What's your top 5?
​Beliefs, Analytical, Connectedness, Relater, Learner

How do you see them playing out in your life?
​Right now I am in the middle of transition and even though it is a wonderful transition I find myself frustrated. I am a officer in the Navy and recently found out I was medically disqualified from the nuclear pipeline. This means the direction I had thought I was heading professionally for the last five years completely shifted. I stand in awe as I watch God work in my life and stand firm in my BELIEFS that God is in control of this. My CONNECTEDNESS knows that this is not by chance, but a series of events beautifully orchestrated by our maker. However now to look at why I am frustrated, the RELATOR in me is screaming out for something to do and someone to connect with. The people I have spent the last months growing to love have continued with the busy schedule of nuclear power school, while I wait to see what God is doing. The BELIEF in me likes to live a life of value and worth. I like to help people find their purpose, but now I am in transition and waiting for the dust to settle as the ANALYTICAL piece of me carefully calculates the next move. 

What's your favorite theme?
​BELIEF. Living a life of meaning, value, worth and impacting the world makes my heart sing. Helping people find their purpose in the midst of the mundane warms my soul. It doesn't matter if I am on a warship in the middle of the ocean, an orphanage in a foreign country or sharing a cup of coffee while I catch up on the lives of one of my dear friends, I feel complete when I can pour into those around me and make their life a little bit better.  

What's the one theme that "gets in your way?"  
​ANALYTICAL. I love when I find how events or data can interrelate, but my reason and logic can bring me to a halt in life. I am a perfectionist and want to produce flawless results, so I am stuck calculating my next step to make sure it is the perfect one to take. 

How has knowing your Top 5 empowered you to live a more authentic life?
​I always ask God to show me what gifts he has given me, however I never knew it was right in front of me. I never saw these things that come so naturally as strengths and now as I learn more about the person I am I can stand firm knowing these are my strengths. These traits are gifts from God that I must use to live a life of purpose and that purpose is to live a life infused with love and giving the glory to God.

reCreate's Strengths Mission
For strengths to come alive, we must have the opportunity to use them everyday and make them personal.  We showcase our friends, family, clients and anyone who dares to show us the personal side to their Top 5. These post are meant to encourage, inspire and connect you to having a life well-lived in strengths.  

Want to be featured?  We would love to showcase you!!!

Haven't taken Strengths yet?!  Click here! 

Like this post?! Comment below!!!

What's your top 5?
​Learner, Responsibility, Intellection, Individualization, Focus​

How do you see them playing out in your life?
​I've always known from a young age that I was fairly intellectual.  Even in middle school I found myself intrigued by philosophy, world religions, and the meaning of life.  While my friends were cooped up in their rooms reading the Harry Potter series, I was reading books like The Alchemist, Tao of Pooh, and Encyclopedia Britannica.  Fiction just never resonated with me.  I always wanted to learn about the deeper things of life and have deeper conversations.  I always felt different because I had no desire to talk about fashion or celebrities.  I sought after things yet to be discovered.  My curiosity for the new and unknown expanded throughout my college years ​as a scientific SCUBA diver and marine biologist.  My desire to learn and have intellectual stimulation was fulfilled completely by exploring the depths of the sea and seeking to understand how the creatures of the deep blue sea live.  I am focused and goal oriented in everything I do.  Whether I've been completely wrong or have a sprout of genius,  I have always taken responsibility for my work and commitments. The strength of Individualization has woven into all aspects of my life.  It means that I am strong at connecting with people one on one; I want to know what someone is excellent at, their story, what they bring to the table, and help them shine.

What's your favorite theme?
​Do I have to pick one?!  (Fine, I will).  My favorite strength is Individualization.  Nothing energizes me more than connecting with people and learning about their world.  I love taking note of the unique qualities of a person and help create a space for them to feel special and valued.


What's the one theme that "gets in your way?"  
​Learner definitely gets in my way!  Because I enjoy learning and discovering new information I can get stuck in the pattern of learning and thinking-- A LOT.  I have to make a concerted effort to ​create and execute action plans that help me apply everything that I'm learning. Thank God  being a learner is tempered with laser beam focus and a healthy weight of responsibility, or I'd end up a full-time beach bum!

