Saturday, August 29, 2009

StrengthsQuest Saturday: It's a Wrap

Quintessential Claudia. Get an idea, develop a plan, and even arrange to get the plan fully underway. But don't - DO NOT - expect me to be the strong finisher.

I am enamored with ideas and the development of a strategy to implement those ideas. Actual implementation, however, is not always my friend. By the time the end rolls around, I am already thick in the middle of developing an implementation strategy for my next idea.

That would explain how I could get all the way to week five of this five-week Saturday StrengthsQuest Series and not have today's activity firmly locked into place.

If you are just tuning into Highlowaha for the first time, you have NO idea what I am talking about. But, don't despair. You are in the right place. It's never too late to learn about your unique talents and how to unleash them onto the world. You'll need a quick tutorial, though. Click here, and here, and here, and here to get a full handle on what you've missed.

Tuning in the for the fifth Saturday in a row? Congratulations to you and your commitment to self. Week 1, Discover your top five themes; Week 2, The influence of your top five themes on relationships; Week 3, Vocation or Vacation? Does work (in or out of home) allow you to showcase your talents?; and Week 4, Past successes provide clues into how we can use our themes for goal attainment.

Week 5, Hmmmm....
  • Use of your themes to advance Highlowaha? Too self-serving.
  • Final reflections and questions?
  • How, if at all, do you see yourself continuing to use concepts from StrengthsQuest even after our five-week series is over?
  • Pick a theme you would like to actively cultivate. Tell us about it?
  • Identify a movie clearly depicting one of your top five themes. What is the movie's title and how does it illustrate your strength?
I don't know.

I'm not the closer, remember? I'm the one who could spend hours scouring the website for information and then spend a comparable number of hours generating potential questions. But, seal the deal? Don't count on it.

Aaahhh... But, if I've learned anything through this five-week experience it is, when each of us focuses on our strengths - and allows those around us to do the same - we don't have to have all the answers. We don't need all the answers, because the people around us are brimming with their own greatness.

People have an unlimited amount of energy for the things we are good at and... given the chance, most of us will gladly jump in and help... if for no other reason than an opportunity to SHINE.

Closers, jump in and Shine. Seal the deal. Make it a wrap. And, do it better than I ever could.

Signing off until Monday...

P.S. Lauren and Kate... Sausage by a landslide!

9 comments:

Robin Weiss said...

Input
Individualization
Strategic
Significance
Activator

I don't think closing is my forte either, though I manage to eek it out. I will tell you a funny story about figuring something out based on my strengths this week.

I was listening to the radio and they were talking to someone who studied "chronic multitaskers." He was asked why people multitasked if they were as bad at it as the research had shown. He said people multitasked because they wanted to obtain random bits of knowledge or use random bits of knowledge. He basically said that if you are my type then you just want to gather all the knowledge you can, even if you can't use it. I said, "That's me!" (Based on input don't you you...)

Claudia @ Highlowaha said...

Well that explains it! Input is one of my themes as well. You bring up an interesting point... and possible question.

How about telling us of a way you have "caught yourself in the act" of using/applying some of what we have shared over the past four Saturdays.

Kat said...

My top two themes are Connectedness and Individualization. This week I was able to see the how those two are related, even though it may not initially seem like they are. I went to a mom group that is just starting up in our community. I knew no one, but my sense of connectedness set in and I think it helped me want to engage with the women there. When I got home, my husband asked how it went and I found myself telling him about individual women. I mostly skimmed over what we did, or talked about, but I was able to tell him several facts about each person that I met. It made me happy to see my top strengths in action!

Chaotic Kristi said...

Caught in the act? Well, my top 2 are Connected & Relator, which really DO sum up my thealogy. I believe that we are not isolated from one another or from the earth and the life on it and in turn I derive a great deal of pleasure and strength from being around my close friends and interacting with them as part of the larger Universe. (The Arranger strength is a help in that arena!). In 2007-8 21 women took a series of 8 classes (over the 2 years). I enjoyed the intimacy & interaction during those classes & the women I made friends with as a part of that. So I co-organized a workshop based on those teachings for 2009. Our next one is tomorrow, an all day event. This is the 6th (of 8). What will I do when it ends? I don't know yet. . . .

Cluadia, I am betting you are either Aries, Cancer, Libra or Capricorn (all cardinal signs) :-) I, on the other hand, am mutable... my strength is to move ppl from the 1st thing you started to whatever the next thing is you've started. LOL

Cheryl Houston said...

I can't think of a way that I've been caught in the act but I do sometimes think "how can I use my strengths to make this work out?"

Adapt, Have Empathy for others and stay positive... I just realized that's basically: Deep Breaths, Happy Thoughts. :)

Claudia @ Highlowaha said...

Interesting! I am really enjoying reading people's feedback.

Yes, Chaotic I am a Libra. You've peeked my interest and maybe the interest of others. What does that mean?

I can't help but think that raised consciousness about how use of our themes makes us better and more effective is a good take away.

Peggy said...

In closing:
Input
Responsibility
Discipline
Adaptability
Communication

I found this StrengthsQuests challenge quite interesting... reading the book, taking the on line test, and listening to others each week describe their strengths. I love learning and miss the structure of a classroom. Hopefully soon, I will find a way to utilize some of these strenghts. Boredom and repetition can really zap a lot of those traits away from you.

Jess said...

The end of the month and time to close out StrengthsQuest, but hopefully not forget to talk about and utilize our strengths to the fullest. I hope everyone continues to think about how to use all their strengths and talents on a daily basis. Use our strengths for goal setting, use your strengths to advance in your job, use your strengths to do something good for someone else. I even think with all the differing strengths on this site, great things can be accomplished to help Claudia and the ladies of highlowaha in reaching the next level of greatness.

Who knows, maybe I will pop up a few times over the next few months to pose a question regarding strengths just to keep you all on your toes.

How will you utilize what you have learned about yourself through this process and about your strengths after our quest comes to an end?

Have a great weekend!

Katie said...

Learner
Individualization
Achiever
Responsibility
Empathy

I heard one of my strengths come into action/out of my mouth this past week in class. We were doing the basic introductions of ourselves to the professors in one of my classes. Except she was having us do something a little more outside of the box by having us introduce ourselves by what we felt our 'essence' is. Aka...what motivates/drives us, what our biggest hope is, etc.

I talked about the town I grew up in and how I wanted more out of my life than what a lot of people I graduated with end up settling for, etc. And then I started talking about having individuality and how I want to help other college students find their own sense of individuality.

And then it hit me...my #2 strength is individualization. It all came together for me in class that morning.