THE TRUTH ~ Myth #5: I CAN REINVENT MYSELF

It is not uncommon for people in midlife to experience discontentment or boredom with their life or lifestyle (including people and things) even if it has provided fulfillment for years. "Midlife transition" is a natural stage that happens to many of us at some point (usually at about age 40, give or take 20 years).  

Midlife transition can include:

• Feeling restless and wanting to do something completely different
• Questioning decisions made years earlier and the meaning of life
• Confusion about who you are or where your life is going
• Daydreaming
• Irritability, unexpected anger
• Persistent sadness
• Acting on alcohol, drug, food, or other compulsions
• Greatly decreased or increased sexual desire
• Sexual affairs, especially with someone much younger
• Greatly decreased or increased ambition.

I want to be clear that this article is NOT about experiencing a “midlife crisis.” Why? Because, research proves that people who experience a “midlife crisis” is rare.  However, what is common during our mid years is called a midlife “ennui.”  Simply put, a feeling of listlessness and general dissatisfaction resulting from lack of activity or excitement. As a result, we often start to question and reevaluate our life.

As I was doing some research on this topic, I came across a great article written by Barbara Bradley Hagerty, Forget The Red Sports Car. The Midlife Crisis Is A Myth.  She writes about the five ways we misunderstand midlife.  What I found to be valuable was her explanation of the difference between midlife crisis verses midlife ennui. So, I am going to share the first 2 out of 5 points Hagerty makes.

1. It's time for my midlife crisis. In fact, midlife crisis is rare. The term "midlife crisis" was coined by a Canadian psychoanalyst named Elliott Jaques, based on his analysis of artistic "geniuses" as well as patients in his practice who felt an existential dread that there was not enough time in their lives to achieve their dreams. Gail Sheehy's book Passages turned the midlife crisis into a cultural phenomenon, symbolized by the red sports car, quitting your job or leaving your marriage. But over the past 20 years, researchers have tried to find evidence of a widespread midlife crisis — and failed. They believe only 10 percent of the population suffers such a crisis. What most people refer to as a "midlife crisis" is really a crisis or setback that occurs in midlife, such as losing a spouse, a parent, a job, or experiencing a health scare. Most people recover from these setbacks.
2. My midlife doldrums will last forever. While midlife crisis is rare, midlife ennui is nearly universal. Andrew Oswald at the University of Warwick and other researchers have detected a "U-shaped" happiness curve that seems to afflict people across the globe. (The low point in the U.S. is the mid-40s.) However, almost inevitably you become cheerier in your 50s and continue to grow happier through your 70s. Why? One theory is people reconcile themselves to the fact that they will not be CEO or a Supreme Court justice and begin to appreciate their lives — and the people in their lives. Also, brain studies show that your brain simply becomes happier after 50, as it ignores unhappy news and focuses on the positive.

You see, it is at this point in midlife that many people struggle with the “thought” of trying something different, transforming themselves, and pursuing their dreams. Those thoughts are often squelched, swept under the carpet, or simply ignored. Why? Because we become overwhelmed, disappointed with ourselves, and don’t even know where to get started. Believe me, I know just how hard it is to embrace change, resist complacency and get over the fear of “What if… I fail, my family won’t understand, people will laugh at me… (You fill in the blank)?” 

There are many posts, articles, and psychological studies that talk about “reinventing” yourself. Let me tell you, I am not a fan of that word at all! In fact, when I read posts on social media that respond to the question “how can I reinvent myself?” I actually cringe and want to pull my hair out.

My interpretation is that what you are saying is,

Myth #1: “I suck! I am not good at anything.”

Myth #2: “I must fix my weaknesses!”

Myth #3: “I must strive to be well-rounded.”

Myth #4: “I must be all things to all people.”