How has knowing your top 5 empowered you to live a more authentic life?
​Knowing my top 5 has given me great insight to who I am, but APPLYING my top 5 has been an absolute game changer!​  A recent lay-off from a data entry job gave me the awakening I needed to explore how my strengths apply to life and business.  Many of the jobs I've done in the past 4 years have simply given me a paycheck but never imparted purpose.  A purpose that far exceeds my needs and overflows into the lives of other people.  I'm no longer living from a place of what can I get, but what can I give.  It is ironic how the hobbies that we "dabble" in can be indicators of what truly sets our soul on fire.  Live music has always been a part of my life but I always considered it just something for fun, simply entertainment.  Now I'm developing a live music production company called "Gems La Femmes" here in San Diego among other entrepreneurial ventures that incorporate all of my strengths.  I highly recommend people to not only take the Strengths Finder 2.0 test so they know their Top 5 but also do a coaching session with Jen Fore so you can understand how your strengths help you strategize, influence, execute, and develop relationships in your sphere of influence.  (NOTE from reCreate...thanks for the shout out Kimmie!)

reCreate's Strengths Mission
For strengths to come alive, we must have the opportunity to use them everyday and make them personal.  We showcase our friends, family, clients and anyone who dares to show us the personal side to their Top 5. These post are meant to encourage, inspire and connect you to having a life well-lived in strengths.  

Want to be featured?  We would love to showcase you!!!

Haven't taken Strengths yet?!  Click here! 

Like this post?! Comment below!!!

Last week we discussed the importance of our Physical Wellbeing.

How’s it going?
Did some of your grocery shopping habits change?
Are you finding more time to exercise?
Are you sleeping 7-8 hrs/night?


Making some improvements leads to BIG changes.  Keep it up!

This week we’re going to discuss our 5th and final ingredient:  Community Wellbeing.

Community Wellbeing really starts with some basics that might surprise you:

·  The water you drink
·  The air you breathe
·  The sense of safety in your area

So let’s put your Community Wellbeing to the test.  Please answer these honestly:

1.  Do you feel safe in the area that you live?
2.  Are you involved in community groups or organizations?
3.  Do you use your strengths to share your passions in your communities?

Once we tackle the basics, we should think about the communities in which we live.  I never gave this much thought but it makes total sense.  Think about the aesthetics of where you live.  Is it a beautiful place where there are parks, trails, or playgrounds?  What about social places where people can meet up and spend time together such as restaurants, bars, coffee shops, ECT?  What about the atmosphere of openness to all types of people regardless of race, heritage, age, or sexual orientation?  All of these factors come together to create the “ideal communities”.

After we’ve surveyed the aesthetics, what about the degree of involvement we play?  Do we get involved in social efforts?  Are we volunteering?  Individuals with THRIVING wellbeing say it’s about what we do to give back to our communities.    When Gallup asked people with thriving wellbeing about the greatest contribution they had made in their life, majority mentioned the impact they had on another person, group or community.  Neuroscientists discovered that regions of the brain that are activated when we receive money glow brighter when we give money.  Interesting, huh?  Point being: it makes us feel better to give than to get.

Most people who give back to their communities have emotional ties to the organization’s mission or purpose.  Those with this type of vested interest have more to offer because of their knowledge and personal mission.  These people use their strengths along with their knowledge and skills to pursue and support their communities.  These people love to tell others about their interests and help connect people.

So let’s ask:  Do you feel like your Community Wellbeing is TRIVING?

If you think you need a boost, here’s some Gallup recommendations:

1.  Identify how you can contribute to your community based on your personal mission.
2. Tell people about your passions and interests so they can connect you with relevant groups and causes.
3.  Opt in to a community group or event.  Even if you start small, start now!

Haven't taken the StrengthsFinder assessment yet?!  Click here! 

Want to buy the book Wellbeing?  Click here!

If you're curious of where you rank in your wellbeing, take the Gallup Wellbeing Finder:  Click here!

                                                        reCreate's Strengths Mission
For strengths to come alive, we must have the opportunity to use them everyday and make them personal.  We showcase our friends, family, clients and anyone who dares to show us the personal side to what strengths mean to them. These post are meant to encourage, inspire and connect you to having a life well-lived in strengths.  

Like this post?! Comment below!!!

What's your top 5?
Futuristic, Individualization, Competition, Significance, Maximizer    

How do you see them playing out in your life?
Before I started working with my StrengthsFinder coach I never noticed the strengths I had. Now I see and use them every day, especially as a Filmmaker and Photographer. My top 5 help me fully understand my own work ethic and how to effectively use  them in my work. I can definitely see why Futuristic is my number 1 in my top 5. For someone who works with cameras all day and also works at Best Buy, I am always looking forward  to learning about and using the latest and greatest technology out there. I think that I frequently use my futuristic and maximizer strengths together while working at Best Buy to help me keep up on my product knowledge and to help my team to go above and beyond our goals. As a filmmaker and photographer, it is my goal to be as impactful and different as possible. I use competition to help push me to make my next video or photo more individualized and significant than the one before. As a whole my top five strengths along with my StrengthsFinder coach are helping me build a path for my future.

