuable gifts they are is the first step in coming together on an issue. Want to understand your unique talents? Go to: www.gallupstrengthscenter.com Want a FREE 30-min intro session with a coach? Email us at info@recreatestrengths.com What's your top 5? Empathy Developer Restorative Positivity Includer How do you see them playing out in your life? I see them playing out in my life every day! I love people! I love being relational and building people up. I grew up as a military child which meant I moved around a lot. I basically had to learn how to be relational in order to make friends. I have always been empathic with people. I want people in my life to know I understand who they are and that I care about them. Growing up I wanted to be involved in everything and hated being left out of anything. My parents and family have always called me a social butterfly. Presently I am a teacher so everyday I am working with kids teaching them not only academics but social and emotional skills. I am teaching them how to be responsible and communicate with those around them. I am speaking into their life reminding them that they are unique, strong and still learning and growing. I am also speaking and sharing with their parents. I actually love this part of my job because I love seeing the growth and change of their children throughout the year. What's your favorite theme? My favorite theme is Includer! I don't want anyone to be left out and want everyone to feel loved, secure and accepted! What's the one theme that "gets in your way"? Empathy because I love being able to empathize with people but there are times when I have to take feelings out of situation and that is hard. I have to try really hard to not always "wear my emotions on my sleeves." How has knowing your top 5 empowered you to live a more authentic life? Knowing my Top 5 has been amazing! It has empowered me to know that I am in the right profession and that I can utilize my top 5 to build relationships and succeed in my career. It has also allowed me to see the purpose in my own life. I know the things I am passionate about and what my strengths are so it's easier to know when i am in a team situation where I excel and how to communicate that to others. I highly recommend everyone to find out what their strengths are! Want to be featured? We would love to showcase you! Haven't taken Strengths yet? Click here Like this post? Comment below! Let’s face it, transition is tough. Whether the change is forced upon us or something we intentionally choose, the unknown can be a scary place. A stable paycheck, feeling useful at a job, a stable living environment, knowing you will wake up next to the person you love, having a sense of purpose. These are just a few examples that give us a sense of security and safety in our worlds. When any of these things are taken away or we rock the boat by making intentional change, many times we question our purpose and even our identity. Times of transition don’t have to be as dreaded as you may think. In some ways it could be the most exciting time of your life because you have the opportunity to know yourself in a new way and discover things you may have never had the chance to unlock. One of the ways to help during a season of transition is to understand your Strengths. Strengths are the natural way you think, feel and behave and understanding how these work in your life can help you realize your purpose. Some ways to help during transition: 1. Realize that it is just a moment in time and eventually the potentially negative feelings will pass and you will find your direction. 2. Take the Clifton StrengthsFinder assessment to help you uncover what your innate talents are. 3. Ask other people in your life to give you feedback on how they see your Strengths playing out in your life. This may help you with the next step you need to take. 4. Volunteer, get involved in organizations that make a difference. Find a way to gain purpose in your life, even if it’s not getting paid for it. Use this time to recreate yourself and understand your unique gifts and talents in a new way. You may just discover that this time of transition was the best thing that ever happened to you. Want to understand your unique talents? Go to: www.gallupstrengthscenter.com Want a FREE 30-min intro session with a coach? Email us at info@recreatestrengths.com What's your top 5? Strategic Connectedness Belief Adaptability Communication How do you see them playing out in your life? When I look at my Top 5 Strengths and think about my life, it becomes clear that these strengths have helped me get to where I am today. As a strategic thinker, I am able to easily sort through the clutter that life can often give you and find what I think is the best way to approach an issue. This has come in handy in both my personal and professional life. Connectedness and Belief stem from my deep faith and my knowing beyond the shadow of a doubt that God is in control (even though sometimes I pretend I am!). I will plan, research, prepare, and work hard on things in my life, all the while knowing that I ultimately want His will to be done – even if it goes against what I think is best. Sometimes this is an easy lesson to learn, often it is a tough pill to swallow, but always it is the brilliant answer that so perfectly reflects His truth! And finally, I see communication as the answer to every problem. Communication with God, with peers, with co-workers, family, friends, and even strangers – if we really truly, actively listen and thoughtfully respond great things will happen! What's your favorite Strength? Picking a favorite is difficult, as I find them all interwoven so closely. If I have to isolate one, however, it would be Belief. My belief is my faith and this is the absolute cornerstone of my life. What's the one Strength that "get's in your way?" I would say that a combination of Strategic and Communication can often join together in causing me to say more than I should. I am a very honest person who, utilizing my Strategic thinking can hear of a friend’s problems and immediately see a solution. And due to my desire to Communicate, I will often offer my solution whether it has been solicited or not. I do this automatically and because I truly care and want to help, however, am working on slowing my train of thought in order to discern if this advice is warranted. How has knowing your top 5 empowered you to live a more authentic life? Knowing my Top 5 Strengths has empowered and encouraged me to become a better person. Each of my strengths can easily be turned into a weakness if not used and cultivated properly. I feel that knowing these strengths has challenged me to use them to their full potential in pursuit of a successful career and a joyful life. reCreate's Strengths Mission For Strengths to come alive, we must have the opportunity to use them everyday and make them personal. We showcase our friends, family, clients and anyone who dares to show us the personal side to their Top 5. These post are meant to encourage, inspire and connect you to having a life well-lived in strengths. Want to be featured? We would love to showcase you!!! Haven't taken Strengths yet? Click here! Like this post? Comment below! Where do we spend the most time in our adult life? Work. The average person spends 90,000 hours at their place of employment over a lifetime. Research shows that 80% of people are dissatisfied with their jobs. So bottom line is we spend most of our time and energy in the workplace and are pretty miserable while we’re there. Sounds pretty bleak but there is an answer to these depressing facts. That answer is knowing your Strengths and having an opportunity to use them consistently in the workplace. What can you do if you are one of the 80% who spend the majority of your time daydreaming of when you are able to walk out the doors for the day or going broke buying lottery tickets? Before coming to the conclusion you are in the wrong job, ask yourself these questions:
