The Bottom Line

So what is the answer? Ignore your strengths? Certainly not. But what you can do is to recognize the potential for your strengths to work against you in some circumstances and to try the following:

• Expand your definition of “strength” to include not only “what you do well” but also “what you enjoy and can apply in a sustainable manner.”

• Recognize that others can only tell you what you do well – they can’t identify for you which strengths provide you with intrinsic enjoyment or those that you can apply consistently and happily without depletion. Only you can define the strengths that will serve you well and energize you.

• Be on guard so that you recognize when others are attempting to exploit your strengths. In such situations it will be especially important for you to set your boundaries clearly and concisely so that you are not taken advantage of.

Remember strengths are things that you naturally do - but some feel good in their application and some don’t. We are all different in what feels good – so it is important to learn to differentiate strengths that have only one element (they come naturally to you) from those that contain both essential elements - they come naturally AND they feel good to apply.

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