What's your favorite theme? 
My favorite theme is probably Individualization. I have always tried to be as creative and unique as possible for as long as I can remember. Today it is very apparent in my photography and video because I try to produce things that are as personalized to my clients as possible. I apply this skill to my everyday life to help separate my work from the rest.

What's the one theme that "get's in your way"?
The one theme that I believe gets in the way most often is Maximizer. Whenever I produce something, I like to make sure that it is the best that it can be and this can be extremely time consuming. I can't cut corners or half do something, I have to do it the right way which typically takes a longer time.

How has knowing your top 5 empowered you to live a more authentic life?
Now that I understand what my strengths are and how to apply them, it has greatly aided me in knowing what I need to do in order to get me where I want to be in life. I find ways to use my top 5 in everything that I do. It helps me be a more genuine person in and outside of work and I have notice a greater amount of assurance in my decisions for the plan that I am making for my future.



                                                    reCreate's Strengths Mission
For strengths to come alive, we must have the opportunity to use them everyday and make them personal.  We showcase our friends, family, clients and anyone who dares to show us the personal side to their Top 5. These post are meant to encourage, inspire and connect you to having a life well-lived in strengths.  

Want to be featured?  We would love to showcase you!!!

Haven't taken Strengths yet?!  Click here! 

Like this post?! Comment below!!!

Last week we talked about Financial Wellbeing. 

Did you make some changes on where you spend your money or whom you’re spending your money on?

Are you becoming aware of your impulsive/emotional buying habits?


This week we’re going to talk about our 4th ingredient:  Physical Wellbeing

Did you know that every action we take in our lives is something that results in a net positive and benefits our health or net negative which could be detrimental to us?

When you look back on your day, how many things contributed to benefiting your health? 

Let’s put your Physical Wellbeing to the test.  Answer these questions honestly:

1.  Do you eat healthy foods more than unhealthy?
2.  Do you exercise regularly?
3.  Are you getting at least 7 hours of sleep a night?

The research shows that most people are less than satisfied with those areas in their lives and are falling short in living in excellent health. When we live a balanced life, our bodies will run more efficiently and affect our overall quality of life. 

Here are some interesting facts by Gallup:

·  Having a “high-fat hangover” not only slows us down but it can also impair our thinking.
·  Eating fried foods puts us at a 30% greater risk for a heart attack.
·  Genetic history is one way to predict our future health; we not only pass it to our children but our children’s children.
·  Women eating one serving of fatty fish (e.g., salmon) could reduce the risk of kidney cancer by 74%.
·  Having high levels of omega-3s can help moderate symptoms of depression, decrease impulsiveness, and boost our daily moods.

Balance is the key to healthy living.  When we eat the right foods it not only makes us feel better but also protects our future generations.  It increases our overall mood levels and helps us fight against depression and sickness.  

On your next trip to the grocery store, look for foods with dark tones of reds, greens, and blues such as:  
Red- apples, tomatoes, strawberries, raspberries, red peppers, radishes, chili peppers and pomegranates

Green- broccoli, asparagus, artichokes, spinach, sprouts, lettuce, arugula, collard greens, kale, and Swiss chard

Blue- blueberries, blackberries, cabbage and grapes

Along with eating right, we need to be mindful of the amount of physical activity we getting each week.  According to a survey by Gallup, among 400,000 Americans they surveyed, only 27% were getting the recommended 30 minutes or more of exercise five days per week.

They found that people who exercise regularly (at least 2 days/week) are happier and have less stress as well as having more energy. On top of being happier and less stressed, you also are twice as likely to feel physically attractive tomorrow. 

Who wouldn’t want that?

Sleep also plays a huge factor in our Physical Wellbeing.

Gallup says, “Getting a good nights sleep is like hitting a reset button.” They found that the average person was only getting 6.7 hours of sleep during a weeknight. The recommended amount is 7-8 hours of sleep a night.  When we don’t get enough sleep we move slower, have trouble concentrating, become forgetful, make bad decisions and are more irritable. 

Sleep helps keep us well rested as well as accelerates our learning.  Sleep helps us synthesize the learning and experiences of a day.  Essentially our brains are playing connect-the-dots until we wake up!

Here are 3 recommendations by Gallup to help us boost our Physical Wellbeing:

1.  Get 20 mins of daily exercise.  Morning would be ideal to help improve your mood.
2.  Sleep 7-8 hours a night.  Going over the recommended amount could actually start working against you.
3.  Load up on natural and healthy foods.

