Oscar Wilde may have said, “only the shallow know themselves”, but a little introspection can go a long way.

Kimberly Blessing recommends a book and online assessment called “StrengthsFinder” to put to language what your natural strengths and inclinations are so that you can better put them to use.

She mentions the Keirsey temperament sorter in relation to Strengths Finder and it’s an assessment I’ve taken a few times over the past ten or so years. I always end up in the Idealist camp, sometimes among the Champions, sometimes among the Teachers. Re-reading the description of the Idealist I’m actually taken aback at how close it maps to me, including what my values are and what stresses me out.

I’m looking forward to finishing reading StrengthsFinder (quarter of the way through) and taking the assessment, it will be fun and helpful.

: StrenghtsFinder indicated my top 5 strengths are: Connectedness, Input, Individualization, Activator, and Strategic. These make a lot of send an emphasize elements of the Keirsey identified Idealist in me. These strengths compliment each other nicely.

Being an Activator, being driven to make things happen, works well to balance out the Strategic strength, which is to anticipate and project ahead. You can actually see how these two strenghts can be in conflict with one another too.

Individualization, looking for the unique qualities in each person and finding a way to help people work together, assists with Connectedness, which is all about bridge building and seeing the larger picture, the meaning of things.

As for Input, well Richelle calls me Number 5 (from Short Circuit) 🙂

I’d bet that Adaptibility, Context and Learner were among my top 10, if there was access, I’d bet they were there.

I highly recommend taking StrenghtsFinder. Even if you don’t believe in this kinda thing, and think that who we are as people is far more fluid than these kinda things would suggest, I do believe a little introspection can go a long way.