Do you know your Personality Strengths?
This information is based on “NOW, Discover your Strengths” by Marcus Buckingham and Donald O. Clifton, Ph.D. pages: 83-116.
Self-Knowledge builds Self-fulfillment:
Many years ago, a psychologist by the name of Maslow developed his theory of the hierarchy of needs. It begins with the bare essentials like food, water and shelter and ends with self-actualization. Maslow believed that human beings had the capability and desire to reach this final state if they were able to achieve the four lower steps like the basic survival needs, safety, belonging, and self-esteem. I believe that people struggle with this self-empowerment top step because they do not know themselves well enough to know how to attain this fulfillment. Defining your Personality Strengths gives you the foundation to build Self-fulfillment.
Knowing Personality Strengths can give Life Building Tools
It is my belief after being a counselor for 20 years that people need to define their personality strengths, values, and priorities in order to have enough self-awareness to set goals, make positive life changes to achieve this personal growth in a way that would be internally self-fulfilling. Self-understanding also aids in having continuing, healthy relationships, so it is a wonderful life tool.
Our Individuality:
Each of us is a unique human being. We have a variety of traits that make up our special, one-of-a-kind, complex nature. It is key in healthy relationships to be able to understand the differences between two unique individuals because these character traits can sometimes clash with each other. This list helps you put words or descriptions to your particular disposition, individuality, or identity. Understanding each other helps us work through our differences in healthy and 
positive ways. It also helps us identify ways to set our personal goals and life changes. Please read through these descriptions. If the words fit who you are, put a ME beside the characterization. If the description is totally different then you, write a NOT ME besides it. If one or two lines fit you but not the rest of the
paragraph, just highlight or underline the part that fits you. Also, write to the side if the description fits someone else that you are in an important relationship. If the other person is willing, compare and talk about how you are similar and how you are different. Keep in mind there is no right or wrong this is just how people are distinctive to themselves. We all have strengths and imperfections or idiosyncrasy. Sometimes are greatest strengths can also be our weakness. Example: Someone is an excellent planner and organizer but isn’t very flexible or impulsive. Another illustration would be maybe you are very generous but to the point where you cannot take care of your financial obligations. Please use my up-coming personality descriptions as a tool to understand and help your relationships. It is also the fundamental information you need to obtain concrete self-knowledge. This series uses descriptions and summarizes traits from a book written by Marcus Buckingham.
Continue with Part 2 in this series to begin your journey of discovering your personal strengths during April and May of 2016.
If you would like to research this subject more, try the books: Personality Types: Using the Enneagram for Self-Discovery by Ron Richard Riso and Russ Hudson, Personality Types by John-Nwankwo RN, MSN or Gifts Differing: Understanding Personality Type by Isabel Briggs Myers.
Some other articles written by this author are, Define your Values, Focus your Life!, Empower Yourself to Move Forward in Life…Starting Today; Empowerment and Priorities: Uncover your Top 5 By Vicki Langemo, LPC, MA. These can be found at www.supportivetalk.com