Haven't taken the StrengthsFinder assessment yet?!  Click here! 

Want to buy the book Wellbeing?  Click here!

If you're curious of where you rank in your wellbeing, take the Gallup Wellbeing Finder:  Click here!

                                                        reCreate's Strengths Mission
For strengths to come alive, we must have the opportunity to use them everyday and make them personal.  We showcase our friends, family, clients and anyone who dares to show us the personal side to what strengths mean to them. These post are meant to encourage, inspire and connect you to having a life well-lived in strengths.  

Like this post?! Comment below!!!

 

What's your top 5?
Achiever, Connectedness, Empathy, Individualization, Input

How do you see them playing out in your life?
I see how each theme plays out in my daily life, especially as a Marriage and Family Therapist. I became increasingly aware of how I apply my strengths in my career after graduate school. It was interesting to see  how the little things that I would do unconsciously came to the forefront of my awareness. I experience each one throughout the day in my interactions with clients, friends, family, and in ministry. 

Achiever is definitely a great way to describe me as a whole. I believe that I am a highly motivated and hardworking individual. The need to have a productive day and “check” things off my list to feel accomplished certainly describes my approach to each day. I take on the busyness of the day with zeal and make it a goal to see how much I can achieve. This usually translates into an internal competition within myself to get the most out of what I am working toward. Connectedness shows through my private and professional life in the sense that I am a natural when it comes to networking. I love to bring people together for a common goal, project, or purpose. I apply this strength to bring my families together in session as well as to bring colleagues and friends together to achieve life goals. I actually find a certain level of satisfaction in watching synergy. Empathy is a big strength for me in my field. As a therapist, a primary role in my job is to empathize with the pain and struggles that my client has experienced throughout life. In many ways, empathy promotes healing and progress towards restoration. I also see how my strength of Individualization compliments my empathy. I can empathize with the pain of my client and use individualization to take a strategic approach in the next step in therapy. I seek out specific interventions that will best assist that person to move into the next phase of healing. This desire to learn new methods and seek unique treatment also leads into my final strength of Input. This one surprises me because I have always been an innately curious person but never knew the source of it. Input causes me to seek out random but often helpful information. I have found Input to create resourcefulness on the inside of me that lends itself to the benefit of my clients. 

What's your favorite theme?
My favorite them is probably connectedness. I find that I have the most joy and satisfaction out of watching how I can intuitively put the right people or pieces together. I believe that it is a great marriage between my individualization and connectedness that makes this strength so impactful. The ability to step back and understand the greater picture and then identify strategic parts to bring the vision together is a great strength for me. I apply this skill in my approach to client planning, networking, and ministry. It’s a great skill for every area! 

What's the one theme that "get's in your way"?
One theme that probably gets in the way the most often for me is Input. I often feel that I have an insatiable curiosity that has to be satisfied by reading, researching, and seeking information. This isn’t necessarily a bad skill to have but it can be distracting at time when I want to be more focused on a project or assignment. That curiosity to gather more information can stop me in my tracks. I manage to get back on track but not without using Wikipedia to answer my burning question!

How has knowing your top 5 empowered you to live a more authentic life?
The ability to know and apply my top 5 has allowed me to live more freely in who God created me to be and how I can use my strengths to fulfill the calling on my life. I find new ways to integrate my strengths into being a therapist and working with my clients and families. I believe that doing this allows me to be a more authentic and transparent therapist which also aids in the healing journey for my clients. I have also seen how my strengths give me a greater confidence in my daily decisions because I know who I am and what I was created to do best. I am primarily a relational person (3 of my strengths apply to relationship skills) followed by strategic skills. I enjoy living out what I was created to do and feel particularly blessed that my strengths fit so well into my line of work. Overall, I see how my strengths and awareness of my design gives me the opportunity to make strategic choices for my future and have this “best life”. 

Ashley is an Marriage and Family Therapist Registered Intern working in the San Diego community with Lighthouse Psychological Services. For more information on Ashley go to: www.lighthousepsy.com or http://secretsfromthecouch.wordpress.com

                                                    reCreate's Strengths Mission
For strengths to come alive, we must have the opportunity to use them everyday and make them personal.  We showcase our friends, family, clients and anyone who dares to show us the personal side to their Top 5. These post are meant to encourage, inspire and connect you to having a life well-lived in strengths.  

Want to be featured?  We would love to showcase you!!!

Haven't taken Strengths yet?!  Click here! 

Like this post?! Comment below!!!