Upon taking the Clifton StrengthsFinder Assessment the results revealed her top Strength as Achiever. An Achiever has to feel like they are constantly accomplishing something everyday and work very well making lists that they can check off. Every morning she put all her detailed tasks on a white board which helped her measure out her day efficiently. She soon began to feel much more satisfied in seeing what she was accomplishing throughout the day and became more organized and better at her job as a result. Understanding your Strengths and coming up with strategies to use them in your job may be the injection of life you need to bring purpose and excitement back into the workplace! That is, until you win the lottery. Want to understand your unique talents? Go to: www.gallupstrengthscenter.com Want a FREE 30-min intro session with a coach? Email us at info@recreatestrengths.com What's your top 5? Strategic Learner Positivity Responsibility Achiever How do you see them playing out in your life? I see my top 5 themes playing out directly and powerfully! I am constantly selecting the “best” course to take, adapting as necessary, making sure that it’s not just an experience, but a good one, making sure my word is my bond and checking things off the list of my day. My theme set very much keeps me in the present. I can become uncomfortable or agitated when looking too far back or too far forward. What's your favorite Strength? Strategic by far! The ability to anticipate, assess and respond accordingly is a pleasure for me. Packing a trunk, coming up with a plan of action, selecting the best route up a hill on a hike or selecting the most affective words to inspire a team always fires me up. Add a little espresso, and my mind can become a veritable super computer! That’s what I tell myself anyway. What's the one Strength that "get's in your way?" Responsibility. It is often hard for me to let something go which, even in passing, I’ve agreed to. Someone else can flippantly say, “Yeah, lets meet there tomorrow at 5” and to them that can mean, maybe that will happen. But I’ll be sitting there the next day at 4:45p and thinking, “Was I supposed to meet this guy?" How has knowing your top 5 empowered you to live a more authentic life? I am certainly far more aware of when to press my advantage. I can remember prior to finding out my themes if my assessment was correct, or if I was wrong for wanting everything to be a good experience for everyone. I give myself a lot more grace now because I know the way that I lean naturally. I know it also causes me to be bold when necessary and when to allow someone else the lead because it’s not a time where my strengths are best utilized. reCreate's Strengths Mission For strengths to come alive, we must have the opportunity to use them everyday and make them personal. We showcase our friends, family, clients and anyone who dares to show us the personal side to their Top 5. These post are meant to encourage, inspire and connect you to having a life well-lived in strengths. Want to be featured? We would love to showcase you!!! Haven't taken Strengths yet?! Click here! Like this post?! Comment below! What do you want to be when you grow up? A question we’ve all likely been asked at some point in our lives. With the current college-aged generation, you will likely get a blank stare. 80% of college-bound students are undecided about a major by the time they apply for college. And of those who have chosen a major, 50% will change their majors at least 2-3 times during their college career. The 4-year degree is quickly becoming obsolete as 40% of college students are now taking 6+ years to graduate. In the book, Strengths Quest by Gallup, they discovered that many students leave college because of disillusionment, discouragement, or reduced motivation then because of lack of ability or dismissal by school administration. The conventional approach of making students well-rounded and focusing on improving their weaknesses does not seem to be producing excellence but ONLY discouragement and confusion. After studying human success for decades, Gallup believes that if the focus in our education system shifted from a weakness-fixing model to an emphasis on developing a student’s greatest talents, it would result in: · Development of personal qualities that promote achievement, civility, and personal wellbeing · More clarity on what career paths would compliment a person’s greatest talents · Less time and money spent on a college education · Overall, less frustrated and discouraged on the part of students and parents · New learning paradigms would emerge If you are a student feeling frustrated in not understanding what your unique talents are, ask yourself the following questions: 1. What has been your most successful experience in an academic, learning or athletic setting? 2. I am passionate about _____________ 3. I feel a sense of destiny when ______________ 4. I like to think about ________________ These questions can give you clues into where your talents lie and help you discover your passions. Knowing what you’re innately good at and developing them into Strengths can be the KEY to unlocking your life’s purpose and put an end to the blank stares. Want to understand your unique talents? Go to: www.gallupstrengthscenter.com Want a FREE 30-min intro session with a coach? Email us at info@recreatestrengths.com What's your top 5? Beliefs, Analytical, Connectedness, Relater, Learner How do you see them playing out in your life? Right now I am in the middle of transition and even though it is a wonderful transition I find myself frustrated. I am a officer in the Navy and recently found out I was medically disqualified from the nuclear pipeline. This means the direction I had thought I was heading professionally for the last five years completely shifted. I stand in awe as I watch God work in my life and stand firm in my BELIEFS that God is in control of this. My CONNECTEDNESS knows that this is not by chance, but a series of events beautifully orchestrated by our maker. However now to look at why I am frustrated, the RELATOR in me is screaming out for something to do and someone to connect with. The people I have spent the last months growing to love have continued with the busy schedule of nuclear power school, while I wait to see what God is doing. The BELIEF in me likes to live a life of value and worth. I like to help people find their purpose, but now I am in transition and waiting for the dust to settle as the ANALYTICAL piece of me carefully calculates the next move. What's your favorite theme? BELIEF. Living a life of meaning, value, worth and impacting the world makes my heart sing. Helping people find their purpose in the midst of the mundane warms my soul. It doesn't matter if I am on a warship in the middle of the ocean, an orphanage in a foreign country or sharing a cup of coffee while I catch up on the lives of one of my dear friends, I feel complete when I can pour into those around me and make their life a little bit better. What's the one theme that "gets in your way?" ANALYTICAL. I love when I find how events or data can interrelate, but my reason and logic can bring me to a halt in life. I am a perfectionist and want to produce flawless results, so I am stuck calculating my next step to make sure it is the perfect one to take. How has knowing your Top 5 empowered you to live a more authentic life? I always ask God to show me what gifts he has given me, however I never knew it was right in front of me. I never saw these things