Raeshell Rozet's Blog: My Writing Journal - Posts Tagged "marcus-buckingham"
Do You Know What Your Strengths Are?
I write fantasy romance novels, so of course, my stories are make-believe. But my inspiration for my stories often come from ideas I discover while reading nonfiction. My latest favorite read is Marcus Buckingham's, Love and Work. It was a fascinating, eye-opening read, that was chockful of intriguing insights. Honestly, I can't recommend this book enough.
I have a degree in Developmental Psychology, so I'm drawn to books that delve into why people do what they do and how things might work better if we take a different perspective. Marcus Buckingham does a brilliant job at exploring both ideas.
The key takeaway, if I can choose only one to give you as a teaser to read this book for yourself, is his definition of a strength. According to Marcus Buckingham, "A strength is what strengthens you." It's not necessarily what you're good at, and more surprising, just because your good at something doesn't make it a strength. As he often points out, if you're great at something but it depletes you, it's actually a weakness. He also clarifies that we are the only ones who can decide what strengthens us, and that these strengths are something that we are born with.
For example, I once worked as an online math tutor. I did quite well at it. I always had great reviews from my supervisor. But although I was good at my job, I was drained at the end of every shift. I had the energy of a slug. It's not a strength. Why? Because math bores me. It always has. Although I'm naturally good at math, it's a weakness. It depletes me.
On the other hand, I love to create fictional characters and write fantasy stories. I feel energetic just thinking about what my characters will do next. Creating something new strengthens me and boosts my ability to get through the day with extra motivation. According to Marcus Buckingham, I'd be right to label creating fictional stories a strength of mine.
In my Spirit and the Wolfman Series, an underlying theme is acceptance of who we are, our innate strengths and abilities, and using whatever we have in the service of love. The characters struggle with this self-acceptance, and given that they're monsters, this is understandable. But I think some of us, maybe not all but definitely some, are taught to be afraid of our strengths. Maybe they didn't fit the norm? Or perhaps, it wasn't seen as useful? And very likely, at the time, our quirks were misunderstood and often dismissed as inconvenient, unimportant, or worse yet, a weakness. And like the monsters in my books, we see ourselves as flawed. Changing that perception is the first step to using the gifts we've been given.
Whether monsters or real human beings, I think we are at our best and most generous when we lean into our strengths and trust that our inner guidance system (the innate knowledge of what makes us feel strong and energetic) is working.
If you're interested in learning more about how to recognize your strengths, I highly encourage you to read Love and Work by Marcus Buckingham. This author also worked with Don Clifton who created the Clifton Strengths Test by Gallup, which is also a great way to discover your top strengths. I took the test myself and have learned a lot from the experience. I feel at my strongest when I'm learning, writing, and consuming (and appreciating) fictional stories whether in the form of a movie, fantasy series on Netflix, or gripping book. I think of myself as a "Story Cookie Monster." Like the character on Sesame Street that I watched as a kid.
What are your strengths? Can you name them in less than 5 seconds? If not, maybe it's time to investigate what makes you special and how you can use that to enhance your life.
Please subscribe to the blog. I'd love to hear your thoughts about strengths in the comments. Thank you for reading!
**In case you haven’t read my Spirit and the Wolfman Series, the first three books are available on Amazon. I’m currently working on Book #4, the final book in the series. If you enjoy monsters, romance, complex characters, and fated love, this series is written especially for you.**
I have a degree in Developmental Psychology, so I'm drawn to books that delve into why people do what they do and how things might work better if we take a different perspective. Marcus Buckingham does a brilliant job at exploring both ideas.
The key takeaway, if I can choose only one to give you as a teaser to read this book for yourself, is his definition of a strength. According to Marcus Buckingham, "A strength is what strengthens you." It's not necessarily what you're good at, and more surprising, just because your good at something doesn't make it a strength. As he often points out, if you're great at something but it depletes you, it's actually a weakness. He also clarifies that we are the only ones who can decide what strengthens us, and that these strengths are something that we are born with.
For example, I once worked as an online math tutor. I did quite well at it. I always had great reviews from my supervisor. But although I was good at my job, I was drained at the end of every shift. I had the energy of a slug. It's not a strength. Why? Because math bores me. It always has. Although I'm naturally good at math, it's a weakness. It depletes me.
On the other hand, I love to create fictional characters and write fantasy stories. I feel energetic just thinking about what my characters will do next. Creating something new strengthens me and boosts my ability to get through the day with extra motivation. According to Marcus Buckingham, I'd be right to label creating fictional stories a strength of mine.
In my Spirit and the Wolfman Series, an underlying theme is acceptance of who we are, our innate strengths and abilities, and using whatever we have in the service of love. The characters struggle with this self-acceptance, and given that they're monsters, this is understandable. But I think some of us, maybe not all but definitely some, are taught to be afraid of our strengths. Maybe they didn't fit the norm? Or perhaps, it wasn't seen as useful? And very likely, at the time, our quirks were misunderstood and often dismissed as inconvenient, unimportant, or worse yet, a weakness. And like the monsters in my books, we see ourselves as flawed. Changing that perception is the first step to using the gifts we've been given.
Whether monsters or real human beings, I think we are at our best and most generous when we lean into our strengths and trust that our inner guidance system (the innate knowledge of what makes us feel strong and energetic) is working.
If you're interested in learning more about how to recognize your strengths, I highly encourage you to read Love and Work by Marcus Buckingham. This author also worked with Don Clifton who created the Clifton Strengths Test by Gallup, which is also a great way to discover your top strengths. I took the test myself and have learned a lot from the experience. I feel at my strongest when I'm learning, writing, and consuming (and appreciating) fictional stories whether in the form of a movie, fantasy series on Netflix, or gripping book. I think of myself as a "Story Cookie Monster." Like the character on Sesame Street that I watched as a kid.
What are your strengths? Can you name them in less than 5 seconds? If not, maybe it's time to investigate what makes you special and how you can use that to enhance your life.
Please subscribe to the blog. I'd love to hear your thoughts about strengths in the comments. Thank you for reading!
**In case you haven’t read my Spirit and the Wolfman Series, the first three books are available on Amazon. I’m currently working on Book #4, the final book in the series. If you enjoy monsters, romance, complex characters, and fated love, this series is written especially for you.**
My Writing Journal
Welcome to My Writing Journal!
This is where I share my odd short stories, thoughts about my works in progress, and information on my upcoming books.
Life is a curiosity and writing is my way of playi ...more
This is where I share my odd short stories, thoughts about my works in progress, and information on my upcoming books.
Life is a curiosity and writing is my way of playi ...more
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