Last week we discussed the importance of Social Wellbeing and the impact it makes in our relationships. 

Have you been working on your 6-hours a day of social time?
If so, have you seen improvements?
Have you noticed a difference in your stress level?

It's important to recognize how vital each one of these ingredients plays into our overall wellbeing and why it’s so imperative to maintain balance in our lives.

Today, we’re going to talk about the third ingredient: Financial Wellbeing.

Have you ever heard the saying, “Money buys happiness”?  According to Gallup’s  wellbeing data, they found that although money doesn’t guarantee happiness, living in a wealthy country does increase the odds of having a good life.  Makes sense, right?

If we are one of those fortunate people living in a wealthier country, knowing we have better odds of having a good life, then what is the secret to THRIVE in Financial Wellbeing?

Let’s put your Financial Wellbeing to the test! Answer these questions honestly:

1.  Are you satisfied with your standard of living?
2.  Do you stress over money and paying your bills?
3.  Do you spend money on buying products or experiences?

Gallup found that it’s not about how much money you have but about what you do with it. Here’s a few things these people did:

·  Harvard researchers found that spending money on yourself does not boost wellbeing but spending money on others does.  Interesting concept, huh?

·  People with thriving wellbeing also manage their money wisely by living within their standard of living.  They have enough money to meet their needs and therefore do not focus their energy on the worry of making ends meet. They set defaults or limits on what they could spend which in turn creates financial security.

·   They buy experiences more than buying consumable products.  How many of you have had a bad day and have done a little “retail therapy”?  I know I have. Actually, quite frequently.  Gallup found that a bad mood can lead to a waterfall of bad decisions which is actually the worse time to shop or make a major purchase.  As Gallup would say, “we spend the most money when we feel the worst.”  On top of that, the satisfaction of material goods doesn’t last as long as buying experiences. We are satisfied longer and less remorseful when we don't make emotional purchases which increases our wellbeing. If you think about it, we’re actually spending money on memories we can cherish for a lifetime. 

Here are some recommendations Gallup has for boosting Financial Wellbeing:

1.  Buy experiences such as vacations and outings with friends or loved ones.
2.  Spend on others instead of yourself.
3.  Create some default systems (auto payments and savings) that will decrease the amount of worry on money.

Haven't taken the StrengthsFinder assessment yet?!  Click here! 

Want to buy the book Wellbeing?  Click here!

If you're curious of where you rank in your wellbeing, take the Gallup Wellbeing Finder:  Click here!

                                                        reCreate's Strengths Mission
For strengths to come alive, we must have the opportunity to use them everyday and make them personal.  We showcase our friends, family, clients and anyone who dares to show us the personal side to what strengths mean to them. These post are meant to encourage, inspire and connect you to having a life well-lived in strengths.  

Like this post?! Comment below!!!

What's your top 5?
Discipline, Maximizer, Relator, Responsibility, and Consistency

How do you see them playing out in your life?
It is amazing once I identified my Top 5 Strengths how I can see them working throughout my life.  I have always been disciplined and like things in order, which I think is my discipline and consistency.  I have several very close friends that I love being a part of their lives.  For my job I participate in conferences where I work a booth and talk to people all day.  Now I know why at the end of the day I am exhausted.  It takes a lot of energy for me to just chit chat with a lot of people, that is my relator in play.

 


What's your favorite theme?
I think my favorite theme is relator.  I really love spending time with my girlfriends and my family, investing in their lives and feeling that connection.  It really feeds my soul.  But through discovering my strengths I have found out that I am no longer willing to keep investing time, emotional energy into the lives of those that do not do the same with me. It has to be recipricol. I have a very busy life and time is very precious to me.

What's the one theme that get's in your way? 
The one strength that is constantly in overdrive is my Responsibility theme.  I tend to take too many things that are not my responsibility.  I'm constantly trying to take care of everyone and fix everything.  At the end of the day it leaves me exhausted.  I am really working on keeping this in balance.   

How has knowing your top 5 empowered you to live a more authentic life?
I feel much more confident in myself and what I can achieve.  I am more in tune to my behaviors, what is working in overdrive, and what I need to change.  My goal is to live a more balanced life and enjoy myself more in everything I do.

                                                    reCreate's Strengths Mission
For strengths to come alive, we must have the opportunity to use them everyday and make them personal.  We showcase our friends, family, clients and anyone who dares to show us the personal side to their Top 5. These post are meant to encourage, inspire and connect you to having a life well-lived in strengths.  

Want to be featured?  We would love to showcase you!!!

Haven't taken Strengths yet?!  Click here! 

Like this post?! Comment below!!!