Monday, September 24, 2007

Top Five strengths

Empathy

You can sense the emotions of those around you. You can feel what they are feeling as though their feelings are your own. Intuitively, you are able to see the world through their eyes and share their perspective. You do not necessarily agree with each person's perspective. You do not necessarily feel pity for each person's predicament-this would be sympathy, not Empathy. You do not necessarily condone the choices each person makes, but you do understand. This instinctive ability to understand is powerful. You hear the unvoiced questions. You anticipate the need. Where others grapple for words, you seem to find the right words and the right tone. You help people find the right phrases to express their feelings-to themselves as well as to others. You help them give voice to their emotional life. For all these reasons other people are drawn to you.

I think that does relate to me. I'm a very sensitive person so therefore I'm very sensitive to others' feelings. I'm really good with finishing peoples sentences when they are trying to say what they feel but can't find the right words.

Includer

(formerly Inclusiveness) "Stretch the circle wider." This is the philosophy around which you orient your life. You want to include people and make them feel part of the group. In direct contrast to those who are drawn only to exclusive groups, you actively avoid those groups that exclude others. You want to expand the group so that as many people as possible can benefit from its support. You hate the sight of someone on the outside looking in. You want to draw them in so that they can feel the warmth of the group. You are an instinctively accepting person. Regardless of race or sex or nationality or personality or faith, you cast few judgments. Judgments can hurt a person's feelings. Why do that if you don't have to? Your accepting nature does not necessarily rest on a belief that each of us is different and that one should respect these differences. Rather, it rests on your conviction that fundamentally we are all the same. We are all equally important. Thus, no one should be ignored. Each of us should be included. It is the least we all deserve.

I know what it's like to be left out and it is one of the worst feelings so I'm very conscientious of those around me and make sure no one feels that way. It's just my nature to go sit with the person that's sitting alone, it's what I'd want someone to do for me, it's just my nature. I don't like when people judge people and don't include them because of that judgment it's wrong. I think includer fits me.

Strategic

The Strategic theme enables you to sort through the clutter and find the best route. It is not a skill that can be taught. It is a distinct way of thinking, a special perspective on the world at large. This perspective allows you to see patterns where others simply see complexity. Mindful of these patterns, you play out alternative scenarios, always asking, "What if this happened? Okay, well what if this happened?" This recurring question helps you see around the next corner. There you can evaluate accurately the potential obstacles. Guided by where you see each path leading, you start to make selections. You discard the paths that lead nowhere. You discard the paths that lead straight into resistance. You discard the paths that lead into a fog of confusion. You cull and make selections until you arrive at the chosen path-your strategy. Armed with your strategy, you strike forward. This is your Strategic theme at work: "What if?" Select. Strike.

I always think about what I do before I act. I'm a very organized person I know where everything is, it all has a place and I guess I do that with my decision as well. It's a good thing though because it leads me to the right paths and think about what could be better. I'm not sure if my theme is the what if? though. I'm not a big what if person.

Learner

You love to learn. The subject matter that interests you most will be determined by your other themes and experiences, but whatever the subject, you will always be drawn to the process of learning. The process, more than the content or the result, is especially exciting for you. You are energized by the steady and deliberate journey from ignorance to competence. The thrill of the first few facts, the early efforts to recite or practice what you have learned, the growing confidence of a skill mastered-this is the process that entices you. Your excitement leads you to engage in adult learning experiences-yoga or piano lessons or graduate classes. It enables you to thrive in dynamic work environments where you are asked to take on short project assignments and are expected to learn a lot about the new subject matter in a short period of time and then move on to the next one. This Learner theme does not necessarily mean that you seek to become the subject matter expert, or that you are striving for the respect that accompanies a professional or academic credential. The outcome of the learning is less significant than the "getting there."

I love to learn! This is definitely me. I'm one of those weird kids who loves school for the work and the studying. I love that you learn something new everyday no matter your age it just happens that way. I have a journal called "something new" and I write down the things I learn everyday. I like to go back and see how much knowledge I've accumulated over the years and how I use that information today or how it has benefited me. I read the Dictionary for fun, what kind of person does that and doesn't like to learn?

Achiever

Your Achiever theme helps explain your drive. Achiever describes a constant need for achievement. You feel as if every day starts at zero. By the end of the day you must achieve something tangible in order to feel good about yourself. And by "every day" you mean every single day-workdays, weekends, vacations. No matter how much you may feel you deserve a day of rest, if the day passes without some form of achievement, no matter how small, you will feel dissatisfied. You have an internal fire burning inside you. It pushes you to do more, to achieve more. After each accomplishment is reached, the fire dwindles for a moment, but very soon it rekindles itself, forcing you toward the next accomplishment. Your relentless need for achievement might not be logical. It might not even be focused. But it will always be with you. As an Achiever you must learn to live with this whisper of discontent. It does have its benefits. It brings you the energy you need to work long hours without burning out. It is the jolt you can always count on to get you started on new tasks, new challenges. It is the power supply that causes you to set the pace and define the levels of productivity for your work group. It is the theme that keeps you moving.

