You are a Person of Character
There is so much health and wellness information vying for our attention that it can sometimes feel like noise. Trying to discern what to tune out and what to tune into can be challenging. The science of character strengths is something I truly think is worthy of your time and attention, and it’s free. You don’t have to buy anything because the strengths are already within you. Read on to learn more about the well-researched science of character strengths and how they can positively benefit your life and those around you.
You may have an idea of which positive aspects of your character you manifest with ease. But you may not be aware of the many other strengths within you that you can activate more deliberately to live your best life. Each of us possess the potential contained within the seeds of each of the 24 character strengths. What I mean by potential is, the potential for a more meaningful life, improved life satisfaction, enhanced sense of wellbeing, and higher quality relationships. Reaching that potential is another thing, right? It starts with awareness of strengths; we can’t ignite what we don’t realize we have. Or if we realize we embody certain strengths, we may not how to grow them to optimize our success. Working with a person’s strengths is foundational to health coaching. A strength-based approach helps clients make progress on their goals, build confidence, and improve self-efficacy. In my own coaching experience, I’ve already witnessed how working with clients to identify and use their strengths helped them move forward in many domains in their life.
If you are under-using your strengths or over-using, (which is less common) in your day-to-day life, chances are you’re feeling a little disconnected and dissatisfied. But the outlook is good! Those seeds are still there, lying dormant, ripe with potential, eagerly waiting for your attention. You are a person with strength of character. Through increased awareness, deliberate action, and some effort, you can appreciate, ignite, and grow in your strengths for a more meaningful life.
Character strengths are the positive traits of our identity, the part of our personality that other people tend to admire and respect. Your strengths are expressed in important areas of your life such as in your work, community, and relationships with friends and family. Our character strengths are expressed in our lives through our actions, words, and thoughts. For example, maybe you’re known at work for being a fair and good leader, or your friends know you to be funny and full of zest. Maybe your neighbor remembers you for your kindness, and your spouse admires your creativity.
Here's a link to all 24 character strengths.
The field of psychology embarked on answering the question, “What is best about human beings?” Researchers studied populations across countries and cultures, investigating which qualities are universally considered to be the strongest parts of being human. A consensus was reached, and the result was the VIA Classification of Character Strengths and Virtues. Now we have a shared language for communicating, studying, and advancing the research about character strengths. The research has been applied to many fields, such as psychology, coaching, business, and education. There is a scientifically validated survey, the VIA Survey of Strengths, and is free. If you are curious and enjoy learning, I recommend that you take the survey.
Character strengths are not to be confused with talents or natural abilities, like having athletic ability or being a piano virtuoso. Talents are more hard-wired and less changeable. Think about your spouse, child, sibling, parent, or best friend; can you name which strength(s) make them uniquely who they are? Think about the aspects of them that you admire, respect and love. Those are their character strengths. When I think about what I admire about my spouse, what comes through very consistently is his strong sense of perspective; he has the ability to see the bigger picture in every situation. I think that’s why he’s the go-to person for balanced advice among his family and friends. He is also very strong in using his strength of judgement/critical thinking. He enjoys discussing a range of topics and respects views and opinions that differ from his own. This strength is similar to the strength of perspective but speaks more to being able to analyze information in an objective manner. He is not prone to jump to conclusions, is open to a broader understanding of many situations, and is resistant to biases in his thinking. I value and benefit from his strengths because they help me think through difficult topics and situations with a more balanced perspective, which really helps when I’m too caught up in emotion.
Though our strengths tend to be consistent over time, the good news is, we’re not stuck with what we’ve got; we can develop and grow our strengths (thank you, neuroplasticity). The environment as well as how we nurture and attend to those 24 seeds of potential affect which ones fully blossom, and flourish and which ones produce modest fruit. With some awareness and effort, we can attend to our under-used strengths and help them grow. Other factors such as changes in our roles like marriage, having a child, experiencing trauma, or joining the military, can also cause our strength use to change.