that come so naturally as strengths and now as I learn more about the person I am I can stand firm knowing these are my strengths. These traits are gifts from God that I must use to live a life of purpose and that purpose is to live a life infused with love and giving the glory to God. reCreate's Strengths Mission For strengths to come alive, we must have the opportunity to use them everyday and make them personal. We showcase our friends, family, clients and anyone who dares to show us the personal side to their Top 5. These post are meant to encourage, inspire and connect you to having a life well-lived in strengths. Want to be featured? We would love to showcase you!!! Haven't taken Strengths yet?! Click here! Like this post?! Comment below!!! What's your top 5? Learner, Responsibility, Intellection, Individualization, Focus How do you see them playing out in your life? I've always known from a young age that I was fairly intellectual. Even in middle school I found myself intrigued by philosophy, world religions, and the meaning of life. While my friends were cooped up in their rooms reading the Harry Potter series, I was reading books like The Alchemist, Tao of Pooh, and Encyclopedia Britannica. Fiction just never resonated with me. I always wanted to learn about the deeper things of life and have deeper conversations. I always felt different because I had no desire to talk about fashion or celebrities. I sought after things yet to be discovered. My curiosity for the new and unknown expanded throughout my college years as a scientific SCUBA diver and marine biologist. My desire to learn and have intellectual stimulation was fulfilled completely by exploring the depths of the sea and seeking to understand how the creatures of the deep blue sea live. I am focused and goal oriented in everything I do. Whether I've been completely wrong or have a sprout of genius, I have always taken responsibility for my work and commitments. The strength of Individualization has woven into all aspects of my life. It means that I am strong at connecting with people one on one; I want to know what someone is excellent at, their story, what they bring to the table, and help them shine. What's your favorite theme? Do I have to pick one?! (Fine, I will). My favorite strength is Individualization. Nothing energizes me more than connecting with people and learning about their world. I love taking note of the unique qualities of a person and help create a space for them to feel special and valued. What's the one theme that "gets in your way?" Learner definitely gets in my way! Because I enjoy learning and discovering new information I can get stuck in the pattern of learning and thinking-- A LOT. I have to make a concerted effort to create and execute action plans that help me apply everything that I'm learning. Thank God being a learner is tempered with laser beam focus and a healthy weight of responsibility, or I'd end up a full-time beach bum! How has knowing your top 5 empowered you to live a more authentic life? Knowing my top 5 has given me great insight to who I am, but APPLYING my top 5 has been an absolute game changer! A recent lay-off from a data entry job gave me the awakening I needed to explore how my strengths apply to life and business. Many of the jobs I've done in the past 4 years have simply given me a paycheck but never imparted purpose. A purpose that far exceeds my needs and overflows into the lives of other people. I'm no longer living from a place of what can I get, but what can I give. It is ironic how the hobbies that we "dabble" in can be indicators of what truly sets our soul on fire. Live music has always been a part of my life but I always considered it just something for fun, simply entertainment. Now I'm developing a live music production company called "Gems La Femmes" here in San Diego among other entrepreneurial ventures that incorporate all of my strengths. I highly recommend people to not only take the Strengths Finder 2.0 test so they know their Top 5 but also do a coaching session with Jen Fore so you can understand how your strengths help you strategize, influence, execute, and develop relationships in your sphere of influence. (NOTE from reCreate...thanks for the shout out Kimmie!) reCreate's Strengths Mission For strengths to come alive, we must have the opportunity to use them everyday and make them personal. We showcase our friends, family, clients and anyone who dares to show us the personal side to their Top 5. These post are meant to encourage, inspire and connect you to having a life well-lived in strengths. Want to be featured? We would love to showcase you!!! Haven't taken Strengths yet?! Click here! Like this post?! Comment below!!! Last week we discussed the importance of our Physical Wellbeing. How’s it going? Did some of your grocery shopping habits change? Are you finding more time to exercise? Are you sleeping 7-8 hrs/night? Making some improvements leads to BIG changes. Keep it up! This week we’re going to discuss our 5th and final ingredient: Community Wellbeing. Community Wellbeing really starts with some basics that might surprise you: · The water you drink · The air you breathe · The sense of safety in your area So let’s put your Community Wellbeing to the test. Please answer these honestly: 1. Do you feel safe in the area that you live? 2. Are you involved in community groups or organizations? 3. Do you use your strengths to share your passions in your communities? Once we tackle the basics, we should think about the communities in which we live. I never gave this much thought but it makes total sense. Think about the aesthetics of where you live. Is it a beautiful place where there are parks, trails, or playgrounds? What about social places where people can meet up and spend time together such as restaurants, bars, coffee shops, ECT? What about the atmosphere of openness to all types of people regardless of race, heritage, age, or sexual orientation? All of these factors come together to create the “ideal communities”. After we’ve surveyed the aesthetics, what about the degree of involvement we play? Do we get involved in social efforts? Are we volunteering? Individuals with THRIVING wellbeing say it’s about what we do to give back to our communities. When Gallup asked people with thriving wellbeing about the greatest contribution they had made in their life, majority mentioned the impact they had on another person, group or community. Neuroscientists discovered that regions of the brain that are activated when we receive money glow brighter when we give money. Interesting, huh? Point being: it makes us feel better to give than to get. Most people who give back to their communities have emotional ties to the organization’s mission or purpose. Those with this type of vested interest have more to offer because of their knowledge and personal mission. These people use their strengths along with their knowledge and skills to pursue and support their communities. These people love to tell others about their interests and help connect people. So let’s ask: Do you feel like your Community Wellbeing is TRIVING? If you think you need a boost, here’s some Gallup recommendations: 1. Identify how you can contribute to your community based on your personal mission. 2. Tell people about your passions and interests so they can connect you with relevant groups and causes. 