All of which are myths we learn to live by and that I have fully explored in past posts. The truth is WE ARE WHO WE ARE, which has been defined from conception and refined over time.  The act of reinventing ourselves, meaning to redo or remake completely, is impossible! Sure, you can reinvent yourself if you are a robot with mechanical parts that can be disassembled, replaced with new ones, and reassembled back together. But, the reality is, we are not robots. We are complex human beings.

But WAIT, there is HOPE!

It is called SELF-DISCOVERY and TRANSFORMATION!

If you are experiencing a midlife ennui, it is a time to think about your talents, turn them into strengths, and take ACTION to be the best use of whom you were naturally born to be - to discover your purpose and to create a meaningful life.

What is the difference between a talent and strength? As defined by Gallup,

"Strength is the ability to consistently provide near-perfect performance in a specific activity. Talents are naturally recurring patterns of thought, feeling, or behavior that can be productively applied. Talents, knowledge, and skills -- along with the time spent (i.e., investment) practicing, developing your skills, and building your knowledge base -- combine to create your strengths."

The key to increased satisfaction and ending midlife ennui is having a purpose - feeling, knowing, and understanding that you ARE part of something bigger than yourself or shall I say, your perception of self. And that you have talents that when discovered, strengthened, and applied will change the way you look at yourself and the world around you!

“WE ALL serve a greater mission on EARTH.” -Beckie Jorgensen

However, self-discovery and transformative change does not happen overnight. It is a journey not a fixed destination. But, it is humanly possible! In fact, Gallup’s research proves that when people focus on using their strengths, they are three times as likely to report having an excellent quality of life.

The first step is to discover your innate talents. Take action! With that being said, I must encourage you not to take the walk alone. There are many more steps ahead to turn your talents into strengths, discover your purpose, implement change, and create a meaningful life.  It takes resilience, time, and resourcefulness as well as a support system to take a deep dive inward (self-discovery), chart out a new path, branch out into unfamiliar territory, and stay the course - to rise to the challenge of true transformation.

As a Gallup Certified Strength Coach, I cannot think of a better first step than to discover your innate talents through StrengthsFinder. But it cannot just end there. In order for true transformation to occur, you need to invest in a Certified Strengths Coach to learn how to turn your talents into strengths and to have an accountability partner walking side-by-side guiding you to get from where you are now to where you want to be - to find purpose and create a meaningful life! Are you ready to invest in YOU?

Don’t Reinvent – Transform!

To learn more, please visit: www.beckiejorgensen.com

The Magnificent Palm Tree

The Palm Tree is a wonder of the World.

Tall, yet thin.

Its roots planted deeply into the soil.

As it grows, it matures and requires little care.

When the rain comes, it soaks it up like knowledge and stores it.

One branch may wither and break in the wind, only to be rebirthed again.

The Palm Tree stands the test of time, is challenged, yet fiercely survives.

One can uproot it and replant it.

It knows its place, its purpose.

It is a magnificent beauty to the World.

If only human beings could be so strong.

The lesson to be learned…

Be like a Palm Tree, stretch tall and branch out.

Cause like a Palm Tree, you were planted here on Earth for a reason.

Find your own magnificence.

Know it. Love it. Believe it.

LIVE IT!

- Beckie Jorgensen, Gallup Certified Strengths Coach

THE TRUTH ~ Myth #4: I MUST BE ALL THINGS TO ALL PEOPLE

“Trying to be all things to all people all of the time is a fool’s game that will, in the end, drain mind, body, and spirit.” – Marcus Buckingham

What happens when we place the expectation upon ourselves to be all things to all people?

1. We stop paying attention to those moments in life that strengthen us.
2. We put everyone else’s needs before our own.
3. We allow our lives to be led by other’s wants.
4. We regret choices we have made or didn’t make.
5. We take on more and more responsibility to overcompensate for our feelings of regret.
6. We lack direction and purpose, feel stuck, unhappy, and weak.

