Showcase Friday: Twinning

What's your top 5?
Shannon: Communication, Empathy, Woo, Developer, Positivity

Jenny: Achiever, Empathy, Positivity, Connectedness, Developer

How do you see them playing out in your life?
Shannon: I work as a College Counselor and I get so much energy from interacting with my students. I try to make things personal for them and make them feel comfortable because the university system could be an intimidating for these young people. They not only use me for academic advice but also need someone to hear about the issues they are facing. I use my empathy to try and connect with people and the issues they’re going through. People who come to me need help with their career path and I love to use my Developer to provide guidance and my Positivity to help them to see all the things they may not be able to see within themselves. 

Jenny: I can see how each one of my strengths has guided me in my decisions and the current place I am in my life. My Achiever is how I am able to be efficient and get through tasks. I am the kind of person who can’t sit still and always has to be doing something productive. I  go throughout the day checking things off a list because I have to walk away each day feeling accomplished. My Empathy and Developer strongly has affected where I’ve taken my career choices in working in therapy and now as a Strengths Coach. I love to help people see their potential and give them hope for their lives! My Connectedness has helped me to see how my life can affect the greater good around me and I feel a sense of responsibility to try and make that as meaningful as possible. 

What's your favorite theme?
Shannon:  Empathy is my favorite because I love to be able to emotionally connect with people. It helps me to understand people better and have deep, meaningful relationships. I really like to connect with people’s hearts.

Jenny: My favorite theme is Positivity because it helps me to keep a perspective that sees the brighter side of situations. I try and believe the best about people and about situations that come up, even if they are more on the negative side. I'm definitely not perfect and have my moments when I wallow in the negative but somehow I can usually manage to get myself back to finding the good in people or negative circumstances. 

What's the one theme that "get's in your way?"  
Shannon: My empathy gets in my way because I can sometimes take too much time with people in my job and even on a personal level. I don’t have a lot of time on my hands being  mother of 2, but I have a hard time cutting people off when I know we’re connecting and they may need my help or an ear to listen. I love to give of myself and connect with people’s hearts but I know I sometimes need to set a limit because it gets me off track with my job and personal responsibilities. My husband knows if I take the dog for a walk I probably won’t come back for an hour because I found a neighbor to talk to! It also takes me at least an hour to say goodbye to people if I'm at a party which I think is when my Woo gets in the way. 

Jenny: The theme that can get in the way for me is Achiever. This is my number one strength and it drives me to always getting things done. And I mean always. I have a hard time turning it off! I have an inner voice that almost doesn’t allow me to feel like I’ve earned the right to relax. My Achiever drove me to work full-time, go to Grad School and do an internship all at the same time! I realize my Achiever can take me out of balance because rest is just as important as getting things done. And in fact I may get things done better if I actually rested!  I'm trying to consciously make it a point to allow myself permission to actually rest my brain. Maybe I should put resting on my list so I can cross it off. : )

How has knowing your top 5 empowered you to live a more authentic life?
Shannon: Knowing my strengths has helped give me more confidence in who I am because I realize that these natural tendencies that I possess can be used to help others, which has always been very important to me. It has solidified for me that I am in the right career in my life advising and counseling college students. Also, on a personal level I now recognize my God-given abilities which I can better use with my family, loved ones and those I interact with daily. 

Jenny: Knowing my Top 5 has helped me to understand so much more about myself and the natural, innate ways I was created. The things I though were weird about me, I can now appreciate and even celebrate. I feel much more free to be who I am and also who I am not. I don’t try as hard to be someone that I think I should be and that is not natural for me. The hard thing about having a twin is that you are constantly compared and I've tried to be like her. I now feel free to be myself and not another version of her or anyone else I admire. I always want to improve myself but now see the value in investing into the areas that will give me the greatest results which is concentrating on my strengths.


                                                          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!!!

---