3. Opt in to a community group or event. Even if you start small, start now! Haven't taken the StrengthsFinder assessment yet?! Click here! Want to buy the book Wellbeing? Click here! If you're curious of where you rank in your wellbeing, take the Gallup Wellbeing Finder: Click here! reCreate's Strengths Mission For strengths to come alive, we must have the opportunity to use them everyday and make them personal. We showcase our friends, family, clients and anyone who dares to show us the personal side to what strengths mean to them. These post are meant to encourage, inspire and connect you to having a life well-lived in strengths. Like this post?! Comment below!!! What's your top 5? Futuristic, Individualization, Competition, Significance, Maximizer How do you see them playing out in your life? Before I started working with my StrengthsFinder coach I never noticed the strengths I had. Now I see and use them every day, especially as a Filmmaker and Photographer. My top 5 help me fully understand my own work ethic and how to effectively use them in my work. I can definitely see why Futuristic is my number 1 in my top 5. For someone who works with cameras all day and also works at Best Buy, I am always looking forward to learning about and using the latest and greatest technology out there. I think that I frequently use my futuristic and maximizer strengths together while working at Best Buy to help me keep up on my product knowledge and to help my team to go above and beyond our goals. As a filmmaker and photographer, it is my goal to be as impactful and different as possible. I use competition to help push me to make my next video or photo more individualized and significant than the one before. As a whole my top five strengths along with my StrengthsFinder coach are helping me build a path for my future. What's your favorite theme? My favorite theme is probably Individualization. I have always tried to be as creative and unique as possible for as long as I can remember. Today it is very apparent in my photography and video because I try to produce things that are as personalized to my clients as possible. I apply this skill to my everyday life to help separate my work from the rest. What's the one theme that "get's in your way"? The one theme that I believe gets in the way most often is Maximizer. Whenever I produce something, I like to make sure that it is the best that it can be and this can be extremely time consuming. I can't cut corners or half do something, I have to do it the right way which typically takes a longer time. How has knowing your top 5 empowered you to live a more authentic life? Now that I understand what my strengths are and how to apply them, it has greatly aided me in knowing what I need to do in order to get me where I want to be in life. I find ways to use my top 5 in everything that I do. It helps me be a more genuine person in and outside of work and I have notice a greater amount of assurance in my decisions for the plan that I am making for my future. reCreate's Strengths Mission For strengths to come alive, we must have the opportunity to use them everyday and make them personal. We showcase our friends, family, clients and anyone who dares to show us the personal side to their Top 5. These post are meant to encourage, inspire and connect you to having a life well-lived in strengths. Want to be featured? We would love to showcase you!!! Haven't taken Strengths yet?! Click here! Like this post?! Comment below!!! Last week we talked about Financial Wellbeing. Did you make some changes on where you spend your money or whom you’re spending your money on? Are you becoming aware of your impulsive/emotional buying habits? This week we’re going to talk about our 4th ingredient: Physical Wellbeing Did you know that every action we take in our lives is something that results in a net positive and benefits our health or net negative which could be detrimental to us? When you look back on your day, how many things contributed to benefiting your health? Let’s put your Physical Wellbeing to the test. Answer these questions honestly: 1. Do you eat healthy foods more than unhealthy? 2. Do you exercise regularly? 3. Are you getting at least 7 hours of sleep a night? The research shows that most people are less than satisfied with those areas in their lives and are falling short in living in excellent health. When we live a balanced life, our bodies will run more efficiently and affect our overall quality of life. Here are some interesting facts by Gallup: · Having a “high-fat hangover” not only slows us down but it can also impair our thinking. · Eating fried foods puts us at a 30% greater risk for a heart attack. · Genetic history is one way to predict our future health; we not only pass it to our children but our children’s children. · Women eating one serving of fatty fish (e.g., salmon) could reduce the risk of kidney cancer by 74%. · Having high levels of omega-3s can help moderate symptoms of depression, decrease impulsiveness, and boost our daily moods. Balance is the key to healthy living. When we eat the right foods it not only makes us feel better but also protects our future generations. It increases our overall mood levels and helps us fight against depression and sickness. On your next trip to the grocery store, look for foods with dark tones of reds, greens, and blues such as: Red- apples, tomatoes, strawberries, raspberries, red peppers, radishes, chili peppers and pomegranates Green- broccoli, asparagus, artichokes, spinach, sprouts, lettuce, arugula, collard greens, kale, and Swiss chard Blue- blueberries, blackberries, cabbage and grapes Along with eating right, we need to be mindful of the amount of physical activity we getting each week. According to a survey by Gallup, among 400,000 Americans they surveyed, only 27% were getting the recommended 30 minutes or more of exercise five days per week. They found that people who exercise regularly (at least 2 days/week) are happier and have less stress as well as having more energy. On top of being happier and less stressed, you also are twice as likely to feel physically attractive tomorrow. Who wouldn’t want that? Sleep also plays a huge factor in our Physical Wellbeing. Gallup says, “Getting a good nights sleep is like hitting a reset button.” They found that the average person was only getting 6.7 hours of sleep during a weeknight. The recommended amount is 7-8 hours of sleep a night. When we don’t get enough sleep we move slower, have trouble concentrating, become forgetful, make bad decisions and are more irritable. Sleep helps keep us well rested as well as accelerates our learning. Sleep helps us synthesize the learning and experiences of a day. Essentially our brains are playing connect-the-dots until we wake up! Here are 3 recommendations by Gallup to help us boost our Physical Wellbeing: 1. Get 20 mins of daily exercise. Morning would be ideal to help improve your mood. 2. Sleep 7-8 hours a night. Going over the recommended amount could actually start working against you. 3. Load up on natural and healthy foods. Haven't taken the StrengthsFinder assessment yet?! Click here! Want to buy the book Wellbeing? Click here! If you're curious of where you rank in your wellbeing, take the Gallup Wellbeing Finder: Click here! reCreate's Strengths Mission For strengths to come alive, we must have the opportunity to use them everyday and make them personal. We showcase our friends, family, clients and anyone who dares to show us the personal side to what strengths mean to them. These post are meant to encourage, inspire and connect you to having a life well-lived in strengths. Like this post?! Comment below!!! What's your top 5? Achiever, Connectedness, Empathy, Individualization, Input How do you see them playing out in your life? I see how each theme plays out in my daily life, especially as a Marriage and Family Therapist. I became increasingly aware of how I apply my strengths in my career after graduate school. It was interesting to see how the little things that I would do unconsciously came to the forefront of my awareness. I experience each one throughout the day in my