Loving this definition of “strength”:
A strength is “an activity that makes you feel strong.” It is an activity where the doing of it invigorates you. Before you do it, you find yourself instinctively looking forward to it. While you are doing it you don’t struggle to concentrate, but instead you become so immersed that time speeds up and you lose yourself in the present moment. And after you are finished doing it, you feel authentic, connected to the best parts of who you really are.
Marcus Buckingham
This gem came via my friend beloved Karen, from an article written by Sonia Simone over at Copybogger.
(PS: only a month left for early bird pricing for the October Women’s Retreat!)
Strength! love it Thanks….
I love it too! So happy to be able to share things that resonate!
http://www.kate-johnson.com
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for sure!
glad you enjoyed it! you might also like Buckingham’s books – my favorite is Now, Discover Your Strengths. There’s a quiz and all that, but I found it very illuminating to simply read through the list of strengths and their descriptions. It was easy to recognize the different strengths of myself, my family, and my friends, and it helped me figure out how to see and support people’s natural gifts.
very cool insight!
Interestingly, this quote does not quite resonate with me. I am in the midst of a career transition right now so I am spending some time exploring my own strengths and weaknesses, both through introspection and asking the people around me. My observation (thus far) is that I have some strengths that I could exercise but they do not particularly excite me – at least not anymore. So, I would take the definition (which I like) and equate it more to “A Passion” than “A Strength.”
Hi Andy! You have a really good point, and, as always, a great perspective! There are strengths that are capabilities and capacities that do not excite us. And then, there are those capacities and capabilities, that, when we exercise them make us feel like we are in alignment, in flow and energized. I think the author was trying to poke us to help us see beyond the fact that we each have strengths (things we can do well, capacities,etc.) and imagine setting the bar higher. It may be that, in some ways, at least some “passions” are a subset of “strengths”. (Alas I have no sideways U on my keyboard to geek this up). I think he was hoping to raise awareness there is a sweetspot to aim for: STRENGTHS that are also PASSIONS. Thanks so much for commenting!
http://www.kate-johnson.com
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passion is more romantic word!
but you have to have a lot of strength to follow your passions,especially if they are
out side the box.
I am going to have to explore my own relationship to the word passion– I realized I am able to say I am passionate about something, but am hesitant to call something a passion– how bizarre a realization!
the English language is curious like that….. i am never sure how my relationship with myself fits
into these words. You know what I mean