The consequences are simply, YOU FEEL EMPTY and DEPLETED. The pivotal moment arrives and you ask yourself, “What am I doing with my life?” It doesn’t matter if you are in your 20’s, 30’s, 40’s, 50’s, 60’s…it is a painful place to be.

In Find Your Strongest Life: What the Happiest and Most Successful Women Do Differently, Marcus Buckingham addresses this very myth; I must be all things to all people.  He writes:

“Other people’s expectations of you can be extraordinarily persuasive. And damaging. Not that they want to damage you. It’s just that they have expectations of you, and you are carried along by these expectations, until you come to believe that their expectations are your truth.”

When we stop paying attention to our own voice, emotions and strengths, we give up the most important thing in the World, our own true, authentic self.  We merely become marionettes walking through life waiting for someone else to pull the string that directs our next move. That is, until the string breaks.

It is time to reclaim YOU! You don’t have to be all things to all people! Nor do you need to reinvent yourself.

“The secret to living a strong life is not hidden from you. It is not cached in some recessed corner of your personality. It is not “out there” somewhere in the future, in some perfect job you have yet to find or some goal you have yet to reach. Nor it is a random thing, tossed around haphazardly by the fates.” – Marcus Buckingham

You reclaim your life by looking inward, re-examining past successes, acknowledging your strengths and weaknesses, and accepting yourself with love, respect and honor.

To get started, think about a time in your life when you accomplished something that left you feeling positively strong – one of those moments when you were firing on all cylinders and were in the flow. Vividly recreate that moment in your mind. What were you doing? What were you thinking? How did it make you feel? As you recall this moment, what is happening to you? Are you smiling? Perhaps, you let out a slight chuckle. Do you feel more energized? Hopeful?

What you just did was REDISCOVER THE TRUE YOU! Embrace, cherish, and recall moments like these often and you will live a strong, happy and fulfilled life.  It is never too late to start!

 The POWER of ME

Today, I choose MY life.

Not what you think it should be, want it to be or expect it to be.

Today, I choose ME.

Not who you want me to be, think I should be or expect me to be.

Today, I AM me.

The REAL me!

The me I was BORN to be.

Nobody can TAKE me away from me.

Today is the first step to FREE me.

It is the only step forward to BE.

Without the real me, I am useless.

With the real me, I am LIMITLESS.

I AM ME. 

–©2016, Beckie Jorgensen, Certified Strengths Coach

Poem: The Talent of a Butterfly

There she lay paralyzed by her own thoughts of weakness.

She was unable to see the beauty of her own self-worth.

Until, she heard a voice.

Then suddenly, she uncloaked from beneath the dark shadows.

This voice gently reminded her of her own unique talent.

She began to stir.

Standing tall, she stretched upwards and her wings unfolded.

The light from above shimmered down upon her.

There she stood filled with power, confidence and beauty!

It was a sight that nobody would believe.

Those wings were her talent that when used gave her strength.

There was nothing standing in her way.

She had unlocked the key to her truest potential.

From there, she flew away!

- © BeckieJorgensen.com 2016

We all possess innate talents. We all have a unique calling. When we tap into our talents and develop them into strengths, we transform our lives to be the best of who we were born to be! - Beckie Jorgensen, Certified Strengths Coach

THE TRUTH ~ Myth #1: I SUCK! I AM NOT GOOD AT ANYTHING!

“You suck! You are not good at anything! You will never amount to anything! You have no talents!” 

-OR-

“I suck! I am not good at anything! I will never amount to anything! I have no talents!”

How many times have you heard people say this? How many people in your life have told you this? How many times have you said this to yourself? Well, what if I told you - scientifically, this is simply, humanly NOT TRUE?

You may respond,

“Yeah Right!” 

“Whatever!”

Do I have your attention yet?

Before you read on, please take a moment to STOP everything you are doing. Please do not bypass this step.