interactions with clients, friends, family, and in ministry. Achiever is definitely a great way to describe me as a whole. I believe that I am a highly motivated and hardworking individual. The need to have a productive day and “check” things off my list to feel accomplished certainly describes my approach to each day. I take on the busyness of the day with zeal and make it a goal to see how much I can achieve. This usually translates into an internal competition within myself to get the most out of what I am working toward. Connectedness shows through my private and professional life in the sense that I am a natural when it comes to networking. I love to bring people together for a common goal, project, or purpose. I apply this strength to bring my families together in session as well as to bring colleagues and friends together to achieve life goals. I actually find a certain level of satisfaction in watching synergy. Empathy is a big strength for me in my field. As a therapist, a primary role in my job is to empathize with the pain and struggles that my client has experienced throughout life. In many ways, empathy promotes healing and progress towards restoration. I also see how my strength of Individualization compliments my empathy. I can empathize with the pain of my client and use individualization to take a strategic approach in the next step in therapy. I seek out specific interventions that will best assist that person to move into the next phase of healing. This desire to learn new methods and seek unique treatment also leads into my final strength of Input. This one surprises me because I have always been an innately curious person but never knew the source of it. Input causes me to seek out random but often helpful information. I have found Input to create resourcefulness on the inside of me that lends itself to the benefit of my clients. What's your favorite theme? My favorite them is probably connectedness. I find that I have the most joy and satisfaction out of watching how I can intuitively put the right people or pieces together. I believe that it is a great marriage between my individualization and connectedness that makes this strength so impactful. The ability to step back and understand the greater picture and then identify strategic parts to bring the vision together is a great strength for me. I apply this skill in my approach to client planning, networking, and ministry. It’s a great skill for every area! What's the one theme that "get's in your way"? One theme that probably gets in the way the most often for me is Input. I often feel that I have an insatiable curiosity that has to be satisfied by reading, researching, and seeking information. This isn’t necessarily a bad skill to have but it can be distracting at time when I want to be more focused on a project or assignment. That curiosity to gather more information can stop me in my tracks. I manage to get back on track but not without using Wikipedia to answer my burning question! How has knowing your top 5 empowered you to live a more authentic life? The ability to know and apply my top 5 has allowed me to live more freely in who God created me to be and how I can use my strengths to fulfill the calling on my life. I find new ways to integrate my strengths into being a therapist and working with my clients and families. I believe that doing this allows me to be a more authentic and transparent therapist which also aids in the healing journey for my clients. I have also seen how my strengths give me a greater confidence in my daily decisions because I know who I am and what I was created to do best. I am primarily a relational person (3 of my strengths apply to relationship skills) followed by strategic skills. I enjoy living out what I was created to do and feel particularly blessed that my strengths fit so well into my line of work. Overall, I see how my strengths and awareness of my design gives me the opportunity to make strategic choices for my future and have this “best life”. Ashley is an Marriage and Family Therapist Registered Intern working in the San Diego community with Lighthouse Psychological Services. For more information on Ashley go to: www.lighthousepsy.com or http://secretsfromthecouch.wordpress.com reCreate's Strengths Mission For strengths to come alive, we must have the opportunity to use them everyday and make them personal. We showcase our friends, family, clients and anyone who dares to show us the personal side to their Top 5. These post are meant to encourage, inspire and connect you to having a life well-lived in strengths. Want to be featured? We would love to showcase you!!! Haven't taken Strengths yet?! Click here! Like this post?! Comment below!!! Last week we discussed the importance of Social Wellbeing and the impact it makes in our relationships. Have you been working on your 6-hours a day of social time? If so, have you seen improvements? Have you noticed a difference in your stress level? It's important to recognize how vital each one of these ingredients plays into our overall wellbeing and why it’s so imperative to maintain balance in our lives. Today, we’re going to talk about the third ingredient: Financial Wellbeing. Have you ever heard the saying, “Money buys happiness”? According to Gallup’s wellbeing data, they found that although money doesn’t guarantee happiness, living in a wealthy country does increase the odds of having a good life. Makes sense, right? If we are one of those fortunate people living in a wealthier country, knowing we have better odds of having a good life, then what is the secret to THRIVE in Financial Wellbeing? Let’s put your Financial Wellbeing to the test! Answer these questions honestly: 1. Are you satisfied with your standard of living? 2. Do you stress over money and paying your bills? 3. Do you spend money on buying products or experiences? Gallup found that it’s not about how much money you have but about what you do with it. Here’s a few things these people did: · Harvard researchers found that spending money on yourself does not boost wellbeing but spending money on others does. Interesting concept, huh? · People with thriving wellbeing also manage their money wisely by living within their standard of living. They have enough money to meet their needs and therefore do not focus their energy on the worry of making ends meet. They set defaults or limits on what they could spend which in turn creates financial security. · They buy experiences more than buying consumable products. How many of you have had a bad day and have done a little “retail therapy”? I know I have. Actually, quite frequently. Gallup found that a bad mood can lead to a waterfall of bad decisions which is actually the worse time to shop or make a major purchase. As Gallup would say, “we spend the most money when we feel the worst.” On top of that, the satisfaction of material goods doesn’t last as long as buying experiences. We are satisfied longer and less remorseful when we don't make emotional purchases which increases our wellbeing. If you think about it, we’re actually spending money on memories we can cherish for a lifetime. Here are some recommendations Gallup has for boosting Financial Wellbeing: 1. Buy experiences such as vacations and outings with friends or loved ones. 2. Spend on others instead of yourself. 