What to do about your weaknesses…

strengths1I hope that you had a really great Thanksgiving! Ours was really nice…with just a touch of drama on the way home.

Our puppy Stella had eaten a baby sock AND a shark finger puppet (she’s super stealth about it and we had no idea). We ended up at the emergency vet on our drive home – good news is – she’s totally fine.

I was so grateful that it all worked out and that my hubby was there so that we could tag team all the craziness (at one point he was driving and I was in the back seat covered in puppy puke – yikes!!!).

We were able to navigate the situation because we each tapped into our strengths and allowed the other person to do the same. I am an attention to detail kind of gal. I assess, absorb, think and then act. Mark on the other hand is all fast action – he is a doer and he’ll think about it later.

For both of us, our strengths could be seen as weaknesses – it totally depends on the situation and how we use are different traits.

This highlights a pitfall that I see a lot of my clients fall into – thinking that their traits are weaknesses, when in reality that’s not at all the case.

All of our traits fall on a spectrum and the context defines if the trait is seen as “good” or “bad.” The trick is to figure out your dominant traits, know where they fall on the spectrum and understand how to consistently optimize them.

When I work with clients on this, we start by taking an inventory of their strengths and weaknesses. Doing a comprehensive assessment really allows you to get a crystal picture of your very own spectrum of traits.

From there we take a good hard look at how the traits are being used AND how they are connected to one another. For example – you might be someone who is very determined, sometimes this might show up as controlling or stubborn. Same trait, different expression.

Do you really want to stop being determined??? OR is it that you want to tweak how that trait shows up in different situations?

This insight is a game changer because it’s a whole new way of thinking about your “weaknesses.”

So many of my clients feel such a relieve with this new realization.

There is nothing wrong with you. You’re not a bad person. You don’t have to change who you are, but instead you can change how you show up in various scenarios (if you want to).

I would love for you to join me at the Be seen, Beautiful workshop at Ubuntu Wellness in Chardon where we’ll be talking more about these mindset shifts and strategies so that you can feel more confident in who you are and finally focus your attention on what is working and making things happen!

Emily xox