Take three deep breaths. As you breathe in, I want you to feel the energy of air filling your lungs. As you breath out, I want you to release any negative emotion or thought for the moment. Repeat 3 times…

Now, you have permission to read on…

If you are reading this right now, you are ALIVE and have a BRAIN, which means you are GOOD at something and that you have TALENTS! So reverse what I said, “scientifically, this is simply, humanly true!”  Let me prove it, in a simplified way, as I am not a scientist.

From conception, our brain develops a hundred billion neurons, or cells that begin to build the raw material of the mind by creating connections called synapses. A synapse is a connection between two brain cells that enables the cells to communicate with one another. By age three, each of your hundred billion neurons have formed fifteen thousand synaptic connections with other neurons. During the next ten years or so, your brain refines, focuses, and begins to ignore some of these connections. The stronger synaptic connections get only stronger, while the weaker connections simply break and die. By the time you wake up on your sixteenth birthday, half your network is gone. What remains is a unique network of connections that represent your talents.

Marcus Buckingham and Donald O. Clifton, in their book, Now, Discover Your Strengths (The Free Press, 2001) define talents as our “recurring pattern of thought, feeling, or behavior.” Your talents, your strongest synaptic connections, are the most important raw material for building your strengths. Strengths?

YES! WHAT YOU ARE NATURALLY GOOD AT!  

So you see, it is impossible not to be good at something! We are all unique. We are all born with talents. Unfortunately, many of us walk through life without ever really knowing what our innate talents are. Instead, from birth, we are told about all the things that are “wrong with us.” Therefore, we focus our time and energy on fixing our weaknesses only to yield mediocre results in return. We lose all sense of identity, become confused about who we are, and develop self-limiting beliefs and perceptions about ourselves, which sets us up to fail or not try!

Why Know Thy Talents?

It is not about who you are not.

It is who you are.

It is not about what you need to fix.

It is what you strengthen.

It is not about what you did wrong.

It is what you do right.

It is not about learning something new.

It is what you naturally do.

It is not about a situation.

It is your destination.

-Beckie Jorgensen

Believe me!  I know all too well, how at a young age, I constantly compared myself to family members and other people and it caused me to wonder, "Would I ever be good at anything?"  I desperately wanted to be good at something, whether musically, artistically or at a sport.

BE CONFIDENT. Too many days are wasted comparing ourselves to others & wishing to be something we aren’t. Everybody has their own strengths & weaknesses, and it is only when you accept, everything you are & everything you aren’t, that you will truly succeed in life. – Ritu Ghatourey

I continuously searched, trying different things, until I discovered my talent as a long distance runner in High School. But, as I was laid-up in a hospital bed for a week my Freshman year in College with a severe kidney infection, I came to the realization that my “legs” and the ability to run wasn’t necessarily a “talent” that would carry me through life. By Sophomore year, I had switched my major from Sports Medicine to Social Work. I graduated, went on to Graduate School, and became an Child and Adolescent Therapist. Three and a half years later, I found myself in the same place, wondering … am I really good at anything? As an adult, I reverted back to my search, just like I did as a child.

I researched different career fields, hoping to justify a career change, especially after taking out heavy school loans to complete a 2-year Master’s program, which I knew I would be paying back for the next 30 years.  However, I knew one thing, I loved working with people. But, I could not really nail down “why” being a Social Worker was not right for me. Ultimately, I chose the field of Human Resources and spent 15 years in this career. Until about 2 years ago, when once again, I found myself in that same place, wondering…

That was, until September 2014, when I took StrengthsFinder and invested in Coaching. Yep, at 42 years old, two months shy of becoming 43, I discovered my natural born talents.

“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” – C.S. Lewis

I didn’t just discover my talents, put my StrengthsFinder report in a drawer, and move on. No, it was much, much, much more than that. I began a journey of self-discovery to learn how to apply my talents to my personal and professional life. Not only did I study the research, read books, invest in coaching, and study successful people, I observed and studied myself. My life!

 What did I gain from this? ANSWERS!