I do like the feeling of accomplishment and I do like to have done something everyday. I like to feel like I've done something worthwhile with my life and day and live life to the fullest in that sense but I'm not sure if I'm over the top in this area. I am an overachiever when it comes to school and such but maybe this does describe me. I'm not sure how accurate it is.



I think overall these things really described me. They all seem to be right on target which is very cool. I'm interested to see what my friends and family what to say about the accuracy of these strengths.

12 comments:

Christina said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Christina said...

I believe you do exercise empathy. I remember when we both lost a grpandparent around the same time, and then I ended up loosing two more relatives, and youw ere able to help me through my mourning and relate to me. Even though I had been through the loss of a loved one before, you were still there for me and were able to relate to me in every way possible. Out of everyone I could always go to you for guy advice and relate to you on many different levels because we both went to private school together. You are a very sensitive person. On a personal note we have both cried together for different occassions. You are always good at helping people finish sentences when they are at a loss for words.

You definitely are the includer. You are very outgoing and whenever you saw someone by themselves, you were never afraid nor did you ever hesitate to go up to them and include them in the conversation ro the event or whatever it may be. At parties you and I always buddied up or always got involved ina dance groupw hether we knew the people or not. It takes a lot of guts to do that. I beleive this is one of your best qualities and you exercise it the most.

You are strategic. You think before you act, which is something most people should don't, but they don't. You usally make the right decisons and always end up at the right conclusions. You are a very organized person as well.

You definitely are a learner. If you didn't love to learn, you wouldn't have been involved in choir, dance lessons,voice lessons, and piano lessons. If you didn't love to learn you wouldn't have been the first person who wanted to read all of the books on the EBS list in high school. if you didn't want to learn you wouldn't read all of the time and even ask for a copy of the new EBS list. You also have a range of friends. I believe your friends sometimes describe who you are as a person. The reason why you have such a wide range of friends is because you love learning new things and you love learning about people as well. You like adding flavor to your life.

You definitely are an achiever. You live everyday to its fullest and always do your best. You are not an overachiever unless it is for school work. you do take breaks when you think you deserve one or know you have to take one. You love setting goals for yourself, like reading all of the books on the EBS list.

All in all, you display these five qualities all of the time in your own way of course. The fact that you don't display these qualities word for word is what makes you unique. More people should strive to have these qualities.
From,
Ashley Oppenberg, friend of Christina's for 4 years

Christina said...

The strengths that were given to Christina were fairly accurate, however, the one that stands out most to me is her love for people. She embraces everyone and truly loves people. I believe that is why empathy was a great strength, because you have to understand people to love them. She doesn't always agree with people, but she will listen to others perspectives and understand their feelings. She doesn't always find the right words and the right tone, however, to respond. On the other hand, there are times she does because she allows people to vent and express their feelings and then she finds the right words to say to them.

As far as being an includer, this is very much a part of who she is. She never likes to be left out, so she'll make it a point to include others whenever possible.

Being strategic is the organizational mindset that she exemplifies. She plans her life and her days and is not as spontaneous as her friends can be. I don't believe she is a "what if" kind of person, however. She thinks through things, but doesn't analyze them to the point she is bringing in other possible scenarios into her thoughts.

Christina loves to learn. She reads alot and she loves to absorb the information given to her. If she is interested in a subject, she excels. However, if she isn't interested, it is very difficult to bring her to the will to learn whatever it may be.

The achiever characteristics is based on the sense of accomplishment. She loves the satisfaction of completion and achieving the goal or assignment she has been given. As far as an overachiever, this isn't the strong trait she exemplifies. However, in some areas of her life I believe she is and will be an overachiever because of that self satisfaction.

All in all, these five traits match who she is. But, her love for life, the Lord and people are very much a strong part of her being.

Christina said...

I just left my comments, but didn't sign it - I am Candy DeLapp, her mother. Of course, I have known her all of her life.

Saruuh said...

-Empathy-

I think out of all of the results this section is the most accurate. You are without a doubt the sweetest girl I know. I remember countless hard times I've had when family members were ill. You were always there for me and always had a way of relating and trying to relay Gods message to me, telling me never to give up. In middle school when I had trouble in p.e. because of different issues, you were always reassuring and one of the few people that kept me going, telling me not to listen insecure comments people made numerous times. There have been many times where we exchanged shoulders to cry on and I know that whenever i'm having trouble with anything I can always count on you to give me your sympathy and truly care for things to get better.


-Includer-

Definitely one of your finest qualities. Christina, you have SUCH a big heart and you're always willing to befriend anyone. Even if everyone doesn't like them, even if its not the "cool" thing to do. You never judge people by the way they look or even their past and present actions, you look past that, into their heart and offer your own. I've always viewed you as an outgoing person and I remember numerous occasions when you demonstrated your "includer" attributes. Seeing you be such an open person and constantly take people under your wing when many won't has definitely changed me and my outlook on situations.


