Strength

The word strength is defined as “a good or beneficial quality or attribute of a person or thing.” When someone talks about strength, it can be used to describe physical strength, one’s mental/emotional state, or the ability to do a task better than average. Regardless of what you relate the word “strength” to, every person possesses numerous strengths that deserve to be recognized.

Back when my teammates and I went through Blast-Off training, we had the opportunity to learn about each other’s top five personality strengths. However, we never really had a chance to see these strengths in action before this week. As we started planning for the state fair, each of my teammates’ individual strengths began shining through. There are those who can visualize color relationships better than the rest. There are others that can visualize how areas should be spatially set up. There are still others who are experts at organizing. Knowing this going forward will make planning other activities as a team much simpler.

While the opportunity to learn more about the strengths of my team was an awesome experience, seeing the strengths of the members who came to set-up days yesterday and today was much more eye-opening. I was amazed by the number of students who were experts on power tools and by the ones who were knowledgeable about pressure washers and building things with table saws. Not only were the skills and personality strengths of each individual useful, but the physical strengths were as well. There were tall and muscular students who were able to carry heavy putt-putt holes with no problem, as well as short and slender students who were much better fits for small spaces.

The real lesson to be learned about strength is how to appreciate and utilize it. Many people don’t realize the importance of their strengths, or may even be ashamed of them. If this is the case, those strengths get locked in a box and become useless. What the owner of the strength in the box doesn’t realize is that they are actually hindering the progression of the group because they possess the skill set needed to work quickly and successfully towards the goal, but still refuse to utilize their strengths. Therefore, I challenge everyone to embrace the qualities that are your strengths so that they never become locked away and unused. It’s when we are the most unguarded and willing to share our strengths that the most effective teamwork takes place. Whatever you do, just let your strengths shine!

Love always,

Courtney