How embracing strengths changed everything for me

When I first learned about a strengths perspective at Virginia Tech in 2015, I couldn’t understand it. As someone with Achiever and Restorative, how could I focus on my strengths and accept what was? At the time it felt like focusing primarily on my strengths seemed limiting and the farthest thing from working on my growth. 

This changed after I became an intern for the Office for Learning Partnerships, joined the Thrive Living-Learning Community, and furthered my studies in Human Development and Psychology. Many of you are probably thinking, “How and why did you get involved with strengths initiatives when you didn’t necessarily believe a strengths-based philosophy?”

My answer: Something about the counter-cultural perspective, optimistic outlook towards life, and the underlying belief that ALL people are worthy and hold a unique purpose.

While I was still skeptical about a strengths paradigm in the beginning, my first official Gallup Coaching Certification Training helped me understand the philosophy better. During the training, 25 Strengths Consultants across various Virginia Tech Student Affairs departments studied each of the 34 talents in depth. I had the opportunity to hear the experiences of professionals within higher education who recognized and used their strengths daily to be successful. This was intimidating as I had just finished my first year at Virginia Tech and was surrounded by individuals who had more education and life experience than me. That was one of the first moments I began to recognize and embrace my strengths. I wanted to prove myself in a room full of people that I thought were smarter and better, so I had to focus on the best aspects of myself. 

By the fall, my internship and involvement within the Thrive Living-Learning Community was in full swing. Personally, I spent less energy trying to demonstrate that I was capable to others and invested more time into things that were important to me. Focusing on “what’s right with you (me)” allowed me to lessen some of my many insecurities and gain confidence. During this time, I joined a club, became a board member of an organization, ran for president of Pritchard’s Hall Council, and even reapplied for a job that I was originally rejected from (and got it the second time!).

Professionally, I formed many connections. My supervisors gave me challenging and exciting projects, leaving me with so much room for creativity. One of my favorite projects was writing and designing a strengths-focused newsletter that was distributed to employees within Student Affairs at Virginia Tech. I began to feel like one of the other 25 professional staff Strengths Consultants. I felt part of the team, providing consultants with materials for presentations, and eventually presenting and talking with other students myself.

My coursework in Human Development and Psychology supported what I was learning through my strengths-based role. I began making connections to concepts like rewards and positive reinforcement and the strengths-based philosophy.

I now recognize and use my strengths every day. My Learner helps me always have a sense of wonder and interest in the people and world around me. My Restorative strength helps me troubleshoot situations before there’s a problem and be proactive. My Developer strength gives me hope and allows me to embrace the “small wins.” My Achiever strength keeps me driven and motivated, never letting me settle. My Intellection strength never sleeps and allows me to process the complexity and perspectives of the world.