I'm not even going to start by apologizing for not keeping up with this blog since January, and I'm not even going to promise that I will do better and blog more often, because then no one is disappointed when I don't, and there are no unrealistic expectations, so when I do end up blogging more regularly, everyone is happy :)
I just got home from Trinity's women's retreat in Santa Fe. I'm still processing the weekend, but I can tell you off the bat that it was amazing to get away for several days and go to the mountains and get snowed on (actually, it was more like sleet-snow. It accumulated, but it stung my face) and eat good, comforting mexican food and just relax! I don't know if the processing of the retreat will make it to the blog, but I'm sure I'll be better for the processing.
Recently at Trinity, our senior pastor had all the staff take a strengths-finder test. In case you haven't ever heard of strengths-finder, it's a book that comes with an online test (you have to buy the book to take the test), and it basically outlines 34 different strengths people have and how to build those strengths within yourself...he asked us to take the test as a staff so we would gain better understanding of our colleagues as well as ourselves. I have to say, it's pretty eye-opening, and I'd highly recommend it! The test takes almost an hour and it comes out with your top 5 strengths. then in the book is a description of the strength as well as how to capitalize on that strength and work with other people who have that strength as well. My top 5 are:
Woo: stands for "winning others over." You enjoy the challenge of meeting new people and getting them to like ou. Strangers are rarely intimidating to you. You are drawn to them. There are always new people to meet, new rooms to work, new crowds to mingle in. In your world there are no strangers, only friends you haven't met yet--lots of them.
Communication: You like to explain, to describe, to host, to speak in public, and to write. Ideas are a dry beginning. Events are static. You feel a need to bring them to life, to energize them, to make them exciting and vivid. You want your information to survive.
Belief: If you possess a strong Belief theme, you have certain core values that are enduring. Your work must be meaningful; it must matter to you. And guided by your belief theme it will matter only if it gives you a chance to live out your values.
Significance: You want to be very significant in the eyes of other people. In the truest sense of the word you want to be recognized. You want to be heard. You want to stand out. You want to be known. You feel a need to be admired as credible, professional, and successful. Likewise you want to associate with others who are as well. And if they aren't, you will push them to achieve until they are. You want your work to be a way of life rather than a job.
Strategic: The Strategic theme enables you to sort through the clutter and find the best route It is not a skill that can be taught. It wis a distinct way of thinking, a special perspective on the world at large. You cull and make selections until you arrive at the chosen path--your strategy.
After I took this and read these, I was like "wow"--I felt like they kind of hit the nail on the head with me!! Some of these things I've seen in myself but never really thought of them as strengths before, so now it's about viewing them as strengths and figuring out how to grow them more. And I"m really looking forward to hearing what the rest of the staff's strengths are. It's so interesting! I'd encourage you to get the book and take this test. You'll learn a lot about yourself.
That's about it. Go Miss California USA.
6 years ago