This is why in April of 2015 (a year ago this month); I became a Gallup Certified Strengths Coach. Because, like many of you, I spent many years searching, trying different things, and asking myself the hard questions … all in the attempt to discover one thing, “What am I really good at?” But, this journey has answered much more than just, "What are my talents?"

It revealed to me…My PURPOSE in life!

In both my personal (mom, daughter, friend, partner, colleague) and professional roles (coach, consultant, educator, trainer, writer), my purpose is to inspire, motivate and empower people to discover their natural talents, turn them into strengths and take action to maximize their gifts to be the best of who they were born to be (personally and professionally).

Hence, why I recently published my book: Live Your Life: The Art of Leveraging Your Strengths to Live Your Purpose. Are you ready to find YOUR answers? To learn more and connect with me, please visit: beckiejorgensen.com.

Coming soon: THE TRUTH ~ Myth #2: I MUST FIX MY WEAKNESSES

Why Know Thy Talents?

It is not about who you are not.

It is who you are.

It is not about what you need to fix.

It is what you strengthen.

It is not about what you did wrong.

It is what you do right.

It is not about learning something new.

It is what you naturally do.

It is not about a situation.

It is your destination.

 – Beckie Jorgensen,Certified Strengths Coach

Discovering Your Purpose In Life

Choosing a Path with Purpose

In life, there are 3 paths to travel.

1. The path of who others expect you to be.
2. The path of who you wish you could be.
3. The path of power, self-love, and purpose.

We choose which path to walk based on our thoughts, feelings, and own perception of self. The reality is, if we don’t love, value and accept ourselves, we are less likely to walk the path that leads to success, fulfillment, happiness, and purpose.

"The more you can be true to your authentic self, the more your life’s purpose and joy will follow you. You won’t even have to pursue it! Whereas the more you try to be someone you are not, the more your purpose will allude you, and you will be spending your life feeling joyless, pursuing something that you are not, while feeling like you have failed. Your only work is to be as YOU as you can be!” – Anita Moorjani

Path #1: You have no identity, are insecure, and lack recognition of your self-worth. Therefore, the only direction to go is on the road others pathed for you with no compass, no sense of direction, and no purpose.

Path #2: As you walk alongside a river, you see a reflection in the water looking back at you that you don’t like. You focus on your weaknesses, not your strengths. You travel the rocky road searching for ways to reinvent who you are. This path, ultimately, turns you around in circles only to lead back to where you started.

Path #3: Past challenges, life experiences, and disappointments have made you stronger. On your journey, you came to a fork in the road where you had to make a choice. You decided to take the path less traveled. The adventure re-ignites your hope and the freedom of choice to chart a different course gives you a sense of direction and purpose.

“The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” – Mark Twain

Regardless of which path you are on today, if you are not happy and do not love yourself, you can change directions. It is never too late to chart a new course in your life. But, it is a choice only you can make.

As a Certified Strengths Coach, I help guide people on their own journey of discovering their uniqueness, accepting and loving themselves, and developing a roadmap to chart a course to achieve fulfillment, happiness, and a life of true purpose.

7 Steps to Strengths-Based Personal & Professional Development

Live Your Life: The Art of Leveraging Your Strengths to Live Your Purpose

Confront Your Real Story Part 4: Living Out Your Purpose to Leave a Legacy

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life…don't let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” - Steve Jobs.

Our innate talents are the seeds of our purpose in life developed at birth. However, it takes nurturing our talents into strengths to fully discover and understand our true calling. We all have talents, which are our gifts to the world. And when used to serve others leaves our footprints to follow.

What is your purpose? What legacy will you leave behind for your children, your children’s children, the community, the World?

