Returning to "me" through Strengths

Where there is human life- there is comparison.  We live in a world filled with “what you should be” or “what you need to be”.  Every time you turn on the TV or open a magazine it is filled with unrealistic, perfect pictures of women and men.  The obsession to have a certain body type, to wear “such and such” designer, driving a blah blah blah has created a culture based on what you have and not who you are. How depressing.  I ask myself- what would the world look like if we just lived for being the one-of-a-kind person we were created to be?  And started with what’s on the inside.  Can you imagine a culture based on what’s in your heart?  The joy you bring to others?  The way you serve your community? 

As a young girl, I fought this culture current every step of the way.  Not because I believed it was wrong but because neither my parents nor I had the income to put me in Abrocombie & Fitch and give me a BMW on my 16th birthday.  It was hard.  No, I should rephrase that and say it was painful.  It was painful because I was measured and defined by what I had.  As many of you know, in high school the most important thing to a girl is being liked her by peers and “fitting in.”  I began placing my worth on what I had and what I lacked.  This mindset would continue for years to come…

By my late 20’s I had accomplished a lot-by the world’s standards.  I went to a great college on an academic scholarship.  Moved from my hometown and headed out west to the land of opportunity.  Once landing in San Diego, more specifically, Coronado Island I was living what most people could only dream of.  I was in the hustle and bustle of sales making 6-figures, traveling, exploring, shopping, and then repeat.  Until one day I woke and realized that I was absolutely miserable in this life I created.  Sure, I loved having money.  I loved traveling and seeing the world.  I loved my shopping sprees at Nordstrom and not thinking twice; but there was only a brief relief before I repeated the cycle again.

I hit my quarter-life crisis at 31.  After shingles and sleeping disorders, I vowed to devote some quality time to my well-being.  Let me first start off by saying that this was one of the most painful yet most rewarding seasons in my life.  Over the next year, I focused inward.   

Self-work is often the most uncomfortable work we’ll ever do.  It requires digging.  It requires confronting.  It requires answering questions you don’t want to answer.  It requires vulnerability.  For me, it also required accepting and owning the value I placed on myself. It took a deep understanding of how I got swept up with the current of culture to see that I almost drowned in it. 

Through my self-exploration not only was I able to break free from whom the world wanted me to be but was also able to regain “me”.  I regained happiness in ordinary days.  Working on the inside allowed me to gain clarity on the outside.  My values became a reflection of my heart.  My soul became satisfied.  I began to recognize and love the person in the mirror.  My relationships began to flourish.  I had more energy to devote to the people I loved and wanted to serve.  Here, I found the authentic me.

The catalyst that started this journey was Strengths.  It was through my Strengths discovery I was able to build a solid foundation of what truly made me- “me”.  This insight revealed I had real power behind what came so naturally to me.  I focused on that.  The good stuff.  The stuff that made me feel strong.  With this confidence I was able to see the world and myself in a very different way.  I found that being “me” was so much better than being someone else, that is was easier and gave me more leverage to succeed.  But most importantly, it gave me a purpose.

This is what reCreate wants for EVERY.SINGLE.PERSON.  We want to help you rediscover your purpose.  We want you to know that being “you” is the best thing you can do for yourself, your family, your relationships, and your careers.  This is where the magic happens.  This is where we stop running with the current and start living out our strengths!

My hope is that you get to experience returning to "you".


With Much Love,
Sarah