3. Create some default systems (auto payments and savings) that will decrease the amount of worry on money. Haven't taken the StrengthsFinder assessment yet?! Click here! Want to buy the book Wellbeing? Click here! If you're curious of where you rank in your wellbeing, take the Gallup Wellbeing Finder: Click here! reCreate's Strengths Mission For strengths to come alive, we must have the opportunity to use them everyday and make them personal. We showcase our friends, family, clients and anyone who dares to show us the personal side to what strengths mean to them. These post are meant to encourage, inspire and connect you to having a life well-lived in strengths. Like this post?! Comment below!!! What's your top 5? Discipline, Maximizer, Relator, Responsibility, and Consistency How do you see them playing out in your life? It is amazing once I identified my Top 5 Strengths how I can see them working throughout my life. I have always been disciplined and like things in order, which I think is my discipline and consistency. I have several very close friends that I love being a part of their lives. For my job I participate in conferences where I work a booth and talk to people all day. Now I know why at the end of the day I am exhausted. It takes a lot of energy for me to just chit chat with a lot of people, that is my relator in play. What's your favorite theme? I think my favorite theme is relator. I really love spending time with my girlfriends and my family, investing in their lives and feeling that connection. It really feeds my soul. But through discovering my strengths I have found out that I am no longer willing to keep investing time, emotional energy into the lives of those that do not do the same with me. It has to be recipricol. I have a very busy life and time is very precious to me. What's the one theme that get's in your way? The one strength that is constantly in overdrive is my Responsibility theme. I tend to take too many things that are not my responsibility. I'm constantly trying to take care of everyone and fix everything. At the end of the day it leaves me exhausted. I am really working on keeping this in balance. How has knowing your top 5 empowered you to live a more authentic life? I feel much more confident in myself and what I can achieve. I am more in tune to my behaviors, what is working in overdrive, and what I need to change. My goal is to live a more balanced life and enjoy myself more in everything I do. reCreate's Strengths Mission For strengths to come alive, we must have the opportunity to use them everyday and make them personal. We showcase our friends, family, clients and anyone who dares to show us the personal side to their Top 5. These post are meant to encourage, inspire and connect you to having a life well-lived in strengths. Want to be featured? We would love to showcase you!!! Haven't taken Strengths yet?! Click here! Like this post?! Comment below!!! We learned from last week that Career Wellbeing is the most essential of the 5 ingredients to Wellbeing. So how’s it going? Are you using your Strengths everyday? Are you spending time with people who share a common life purpose? Are you enjoying the time you're spending with your social networks? While Gallup has recognized that Career Wellbeing is most essential we still have 4 other ingredients to explore so the show must go on! Today we’re going to talk about the second ingredient: Social Wellbeing. If you think about memorable times in your life whether it be an event, an accomplishment, a project, or an experience they likely have one thing in common: the presence of another person. Gallup research found that people often underestimate the impact of our closest relationships and social connections. They also discovered that people with THRIVING Social Wellbing get at least 6 hours of daily social time. While at first glance you might think that’s a lot! Keep in mind this 6 hours includes time at work, on the telephone, sending emails, talking with friends and other forms of communication. Let’s put your Social Wellbeing to the test. Answer these questions honestly: 1. Do you have three to four close friendships? 2. Is your social network a group of people who have a positive and happy outlook on life? 3. Do you have a “best friend” at work? These questions may seem random but let me tie them all together for you… Gallup found that individuals with three to four close relationships are healthier, have higher wellbeing, and are more engaged in their jobs. These people have direct and indirect social contact with people who have a positive outlooks on life which dramatically boosts their chances of being happy themselves. In addition, those that have a best friend at work are seven times as likely to report being engaged in their jobs, are better at engaging customers, produce higher quality of work, have higher wellbeing and less likely to be injured on the job. When we spend time with happy, healthy, and productive people it in turn has an effect on our Social Wellbing. The result of spending at least 6 hours a day participating in social time can have the following effects: · Increasing our wellbeing · Minimizing stress · Decreasing the odds of having a bad day If you feel like your Social Wellbeing needs a boost, here are some suggestions: 1. Spend 6 hours a day socializing with friends, family, and colleagues. 2. Strengthen the mutual connections in your network. 3. Mix social time with physical activity. For example, taking a walk with your friend can motivate one another to stay healthy. Haven't taken the StrengthsFinder assessment yet?! Click here! Want to buy the book Wellbeing? Click here! If you're curious of where you rank in your wellbeing, take the Gallup Wellbeing Finder: Click here! reCreate's Strengths Mission For strengths to come alive, we must have the opportunity to use them everyday and make them personal. We showcase our friends, family, clients and anyone who dares to show us the personal side to what strengths mean to them. These post are meant to encourage, inspire and connect you to having a life well-lived in strengths. Like this post?! Comment below!!! What's your top 5? Woo, Activator, Strategic, Communication, Ideation How do you see them playing out in your life? My top 5 describe what I am naturally good at and always drawn to. I am the most effective when I operate in a combination of these five strengths. Prior to doing the Strength Assessment, I obviously didn't know the name for them... but I knew I was drawn to people and to connecting with them...I have always had a lot of friends and reveled in social settings, and I was overwhelmed with joy when I could connect on a deeper level and hit a place of understanding on a personal or professional issue. Apparently, that's the Woo in me! I have always loved to strategize and create, and also come up with ideas and put them into action. And let's face it - I always struggled with actually sitting down and cranking out the things that I so creatively dreamed up. It was uncanny how accurate the results of the tests were and put into words parts of my personality in a way that I could understand and apply them in my professional and personal life. What's your favorite theme? It's hard to choose... but I would say Woo and Communication. I treasure having the ability to see "beyond"...behind the surface, behind the walls that many of us put up... and using communication to help draw it out of people and brings things to light in people's lives that they may not have been aware of, and awaken traits in them that they didn't know they had! It blesses me to no end, and I feel recharged and like I am using something that comes so naturally to me to help others. Communication just helps to support this, as I am able to articulate and illustrate feelings and concepts in a way that others can understand. What's the one theme that get's in your way? My Strategic and Activator combination probably gets in my way the most, followed by Woo. I think at lightening fast speeds and draw conclusions and see patterns in a myriad of data...not to mention, with the Activator, I am always ready to put it into action. I've learned (been told :) that most people may not immediately be able to see what I do. I used to get frustrated and impatient that they would not be able to draw the same conclusion or track my train of thought, but now I try to lean into my Communication skill to try to illustrate and play out scenarios and people really respond to that. Woo gets in my way because I would rather be interacting with people over just about anything else - it is so strong in my make - up that I can default to putting aside almost anything for human interaction. How has knowing your top 5 empowered you to live a more authentic life? This was amazing, life-changing confirmation of who I am - and that far from having a certain set of weaknesses and feeling frustrated about that - I have a unique and very powerful combination of strengths that I need to give weight and respect to. My top 5 revolve around Communication and Influence... and I would guess any execution strengths - as in actually getting the tasks I dream up done, would come towards the bottom. For a long time, I felt like something was wrong with me because in many ways, this world values implementation and execution - and visionaries are seen as maybe a bit flighty or irresponsible. Through this exercise I learned that it is far from the truth - without those to inspire, to visualize, to brainstorm and to create...and of course to rally the troops - there would not be anything to act upon. So I have learned to value myself and what I can bring to any given situation - and not keep myself tethered to projects where I simply cannot help and where I will hold things back. It's a huge win win for myself and for my clients and those in my life. reCreate's Strengths Mission For strengths to come alive, we must have the opportunity to use them everyday and make them personal. We showcase our friends, family, clients and anyone who dares to show us the personal side to their Top 5. These post are meant to encourage, inspire and connect you to having a life well-lived in strengths. Want to be featured? We would love to showcase you!!! Haven't taken Strengths yet?! Click here! Like this post?! Comment below!!! Last week we talked about the ingredients to our wellbeing. Did you give it any thought? What areas are contributing to your wellbeing? What areas are taking away from your wellbeing? Over the next 5 weeks we’re going to dig a little deeper into Gallup's book Wellbeing and discover what makes each ingredient essential to our wellbeing. reCreate and Gallup want you to THRIVE! The first ingredient: Career We know that Career Wellbeing is about how you occupy your time or what you enjoy doing everyday. Seems simple enough, right? Gallup surveyed a population of people asking them: “Do you like what you do each day?” Guess what percentage answered a strong “yes”? Surprisingly... only 20%! Did you know that Career Wellbeing is most essential of the 5 ingredients? Makes sense. We spend the majority of our lives working. It shapes our identity. So let’s put your Career Wellbeing to the test. Answer these questions honestly: 1. Do you wake up every morning with something to look forward to? 2. Do you have the opportunity to use your Strengths everyday? 3. Do you feel you have a deep purpose for your life and a plan to attain your goals? If you answered, “YES” to all 3 questions you should be thriving in Career Wellbeing! We know, according to Gallup, those who have the opportunity to use their strengths everyday are 6x as likely to be engaged in their jobs and 3x as likely to report having an excellent quality of life. If you answered no, that’s ok, here’s 3 recommendations from Gallup go get started on improving your Career Wellbeing: 1. Everyday use your Strengths. Haven't taken the StrengthsFinder assessment yet?! Click here! 2. Spend time with the people who encourage your growth and have a shared mission and purpose in life. 3. Take the leap and jump into more social time with friends or organizations you enjoy being around. If you're curious of where you rank in your wellbeing, take the Gallup Wellbeing Finder: Click here! reCreate's Strengths Mission For strengths to come alive, we must have the opportunity to use them everyday and make them personal. We showcase our friends, family, clients and anyone who dares to show us the personal side to what strengths mean to them. These post are meant to encourage, inspire and connect you to having a life well-lived in strengths. Like this post?! Comment below!!! Skyler McCurine is the Chief Priestess of Style at Le Red Balloon. In her picture she is showing off her strengths using her Gallup cards and her natural ability to win a crowd at TEDx. What are your Top 5? Empathy, Positivity, Futuristic, Connectedness, Individualization How do you see them playing out in your life? As an entrepreneur and visionary, I see my strengths infiltrate in every part of my business. As a personal stylist, I need to understand my clients on a deep and personal level. It’s important for them to feel that they can trust me and to feel uplifted, invigorated, and happy. I see my positivity and empathy when working with clients, sharing my business, and meeting with potential partners (I work with various charities and organizations in San Diego). I create a space for everyone to feel connected, joyful, and understood, haha...my strengths come to life. I am also a big picture thinker. One of my favorite pastimes is day dreaming about the possibilities of the future. I dream BIG things and futuristic is always inviting me to take risks, think bigger, and envision what my business looks like next year, in 5 years, etc. What is your favorite theme? Empathy. Always and forever. I believe the most important element of life is the ability to connect with others, to understand their perspective, their needs and wants. Empathy builds relationships, bridges gaps, fosters collaboration, and heals. I am so blessed to have this as my number one. It means that others are the driving force behind my decision-making. What is the one theme that gets in your way? Empathy. Always and forever. Yes, keep reading I promise this isn’t the same answer as the previous one. While empathy is important to connecting, it also causes me to be extremely emotional and bruise easily. When I watch documentaries about the suffering or speak with my homeless friends, sometimes I am paralyzed by emotion and concern for others. This is not a healthy use of my time, energy or empathy. The best use is for me to take action immediately, instead of being disabled by emotion! How has knowing your Top 5 empowered you to live a more authentic life? My little quirks and idiosyncrasies now have a name. They have taught me that they are indeed strengths and I do not have to sacrifice them or my values to be successful. It has taught me to recognize when I get in my own/other’s way and to be more self-aware. To find out more about about Skyler check out her facebook page! reCreate's Strengths Mission
For strengths to come alive, we must have the opportunity to use them everyday and make them personal. We showcase our friends, family, clients and anyone who dares to show us the personal side to their Top 5. These post are meant to encourage, inspire and connect you to having a life well-lived in strengths. Want to be featured? We would love to showcase you!!! Haven't taken Strengths yet?! Click here! Like this post?! Comment below!!! Baking a cake is pretty simple, right? As someone who is challenged in the kitchen I can somehow pull it off pretty well as long as I have the correct ingredients and make sure I set the timer (which I’ve learned the hard way a few times). What would happen if I forgot to add just one ingredient like eggs or butter? As you may guess it would come out tasting a bit “off” or downright yucky!