Although this question may stump you, cause anxiety, or make you uncomfortable, I discovered the process of answering it became much easier once I identified by innate talents with the Clifton StrengthsFinder assessment. Then, I was able to confidently answer these 5 questions and I knew I had uncovered my “WHY”:

1. What do I do?
2. How do I do it?
3. Why do I do what I do?
4. What makes me unique?
5. What do I need from others?

Each of us has a purpose that is unique. I believe that leaving my legacy does not have to be an act of grandeur, or defined by the amount of money in my bank account, or by being designated as “famous.” Though, that is okay too. My legacy is driven by me intentionally using my strengths to make a difference with one, maybe two, things I do every day. It is about the one person I inspired, the one idea that solved another person’s problem, or the one act of service that helped a person in my community.

Simply put, it is about how I use my strengths to be my best self and positively make a difference in even a small corner of my World and those around me. By declaring my life purpose, I have, undoubtedly, created a meaningful life.

So ask yourself, what is one phrase you would want to be written on your tombstone, or be remembered by at family reunions, or celebrated for on the anniversary of your death? This is the one phrase that family and friends will remember, cherish, and love you for long after your passing.

I discovered that the key is to create your own legacy today. Don't wait for others to define your legacy after death. The power of knowing today what your purpose is gives you the opportunity, no matter your age, to create a life of joy, happiness, fulfillment, and success while living in the present moment. Live your life now, don't wait till tomorrow.

“You don't get to choose how you're going to die, or when. You can only decide how you're going to live now.” – Joan Baez

My purpose:

“I want to inspire others to never give away their dreams, passions or HOPE!” – Beckie Jorgensen

Are you struggling to define your life purpose? I can help. I have created a special coaching program just for you, The Art of Leveraging Your Strengths to Live Your Life Purpose.

For more information: please visit www.beckiejorgensen.com

Confront Your Real Story Part 3: The Breakthrough Moment

On July 15, 2015, I crawled out of THE PIT and committed to my SEARCH for a solution to my current situation. This action was prompted after watching a 3 part video series with Ted McGrath and writing my first blog post, Confront Your Real Story: Get Rid of the Ghost. As part of my SEARCH, I continued listening to several more to live calls with Ted McGrath about his program “Message 2 Millions.” These calls were the beginnings of Ted teaching his audience how to create a 7 Step Blueprint to monetize their life story and grow their coaching businesses. As I listened, I became more and more intrigued. For the first time in 15 months, I felt every bit of advice Ted was giving made perfect sense to ME. Wow! I felt myself wondering, how can I continue to work and learn from this genius of a Man?

As I previously stated in my second blog post, Confront Your Real Story Part 2: The Power of Persistence, I had at that point only a few hundred dollars left to my name. I had been attempting to build my coaching business for over 15 months, burned through my retirement savings, had no income, and could not pay my bills. For the first time since my divorce in 2008 and being single, I had to ask for help. Holding my head up high, I continued my SEARCH for a solution as I watched my bank account diminish to less than $20.

What happened next, I can only explain as a shift in my Universe. All of a sudden, I was receiving multiple Facebook and LinkedIn invites from complete strangers, many of whom were coaches, authors, and motivational speakers. ME? WHAT? ARE YOU FOR REAL? WHO AM I? I watched my website traffic increase 900% in just 2 weeks, mostly from people reading my two blogs.

I diligently responded to these connection requests, accepting invites, and scheduling calls to actually speak to people on the phone. These conversations started to build a community around me of beautiful, kind-hearted, loving, and inspiring people. All of whom had a story of their own. On Saturday, July 25, 2015, I spent another three hours listening to Ted McGrath’s live webcast. Once the call ended, I ransacked my office, digging in file folders and drawers, searching for the one thing that could lead me to the BREAKTHROUGH MOMENT.

Embarrassingly enough, I found one inactive, unused credit card. Do I dare do this? Is this really the answer? I broke down crying, scared to death, knowing this was a huge risk to take. But, I needed to come up with a few hundred dollars to put a refundable deposit down just to schedule a call with one of Ted’s coaches. Yes, you read that right. I had to interview and be accepted into the “Message 2 Millions” program. Meaning, I could be told “this is not the right program for you,” get my deposit back and be sent on my way. With tears in my eyes and racing thoughts of failure, uncertainty and fear, I held onto the only positive emotion left, HOPE.

