SEARCH FOR THE HERO INSIDE YOURSELF.
In these times of uncertainty, loss, turbulence, and adversity we sometimes struggle. The issues we have may be universal; insecurity, stress, loss, exhaustion, sadness, disruption etc. but our responses and reactions are deeply personal and intimately our own.
Daily, I see people who are seeking strategies to manage and overcome their anxiety, depression, grief, listlessness, and loneliness. Some want to regain and restore a sense of normality, but many find they want something more. They are seeking to find a new different and better; life, relationship, job, and self after the pandemic dust has settled. They want to build their resilience for the future (their ability to bounce back) they also want to create and manifest a vision for something better, they want to bounce forward. Interestingly this is not just the case for individuals but for couples, families, and businesses.
A part of this process is the search for resources. We search for the right location, the right people, the right career, the right amount of money and of course these all have a bearing on future success and satisfaction with life. However, there are resources that were once talked about in everyday life, that have fallen out of fashion and out of use. These resources offer a route out of languishing and into flourishing. They constitute a huge toolbox that most of us have left on a shelf somewhere to gather dust. Be clear that depending on how we grow them and how we decide to use them, they can vary from a handy screwdriver to a power-drill. They can maintain and fix or they can create and construct. The good news is that we ALL have them already. What are they?
Our Character Strengths.
We are all a unique mix of character strengths and without them we would never be able to move forward with our lives. Indeed, as human beings without them, life would be hell. How often do you think about YOUR character strengths? Let’s start with “character”.
Character is about our individuality. It’s the group of qualities that make a person, group, or thing, different from others. even a house can have character.
What makes humankind interesting is that everyone is their very own cocktail of character strengths. We excel at some strengths and use them all the time, some we underuse and others we may not even be aware of. Nevertheless, we still have them lying dormant; tools we can sharpen and use to shape our lives, our relationships, our careers, our families, and our businesses.
To put them into context, character strengths are just one of the 5 human strengths
Talents – What you are naturally good at? Music, dance, mathematics.
Skills – What you know? What you have learned to be proficient at? Your knowledge base.
Interests –Your passions? Interests and hobbies
Resources –Your external supports? Friends, community, security.
“Remember - talents can be squandered, resources can be quickly lost, interests wane and change, skills diminish over time, but when all seems completely lost, we still have our character strengths”. Ryan M Niemiec,.. Character Strengths Interventions
Some people think that our characters are determined at birth and that we are born with our specific strengths. However, science clearly tells us that there are 3 determiners at play…
Your environment and people around you
Genetics
YOU
It seems clear that nature and nurture play a role in determining which strengths we ‘make our own’ and which we under-use but the truth is that you can adapt, embrace, and develop single or combinations of character strengths at any time. This is great to know because it’s clear that certain character strengths need to be in place and flourishing to be successful at study, to be resilient, to be a leader and even to be happy.
In case you are thinking that this is all something I have dreamed up, you need to know that there is a whole science and research base attached to the study, understanding and use of character strengths. It is a part of the relatively new (2004) branch of psychology known as Positive Psychology, where the focus is not on the dysfunctional, disabling, and harmful human qualities, behaviours, and processes but on the positive ones (see the links below).
Now for the thought-provoking stuff. First we must know and accept that our strength of character is actually a unique blend of our character strengths and that they in turn are enablers for us to both maintain and create. The next step is to understand the context for these strengths and how they are universally understood because you are going to use them not only for and by yourself but in relation to others. You may be surprised to know that you have no less than 24, character strengths to pick and choose from and that they sit under 6 universally accepted virtue headings;
Wisdom, (using knowledge and experience to make good decisions and judgements)
Courage, (the ability to control your fear in a dangerous or difficult situation)
Humanity (understanding and kindness towards others)
Transcendence, (to climb beyond, extraordinary, to see a bigger picture, for some it might be spirituality.)
Justice (Fairness in the way people are dealt with)
Temperance (balance, patience, and moderation)
The results of years of study with thousands of people, all around the world has found a wide-ranging list of benefits from the; knowledge, understanding and growth of character strengths. Here are some of them.
Increased meaning and purpose in peoples’ lives
A reduction in stress
Improved health and well being
The growth of personal and business resilience
A more productive and successful work life
Stronger and longer lasting relationships
Decreased depression and anxiety
A boost in self-esteem and self confidence
More effective management and problem solving
Last but not least, greater happiness
So, what are the 24-character strengths?
Transcendence – Gratitude, Hope, Humour, Spirituality
Humanity – Kindness, Love, Social/Emotional Intellect, Appreciation of Beauty/Excellence
Courage – Bravery, Honesty, Perseverance, Zest
Wisdom – Creativity, Curiosity, Judgement, Love of Learning, Perspective
Temperance – Forgiveness, Humility, Prudence, Self -Control/Regulation
·Justice – Fairness, Leadership, Teamwork
If you want to find out more about character strengths I will be doing some short videos on social media exploring them. I will explore; their definition, the atitudes and behaviours they balance, the science behind them, how they work in life and why they are important, the benefits they bring, the other character strengths they work best with and last but not least how to nurture, grow and use them. I will also suggest some practical ideas that you can try as well as inviting you to think about them comment, share, and have some fun.
Let’s search for the hero inside ourselves!
Suggested reading
If you want to find out more about Positive Psychology start with, book – Positivity – Barbara Freidrickson
For books on Character Strengths look up, ‘The Power of Character Strengths: Appreciate and Ignite Your Positive Personality’ R. Niemiec and R. McGrath.
If you want to find out how your character strengths are ranked go to; https://www.viacharacter.org/survey/account/register and take the test. This is a good starting point.