-Strategic-

I definitely think of you as a forward thinker. You overlook something and examen it before putting all you have into it. It's a good quality to have since many people tend to rush into things and make big mistakes. I don't classify you as a "what if" person however. What if suggests to me an easy way out and I know you and you think your way through everything and decide what the best route is even if its not the easiest. As far as organization goes..Lets just say, I remember a time where you came over my house and spent the night. We were sitting in my room and my mom called me out to do something. When I returned my entire desk and basically the top of any flat surface in my room was neatly organized. When I asked you what happened you simply replied "It was messy and I had to organize it, it was bugging me." If thats not being organized, I don't know what is! ;]


-Learner-

I can recall a time at lunch hour in middle school when I got my lunch and went to sit down with you and I saw you reading a book, your lunch on the grass beside you, untouched. I asked you why you had not eaten yet and you told me you absolutely HAD to finish your book first before you did anything else. When you finished your book you informed me about your plan to over the years accomplish reading every book in the young adult section at the Simi Valley Library. You definitely have one of those minds that are never satisfied. You look at each day, each class, each moment and you take all you can from them. Weather it be something simple or complicated, you truly DO learn something new everyday and most of all, you cherish that knowledge more than anyone I know.


-Achiever-

Christina? An achiever? Most Definitely. You're constantly setting out goals for yourself to work towards. When those goals are accomplished you simply make new ones and the process starts over again. You live each day to its ultimate fullest and look forward to the next time you'll learn something valuable that will change you as a person.


Despite a couple minor things here and there, I definitely have to agree with this analysis of the type of person you are. You're kind hearted, hard working, and definitely a woman of your faith. You have a big heart for The Lord and everyone around you. I'm so very proud to call you my friend Christina.

Sincerely,

Sarah Len
(friend of Christina for 6 1/2 wonderful years.)

Alpha Leader Darren said...

Christina, I just want to offer some advice on your strengths.

You have Learner and Achiever, so I have to say, I'm extremely impressed with your scholastic dedication, but remember that there is a time when it should be "just for you." Take some time away from studystudystudy and relax. You can sense other's emotions, try to sense when your own are funky and take some time off.

I expect you to help include everyone in the group and make everyone feel welcome. A few people have empathy so they'll feel pretty happy knowing you care.

You're a really genuine person, and I respect you so much.

We share Learner and Strategic. Cool stuff.

Anonymous said...

Empathy
you are a very thoughtful person. You are always making sure everyone is happy. You are very understanding and easy to talk to. You listen to people and their issues. This is for the most part you.

Includer
Yes, you do know how it feels to be left out and it is not fun. You are always doing your best to include everyone. You are awesome. Everyone loves to be around you and you are so bright and fun to be with.

Strategic
You always think before you act. Which prevents you from doing something you might regret later. You have always been really good at that. It has allowed you the ability to prevent many sticky situations from occuring.

Learner
You are deffinetely a learner. You love to learn new things each and every day. This is a very great quality about you because most people are afraid of change, and new things, but you are willing to learn. You love school and you love that you are good at it.

Achiever
You are most definetely an achiever. Once you set your mind to something, there is no stopping you because you are determined to finish or accomplish your goal. You have always done well with school and music. You have worked very hard for your acomplishments. We are all very proud of you.

Ashleigh Federico, friend of Christina for four years

Christiana said...

Well, in the short time I've known you I can definitly see a few of your strenghts!

You definitly seem to be an includer. I haven't seen you "click" with anyone in our group or treat anyone better than another person. You are really good at making everyone feel included(well at least me)...
Also, I can totally see the achiever side of you "miss wanting to read the whole library"... thats such an awesome goal! You seem to defintly set goals for yourself and strive to reach them! That will defintly get you far in life! :)

aqua said...

Wow, I admire how strong your strength of learner is! I also have faith in you- that your strength of achiever can help you to reach your goal as a country singer!

KathrynCremer said...

I find your stengths of learner and achiever truly admirable, as they happen to be my strengths as well. However, because of this, I understand your desire to succeed, and make everything you do your best work. Your goal of reading the whole library is awesome, and I wish you luck in that ambition. I look forward to getting to know you better!

P A T T Y said...

I can totally relate to you with the empathy strenght. I feel the same way, when I'm hearing someone out with their problems, I may not always agree with them but the important part is that you listen them out and give them support in the end. By doing that, that's a huge help to someone. You seem like a quiet girl, but you do look like the type that would be a good listener.

Shannon Lynch said...

Oooo, we have Includer and Strategic in common! Haha It’s funny that I’m boasting about strengths so proudly, when only a few weeks ago I had no idea they even existed. :3
I appreciate your desire to get to know me right off the bat. Even based on our short conversation at the Trinity Tables (you know which one I mean…oh scandal! haha), I noticed how you wanted to know more about me and that you ask good and engaging questions. Your ability to put others first, both emotionally with Empathy and socially in conversation, is indispensable and admirable. I think it’s great you want to read the whole library!! Perhaps as I get to know you more I can glean from your wellspring of knowledge! :3