What are your values and strengths and how do you take advantage of them

Through the course of our journey in determining how to best utilize our values and strengths, allow me to ask you: What qualities do you appreciate in other people? Finding your values and truly establishing what you stand for is surprisingly easy if you ask yourself this question. They say you are the average of the people you associate yourself with. Now, consider those around you, those whom you admire, those who inspire you, those you respect, and those who you aspire to be like. What are their values? What is their purpose? When you identify these things in other people, you will also be able to determine yours in no time. 

            More importantly, I would like to emphasize that to achieve your desired lifestyle, you must have the willpower to take advantage of these values. Use these values as your arsenal in building the future you desire the most. These values could be your determination, perseverance, and desire for growth. This kind of mindset is something I have only developed gradually over time—but it is what truly helped me gain success and confidence both in my career and business. 

           Allow me to ask you next: Do you know what your strengths are? How can you use them as leverage? In my view and experience, this is also extremely critical to ask yourself. A lot of people only focus on improving their weak sides and getting blindsided by the fact that their strengths could also be enough to push them towards what they desire to achieve. While it may be great that you are taking the time on improving your weaknesses, you must still never underestimate the strengths that you already have. You must also be able to utilize these strengths, arm yourself with them, and take them on the path towards the kind of life you want. 

Balance is the key 

           You can still improve your weaknesses, as long as you keep building on your strengths. There is nothing wrong with balancing out your strengths and weaknesses, as long as you also water the seeds on the side where you already excel at. Don’t stray away from improving every aspect of yourself, but do not beat up yourself if the results do not come to you as quickly as you expected them to. Let the flow of time power through and be patient, because let’s face it—it's unlikely that you will accomplish something in one week. Everything takes time. So why not take advantage of what you already have? Build your dreams using your strengths and core values that keep you going. Pair this with constantly working towards what you want to achieve, both professionally and personally, and you’ll find yourself feeling that you are on the right track.  

But how must we identify our strengths? I pondered upon this myself a while back. My strategy was to reflect on what I had already achieved, look back, and figure out how I had done it. What skills did I use along the way? —my mind wandered to a few thoughts like this, and you must allow your mind to explore these kinds of thoughts, too. For example, I have come to realize that my logical reasoning is what usually helped me learn things over the years. It helped me be who I am and where I am now. I have also realized that the only way I can reflect on and understand something is to experience it. To put it simply, I learned by doing. You need to set yourself into action to effectively discover who you are and what you are feeling, the same way I did. I have also assessed some of my other strengths through the same strategy, such as having excellent coordination skills that enabled me to be a good manager. I also value emotional intelligence above all and seeing people grow. This has all helped me conquer leadership positions. These are my strengths. This is me. 

However, things weren’t always what they seemed to be. The road to my success required me to develop certain skills I did not have on my plate yet. I was just building on what I already had. Needless to say, I had no choice but to develop other certain skills gradually, too. This became my strategy—improving my strengths and at the same time making myself learn and develop new skills to hone over time.  

Now, take a look around your current situation. If you feel like you are stuck, and if you do not know how to gain leverage in pushing your career or business to the next level, pause for a moment. Review the present situation and try to figure out how you got there in the first place. What do you excel at? Is it because of your interest in engineering? Could it be your love for marketing? Does it have to do with sales? Is it your knack for tasks that involve management? What specific skills do you think will help you achieve your goals?  

Know your accomplishments 

Well, in case that you're thinking, "I haven't accomplished anything in my life"—then you are probably wrong. