The Summer Series: What’s Your Superpower?
“Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”
I cannot confirm or deny that this quote was stated by Albert Einstein, but it is the truth. We can spend our lives discrediting our talents because we are caught up in how THEY are doing it. I believe that everyone has their zone of genius. The thing that may come naturally to you and you can do in your sleep. It’s the thing that EVERYONE comes to you for.
When I graduated college, I had the opportunity to be a part of a “think tank.” Several of us flew out to Atlanta and spent time learning about ourselves, and how we could funnel that into serving others and embracing our purpose. It was the first time I ever heard about Strength-finders. And over a decade later, I took it again and my results are still the same.
Let’s get into it!
“The StrengthsFinder assessment is a personal development tool developed by Gallup Education, which provides an individual with their “Top 5” strengths. 34 different strength themes are divided into four domains of Strategic Thinking, Relationship Building, Influencing, and Executing. Your Top 5 might include the Achiever strength, which helps you burn the midnight oil to get things done, Woo to help you make connections with new people, or Adaptability to help you go with the flow when life throws you curveballs….Focusing on your strengths on a daily basis has been shown to have profound positive effects on your personal and professional well-being…” -Global Experiences
My Results:
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Empathy – People with strong Empathy talents can sense the emotions of those around them. They can feel what others are feeling as though the emotions were their own. They intuitively see the world through others’ eyes and share their perspectives.
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Developer – Developers see the potential in others. They naturally see others’ capacity to change, grow, and develop for the better.
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Restorative -People with strong Restorative talents love to solve problems. They like bringing things back to life by fixing them or rekindling their vitality. In short, they bring courage and creativity to problematic situations.
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Connectedness – They give others comfort that there is a purpose beyond everyday existence. Their faith is strong. It sustains them and their close friends in the face of life’s mysteries. They are considerate, caring, and accepting. Certain of the unity of humankind, they build bridges for people of different cultures.
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Input – You are inquisitive. You collect things. You might collect information — words, facts, books, and quotations. People with strong Input talents are inquisitive. They always want to know more. They crave information. They like to collect certain things, such as ideas, books, memorabilia, quotations, or facts.
I remember reading about this in my early 20s and a decade later this still rings true. At that moment in my life, I was so ashamed of how God made me. I desired to be someone else. But coming across how accurate this assessment was, changed me. And I love how I see each of these play out at work AND in my personal life.
I’m an empath through and through. It is one of the reasons I don’t scroll as much. People’s pain keeps me up at night. My personality is restorative and I’m a go-to for my people when it comes to getting advice. I love helping my loves process (as I’ve gotten older I have learned boundaries with this). I love connecting people and experiences. Bigger than that I love connecting my Faith with life in general. I saw developer in action when it came to direct reports and being an intern manager. Seeing them flourish and helping to support their development was the greatest joy. Last but not least, input is put into action consistently. I am a collector of ALL the things!
I share this to say that taking time to DIG DEEP is a gift. It moves us from comparing less and embracing more. It helps us to hone in and cultivate our GOD-GIVEN gifts, skills, and talents. Clifton’s Strengths is a great tool for navigating team relationships, ourselves, and those we love. There is only one you.
So, tell me. What is your superpower?
Love,
Des
Resources + Reflections
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Take Assessment – Clifton’s Strength (Formerly Known as StrengthFinders)
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Pen + Paper – Write out what people come to you for often. Identify the top three themes.
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What comes naturally to you?
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What do you enjoy doing?
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Affirm: “I will embrace how God made me.”