A while back, during a career "crisis" which consisted of me brutally losing a job I'd had for 8 years, I ended up thanking my lucky stars, that it happened. The "crisis" resulted in the deepest, most peaceful three days of my life. Three days that I've been trying to get back to ever since, where for a brief time I was working "in flow" with enthusiasm, experiencing each moment with deep gratitude, living a dream I'd had for many years.. .until I realized the reality of that dream wasn't quite all it was cracked up to be... because I'd had my strengths and weaknesses mixed up.
A while back I watched a Marcus Buckinham 3-hour workshop through Oprah podcasts. The bottom line of that workshop was that most of us are not living in our strengths. Buckingham redefined "strengths" for me forever. What do you think of when someone asks, "What are your strengths?" You automatically think of things you are good at. I personally am very good at making good quality educational materials for the people I work with. I am really good at Functional Behavior Assessments and data analysis. I run and develop a mean Functional Analysis. And of everything, I have to pat myself on the back - I am an amazing 1:1 therapist to people w/ autism. Especially those on the severe end of things. And because I am good at those things, I'm often asked to do them.
Perfect, right? I'm asked to do the things I'm good at, my strengths. So why do I put off doing Functional Behavior Assessments? All that boring direct observation. I want to be in the game! I leave periods of direct observation of students needing a double shot of espresso. I leave a 1:1 therapy session ready to climb Mount Everest. What's up with that? I'm good at both... but only one strengthens me. Only one is an actual strength. The other weakens me, drains me - even though I am good at it, it is a weakness. I had been living in my weaknesses more than my strengths.
What are your REAL strengths? Work tasks that nourish you, where you don't look at the clock? Tasks that strengthen you...
(PS: According to Buckingham, things you love to do but are bad at are called: A hobby).
Yes, you never know where life will take you. Belief that it is all for the best helps give me strength!
ReplyDeleteI am following your blog now!
If you want to check mine out, it is
http://www.momswearyourtees.blogspot.com
For me it's finding the balance between letting life take me... and making sure I shape the trip a LITTLE bit so that in the end, I am doing the things that nurture me.
ReplyDeleteWill totally be checking out your blog - yay! Thanks for joining!