Developer

The second strength that the Strength's Finder Assessment (see previous blog post) identified for me was that of Developer.

This is one that I sort of struggle with, its not that I don't think that I have this strength, its just that I'm not certain I would put it in my top 5. Overall, I think I need to spend some more time with this strength and really see where it fits into my life and how. But for now... let me tell you more about it!

DEVELOPER

You see the potential in others.  Very often, potential is all you see.  In you r view no individual is fully formed. On the contrary, each individual is a work in progress, alive with possibilities. And you are drawn toward people for this very reason. When you interact with others , your goal is to help them experience success. You look for ways to challenge them. You devise interesting experiences that can stretch them and help them grow.  And all the while you are on the lookout for the signs of growth - a new behavior learned or modified, a slight improvement in a skills, a glimpse of excellence or of "flow" where previously there were only halting steps. 

 

For you these small increments - invisible to some - are clear signs of potential being realized. These signs of growth in other are your fuel. They bring you strength and satisfaction.  Over time many will seek you out for help and encouragement because on some level they know that your helpfulness is both genuine and fulfilling to you.

 

 

I found the image below on google while I was thinking about being a developer. It really got me thinking about the times in other's lives that I have seen potential and encouraged it. I think that this is a strength I struggle with because I want it to be paired with motivator. For me, if someone sees something in themselves, I can encourage the heck out of them. I can help them navigate road blocks and can really assist in positive growth. However, I am not a natural motivator, so if I see something in someone that they don't see I get really frustrated when they don't do anything about it. At which point I don't feel like a developer.

 

 

 
 As I spend more time with this strength I think I must remind myself and every person gets to choose what they do with their potential. They get to make the choices for their own lives and I can't get down on myself for the choices that other's make.  Definitely something to remember!

Empathy

Can you believe its all ready February 2013?
I can't.
I also can't believe how long it has been since I put fingers to keyboard and wrote a blog post.
Generally this means that I haven't been doing the best job in taking care of myself (oops). So as it's a new year (or the second month of a new year) I have recommitted to self-care.  <3

A while back I started to describe strengths and I still think that's a good place to go.  The first strength that the Strength's Finder Assessment (see previous blog post) identified for me was that of Empathy.

What is empathy?  Well Strengths Finder 2.0 (by Tom Rath) defines it like this:

You can sense the emotions of those around you. You can feel what they are feeling as though their feelings are your own. Intuitively, you are able to see the world through their eyes and share their perspective. You do not necessarily agree with each person's perspective. You do not necessarily feel pity for each person's predicament - this would be sympathy, not Empathy. You do not necessarily condone the choices each person makes, but you do understand. This instinctive ability to understand is powerful. You hear the unvoiced questions. You anticipate the need. Where others grapple for words, you seem to find the right words and the right tone. You help people find the right phrases to express their feelings - to themselves as well as to others. You help them give voice to their emotional life. For all these reasons other people are drawn to you.

I have to say that this is one of the strengths that both the assessment and I agreed upon. And I LOVE the description. I cannot enumerate the number of times that people have told me that they wish they could phrase things the way I do, or that I can take the confused mess of words they say and turn it into something they can truly connect with. It is one of the things that I love most about myself. It is also something that at different points in my life I figured that everyone could do and have had to then remind myself that it is a strength and something special about me. With a strength like this I guess it make sense that I was drawn to social work.

When I went off to college I thought I wanted to major in psychology, but my Dad talked me into looking into social work as well. Then I got to college and during my first advisor session I was told that it would be almost impossible to major in both psychology and social work.  Well, that sort of sealed the deal for me. I knew I wanted to do both, and do it in four years. So I did. But over that four years I realized that I was far more a social worker than a psychologist. I gravitated toward seeing the person as a whole which includes their environment, culture, relationships, history, etc. I know now that this connection with my field has a lot to do with my strengths, one of those being empathy. 

Do you think empathy is one of your strenghs? What strengths help you with your job/calling/profession? How did you find your calling?