Showcase Friday: Molly & Maggie

What are your Top 5?
Maggie: Maximizer, Relator, Discipline, Strategic, Developer

Molly: Learner, Communication, Individualization, Includer, Arranger

How do you see them playing in your life?
Maggie: Each one of my strengths play a key role in my life. They not only help me understand what I am good at but also help me find areas of opportunity to use them. Now that I know what my top 5 strengths are, I don’t always have to focus on being good at everything. Instead I focus on what I am good at and try to use those skills to help me in other areas. They have given me more clarity of how to use my strengths in my professional life to create my dream job. They have also helped in my personal life with relationships and how I use my strengths within those relationships. I can see how I use each one of my strengths at different times each and every day. If I stick to my strengths it seems like life is a lot easier all the way around. My strengths are a great way to explain who I am. I am always maximizing every opportunity, trying to relate to everyone, disciplined in all areas, very strategic, and always developing myself.

Molly: My five strengths have definitely defined who I am and who I aspire to be. I am almost to the dissertation stage for a Doctorate in Psychology which demonstrates my learner strength. I have always had the need to learn as much as possible and challenge myself to know everything in one area before moving to another. This has driven my educational pathway and led to a career in Learning and Development where I am able to utilize my other strengths as well. Knowledge is only power if you know how and when to use it. To do this, I rely on my communication strength to help explain information to others. Furthermore, this strength has been useful in all areas of my life including my marriage. Individualizer can be seen in my perception that everyone has something to contribute to the world, no matter how small or big. Individual contributions shape my perception of others more than their affiliations. In turn, this influences my perception of the world. Going along with individualizer, I have a need to include people. My husband always says that when we go out, you never know what new best friends I’ll meet! I recall being in 4th grade and purposefully making relationships with all types of kids, even the kids no one wanted to be around. I have never had any special requirements to by my friend. Mostly, I just want to be yours! Arranger can be seen in my planning abilities. No, not daily planning but life planning. This first became apparent to me when I started planning to buy a house when I was 18 years old. I set my goal, had a plan and achieved it at age 22. I have always had a plan A, B, and C for my life direction and look to the plan when guidance is needed. My arranger strength has played a critical part in achieving my goals because I have to carefully arrange my life priorities, responsibilities, and tasks to make sure the plan is on track.

What's your favorite theme? 
Maggie: I would choose Maximizer as my favorite theme. I am always looking for ways to maximize everything in my life; either personal, professional or spiritual. I think there is so much more that I can give if I maximize each opportunity to its full potential and in return I will get more out of the situation. This has allowed me to have opportunities that I might not have had if I did not push for more.

Molly: My favorite them is Individualization. This theme shapes my interactions with others and perception of the work in so many ways. It has impacted my career and educational journey. I see this as strength because it allows me to truly see others for who they really are. Of course, I like the other ones too!

What's the one theme that "gets in your way"?
Maggie: The one theme that I always struggle with because it “gets in my way” is Discipline. I am a very disciplined person and I guess you could call me a “control freak” at times. I always like things done early and in a certain way. With any task that is given to me I have already thought 5 steps ahead before I have even started working on it. Sometimes I just get started on something without being asked to do it because I see it is something that needs to be done. This is great for me but not always for others. I can get frustrated at times if things are not in order like me because I tend to expect the same out of others and sometimes that is unrealistic. This is one theme that I am always reminding myself to stay calm, everything will be ok and work its self out.

Molly: Includer is a strength that sometimes gets in the way. If I was to paint my perfect world, everyone would get along. We don’t live in this perfect world, so sometimes I find myself forcing relationships on others. I naturally want to include everyone but not everyone wants to be included. This is something I have to remind myself of time to time. 

How has knowing your Top 5 empowered you to live a more authentic life?
Maggie: When I first found out my top 5 strengths, I though each one described exactly who I am. This was not only in my professional life but also my personal life. I have more definition to what I am good at and as to why I am the why I am. It has allowed me to build upon my strengths and use them to my advantage. It also gives me a clearer picture to areas that I think I can be helpful with when it comes to projects. I might not be able to contribute in all areas but if I leverage my strengths, I can do a lot.

Molly: Confirmation is the biggest empowerment I have received from knowing my strengths. We all have assumptions to what makes us unique but having confirmation gives you the opportunity to maximize them in your life. In addition, it gives me a foundation and a guiding light to future endeavors.

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.  

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