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About 6 months ago I bought this book by Marcus Buckingham & Donald Clifton, Ph.D. |
As soon as I received the book, I went online and completed the strengthfinder test, at which point it spat out to me a list of five strengths that seemed to be ingrained in me. It was good info, but I’ll have to admit, I was in the middle of a Master’s Program and didn’t have the time to read the book that explained the strengths and the context they are supposed to be interpreted. Well, this week I picked up the book again, wiped the dust off the cover and began to uncover what the strengths actually mean. This may be idiotic to say, but the book actually gives the strengths a lot more meaning and context… go figure.
So here are my strengths, including a short description and my thoughts in italics:
Input – You are inquisitive. You collect things: information, words, facts, books, and quotations. Whatever you collect, you collect it because it interests you. And your is the kind of mind that finds so many things interesting. Ok, so this explains why I can’t sell books I read, why I own a book of quotations and proverbs, and why I have 3 degrees – 2 masters, one bachelors and a minor. I am a mile wide and an inch deep, and that is actually a strength.
Responsibility – Your Responsibility theme forces you to take psychological ownership of anything you commit to, and whether large or small, you feel emotionally bound to follow it through to completion. This conscientiousness, this near obsession for doing things right, and your impeccable ethics, combine to create your reputation. This explains why I have a hard time delegating things to other people… because if my name is attached to it I want control, I want to be responsible for the success or the failure.
Learner – You love to learn. The process, more than the content or the result, is especially exciting for you. You are energized by the steady and deliberate journey from ignorance to competence. This explains again my propensity to get into all sorts of new things and learning the basics without ever becoming an expert. I do love the process of learning, almost to a fault, as it seems I get on new kicks every couple of months.
Intellection – You like to think. You like mental activity. The theme of intellection does not dictate what you are thinking about; it simply describes that you like to think. You are introspective. You enjoy your time alone because it is your time for musing and reflection. case in point: I am now in my third day of staying at a friends lake house… alone. And loving it.
Connectedness – Things happen for a reason. You are sure of it because in your soul you know that we are all connected. This feeling of connectedness implies certain responsibilities. If we are all part of a larger picture, then we must not harm others because we will be harming ourselves. I think this is the strength that ties all the others together. A person I know once said, “They are just different there.” implying that her “here” was better than my “there”… that bothered me. I have traveled much more than this girl and simply I feel that we are all very much the same, we just wear different clothes and speak different languages. So maybe this is why I can’t shake the idea of the “Creator,” I see too much connectivity, and too many complimentary things that I cannot believe in the “happenstance of life.”
Check out the book here: Now Discover Your Strengths
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Now I’m dying of curiosity. Good tip!