Three days later, I spoke to Ted’s Strategy Coach, Preston. He spent over an hour and a half on the phone with me. He asked me several questions about my business, Mission, and goals. He challenged my thought processes about money. Kindly, Preston pointed out to me that I had a major mindset block related to my own view of my “value” and being “worthy” enough to make a living doing what I passionately set out to do. In fact, Preston said to me, “Beckie, you can do this. But, you need to get out of your own way.” GULP, I held back the tears.

My reply, “Are you ready for my credit card number?” Preston quickly took my card number knowing that any further delay would be my breaking point. Either, I was going to “take action” or “stay stuck.” Ironically, this was the exact life lesson, taking action, that I was building my coaching practice on. In complete silence, he ran my card. Once the “let’s get started” transaction went through, Preston said, “It is okay Beckie, you can breathe now. We are here to help and support you!” GULP. (Need a tissue? I do.)

As I write today, my blog Confront Your Real Story Part 3: The Breakthrough Moment continues to unfold. But, the difference today compared to 3 weeks ago is sanely different. I am actually learning how to build a thriving business and am doing “the work.” The clarity of where I am going and how to get there has created a higher power of self-confidence, worthiness and belief within me that “I am living my life purpose.”

That my friends is the transformational benefit of confronting your real story, healing, and opening yourself up to the Universe to access your greatest power and purpose in life!

~ To Be Continued ~

To inspire you and celebrate your journey, click the link below to watch and listen to:Glorious by David Archuleta

CLARITY ~ CONFIDENCE ~ CALM

I was asked this question recently, “How would someone know that you purposefully and intentionally develop and live your strengths?” It took a lot of strategic thinking on my part to figure out a way to not only respond, but to demonstrate in writing what “purposefully and intentionally” living your strengths meant. I took out my StrengthsFinder Insight Report and, once again, completed the activity of underlining the phrases and words that most resonated with me in each of my top 5 Talent Themes. This was about the third or fourth time I completed this exact task. But, this time, I viewed my report through a different lens.

I began to see patterns that I did not see before by simply referring to the question at hand. I dissected my report into categories: What I do, How I do it, and Why. As I began to type out the phrases and words under each category, I realized something was missing. There were highlighted phrases that did not fit within those 3 categories, but were important to me. After studying each theme again, the realization of my fourth category became clear, What makes me unique?

I remembered a phrase my Alignment Coach, Kyle, used to refer to a lot. He called it the 3 C’s: Clarity, Confidence, and Calm. In that moment, I felt an overwhelming sense of emotion. The answers I have been looking for within were right there in front of my face: my WHY, my PURPOSE, how I use my strengths to be my BEST SELF, and most importantly what makes me UNIQUE. All of a sudden, the sense of clarity, confidence, and calm rushed through my soul. I had reached yet another level of transformation.

I replied to the question asked of me, “How would someone know that you purposefully and intentionally develop and live your strengths?” by sharing in a document what is written below.

________________________________________________________________________

Living Intentionally: How to Succeed with Strengths

July 28, 2015

www.beckiejorgensen.com

My Top 5 Talents: Strategic ~ Maximizer ~ Responsibility ~ Futuristic ~ Positivity

What I Do: Working Within My Strengths

• I discover each person’s unique qualities, interests, and strengths. (Maximizer)
• I identify and recognize the differences that make each person unique. (Maximizer)
• I motivate people to transform something good into something utterly superb.(Maximizer)
• I move people to take action. (Responsibility)
• I inspire and lift the spirits of people around me. (Positivity)
• I offer a unique perspective on events, people, challenges, and proposals. (Strategic)
• I position a person for success once I know what drives him/her to take action and produce outstanding results. (Maximizer)