It is true, our abilities are not fixed, but having a growth mindset is the secret sauce that enhances our growth as we embark on a new endeavor. Even if we don’t have that mindset yet, we can develop it. (One way is by working with a health coach.) Having a growth mindset and a little grit, we can access the untapped strengths within us. A first step would be to take an inventory of your strengths. Learning about your strengths and being more deliberate in using them is linked to well-being. This practice can amplify the positive in our lives and help us manage problems more effectively.
The ways in which each of us use our strengths is unique just to us. No one uses their strengths in the exact same way as someone else. I equate the way our strengths influence our actions and behaviors like the ingredients in a recipe—if your strengths were on a label, the ingredients are listed from most abundant to least. It’s the top five strengths (called, signature strengths) or ingredients that affect the flavor of the dish most strongly. Our character strengths animate how we show up in our lives, not just in our doing, but also our being; Do we live with a sense of gratitude and hope? Do we feel uplifted by beauty and experience awe? Can we feel and express love? Laugh and smile easily? And do we have beliefs about the meaning in life and sense of a higher purpose?
Each of us has a unique way of thinking, acting and being in this world. Your personal strengths and how they are expressed are utilized in degrees, it’s not an all or none situation. For example, while curiosity may be one of your top strengths, you are not always curious in every situation. If bravery is one of your lesser strengths, that does not mean you never rise to the occasion and do the brave thing. Once you take the VIA character strengths survey, you will see which strengths are strongest, mid-range and so on. But the most impactful strengths are your signature strengths, your top five to seven strengths. The concept of signature strengths is an important part of the VIA Classification. They are the strongest and most prominent in your profile of strengths, the ones that are closely related to your personal identity and hold the greatest potential. They are the ones that should receive most of your consideration and attention.
There are three key features signature strengths have in common: they are essential, effortless, and energizing. What essential means in this context is that the strength feels like it’s a part of who you are, it feels like you, and it’s an important part of how you see and move through your world. When it’s effortless, it just feels natural and instinctive, it requires no work or effort, it just flows from you. And finally, the strength energizes you, it makes you happy, and it uplifts you.
Research shows that having meaning and purpose in life can make us happier, healthier, and more resilient. The path to increasing meaning and purpose comes from cultivating interests that connect us with something greater than ourselves.The VIA Institute on Character recommends boosting these six strengths associated with meaning and purpose: Here is one example with each strength, but there are many more ways to enhance these strengths in your own life.
1. Gratitude: be mindful of small things you take for granted.
2. Perspective: Examine a world event from different viewpoints.
3. Spirituality: Find the sacred in little moments.
4. Appreciation of beauty and excellence: Listen to a piece of complex music.
5. Curiosity: Explore a new neighborhood or try cuisine from a different culture.
6. Social Intelligence: Include everyone in group discussions.
As a result of my study of character strengths, I am viewing the people in my life with this fresh perspective. I see you out there; friends, neighbors, family members and coworkers showing up powerfully in your life, using your strengths thoughtfully and prudently. I admire how you use creativity to parent your child, to help them navigate their emotions. I appreciate how well you use your strengths at work with leadership to take on important challenges and guide your team. I'm humbled by your ability to love, forgive, and let go of the past. I'm inspired by your acts of kindness and how you show compassionate and generous care towards your neighbor in need. Your sense of humor and playfulness brings smiles to everyone around you. I respect your bravery and perseverance, doing the hard work to fight for our rights and freedoms. And in my own life, there's one special person who, despite age, obstacles and illness shows me every day what perseverance, bravery, and hope look like. I have found that spotting strengths in others is an uplifting exercise and an antidote for cynicism. Learning about character strengths and actively observing them in others has opened my eyes and improved my capacity to witness what is good and unique in each person.
All of the strengths matter and all of them provide benefit to your life and the lives of others. Exploring them and using them in your life engenders growth. It’s recommended to give a good amount of attention to investigating, noticing, and expressing your signature strengths. Explore your top five strengths, and find new ways to express them at work, in your personal life, in relationships, and in your community. My best to you as you consider your own strengths and how you will incorporate them into all aspects of your life.