Happiness redefined Just as every ingredient is integral in making a cake that is tasty and enjoyable, so goes the ingredients in our lives that make for Well Being. Well Being is not just about being happy, being skinny, driving a Mercedes, having the most friends on Facebook, or scoring your dream job. It’s about how the areas of career, social, financial, physical and community all interact together. Lopsided living Solely putting your energy into one or two areas in your life throws you out of balance. Let’s use your career for example. Let’s say after 5 years you worked your tail off to move up the ladder and finally got promoted to Vice President. And boom…you even got a huge raise! The only catch is you were going to have much longer hours, have to travel more frequently and take your work home with you. You have two huge pluses in the career and financial areas in your life, but what about the other parts? Because of the travel and long hours, you can barely get to the gym and have resorted to eating fast food a few nights a week. You are getting home later so have little time with your family and are missing soccer games and dance recitals because of the long hours.You haven’t seen your friends in months because you’re dead dog tired by the time the weekend comes. The right recipe As you can see, when you focus too heavily in one or two areas of life, the “wins” you’ve had may cancel out because of the resulting strain it causes in other parts. Life gets lopsided from time to time but it’s good to keep an inventory and check yourself in the areas of career, social, financial, physical, community to make sure you are properly feeding each area. So ask yourself, what ingredients in my life are contributing to or taking away from my Well Being? How is your Well Being? Comment below!!! Haven't taken Strengths yet?! Click here! Team reCreate What's your top 5? Adaptability, Positivity, Restorative, Connectedness, Responsibility How do you see them playing out in your life? I see all of these characteristics and themes playing out in my life everyday as a wife and a physical therapist/trainer. However, I can specifically apply these to a recent experience where I went on a medical mission trip to Africa (where my picture was taken). First, It always helps to be adaptable and positive in a 3rd world country where nothing goes as planned. Secondly, I also love connecting with people and facilitating relationships by connecting others together; this was a fun part of working with the team and have already used some of those connecting skills which always energizes me. My responsibility was met with a desire to have the project run efficiently and effectively. My restorative nature played out with my desire to solve musculoskeletal problems and to see bodies restored back to greater physical comfort and efficiency. What's your favorite theme? My favorite theme is restorative! I love that there is a description and a definition via StrengthFinders to what I find joy in doing for others in the physical therapy field. I love trying to solve the body’s puzzle and help bring function back to someone. I however don’t think I could be effective at being a therapist or a trainer unless I had all 5 of my strengths working together! What's the one theme that "get's in your way?" Can I do two? Normally adaptability would be my answer here. Usually I need more structure and focus in my life. However, in Africa, on the mission trip I found that my sense of responsibility became most frustrating. It was the first time I had went with this group on this type of mission so not understanding all the “in’s and out’s” of the project hindered my ability to take responsibility for different aspects of the project. It was difficult to want to get things done but not know how. I actually learned from strengths that if I align myself with others that share the same determination to get things done then I will have more success. By the end of the week I understood to a greater deal what would be helpful to create a more efficient environment and the responsibility side of me may have become just a little more satisfied. How has knowing your top 5 empowered you to live a more authentic life? Knowing my top 5 has really given me direction and verbalization as to what my strengths are. In the past I have not understood how to categorize or give words to what I enjoyed or energized me. I now have a new language and guidance as to what God created me to be. It’s very eye opening and gives me confidence that I have skills that I can express to others. Even if others don’t use the strength finder language it’s easy to translate to anyone so that you can explain to anyone from a spouse to an interviewer why you may be handling situations the way you do and what you bring to the relationship. Knowing my strengths has opened up a new world for me. reCreate's Strengths Mission For strengths to come alive, we must have the opportunity to use them everyday and make them personal. We showcase our friends, family, clients and anyone who dares to show us the personal side to their Top 5. These post are meant to encourage, inspire and connect you to having a life well-lived in strengths. Want to be featured? We would love to showcase you!!! Haven't taken Strengths yet?! Click here! Like this post?! Comment below!!! |
Team reCreate
Strengths-based Development (SBD) is our passion, commitment and life. Team reCreate is devoted to work that creates transformation, meaning and purpose in the lives of those we serve. This space is meant for you to get to know us, learn more about Strengths and hear from others in this line of work. Thanks for being on this journey with us! Archives
July 2015
Categories |
Location |
|