How I Do It: Intentionally Using My Strengths

• I talk to, observe, and study successful people who have produced excellent results to identify what inspires them. (Maximizer)
• I associate with those who share my passion for taking something good and making it better.
• I listen to people and do not discount or belittle their emotions, ideas, or reactions to events. (Positivity)
• I speak with precise phrases and terminology and am forthright and plainspoken. (Strategic)
• I propose alternative courses of action, different ways of doing things, and generate innovative ideas. (Strategic)
• I inspire, encourage, and hold people account to take action to start projects, launch initiatives, and/or set goals and measurable outcomes. (Strategic)
• I work persistently until I can deliver on my promises. (Responsibility)

Why I Do What I Do: Aligning My Strengths to My Purpose

• I have a natural fondness for human beings. (Positivity)
• I think about what my life could be like in the future. (Futuristic)
• I work hard to breathe life into my big dreams. (Futuristic)
• I am compelled to make a meaningful and lasting impact on the planet. (Positivity)
• I desire to live a legacy of great value and worth. (Positivity)

What Makes Me Unique? The Interplay of My Talents, Now Turned Into Strengths
Strategic

• I express myself with ease and grace.
• I love to collaborate with others and enjoy group brainstorming.
• I have acquired special skills and knowledge to coach, consult and help others.
• I notice new as well as unusual configurations in facts, evidence, or data.
• I am fascinated by problems that puzzle, confuse, or frustrate most people.
• My subconscious mind continuously absorbs information and creates possible options.
• I see opportunities, trends, and solutions before others see them.

Maximizer

• I am aware of what I do well and what I do not do well.
• I trust my instincts.
• I refuse to risk losing confidence in myself by tackling assignments for which I lack the talent, even if I possess some relevant knowledge, skill, or experience.
• I spend my energy on what I know I do well and manage around my weaknesses.
• I learn, grow, and build on what I naturally do best.

Responsibility

• I am open and honest about who I am, what I have done, and what I cannot do.
• I authentically communicate to others my strengths and limitations.
• I am hardwired to do what I say I will do.
• I do more than just “live up” to my commitments. I go the extra mile.
• My work ethic is very important to me and is as much a matter of conscience as it is in just simply doing tasks.
• I have a strong need and desire to do what is right, honest, true, correct, proper, and accurate.

Futuristic

• I possess a high level of skill/knowledge about specialized issues, subjects, processes, or programs, such as talent development, leadership skills, business challenges, and human resources processes.
• I channel my mental and physical energies toward what I can accomplish in the days, months, and years ahead.
• I concentrate better when I set short-term objectives.

Positivity

• In the end, I want my life to have mattered.

All Rights Reserved, © 2015 Beckie Jorgensen
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The lesson here is if you have taken the StrengthsFinder Assessment, do not put your StrengthsFinder Report in a drawer and forget about it. It is a significant tool that when studied, read over and over, and action steps carried out in your daily activities, can transform your life. Even those of us who are Certified Strengths Coaches, who eat, breath, live and teach strengths-based development to clients need to continuously learn, grow, and develop our own strengths every day. Self-development is a continuous process. One of the best tools to help you is probably sitting in a drawer somewhere near you. If you have not taken StrengthsFinder and want to learn more, I encourage you to connect with me.

I have made a commitment to myself that every Sunday, I will pull my report out and, week after week, read it again and again and again…I know this one intentional task will stop my own limiting beliefs, keep me focused and on track to achieve my goals, and allow me to show up every day as my BEST SELF!

“God gives each of us special talents and gifts. It is both our privilege and our duty to make the most of them.” – Robert E. Allen

ARE YOU READY TO TAKE ACTION? Do you want to find your purpose within? Do you want to show up every day as your BEST SELF? Haven't taken StrengthsFinder 2.0 and want to learn more? Then I would love to connect with you!

I invite you to connect and follow with me on Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+, and/or Twitter. 

Visit: www.beckiejorgensen.com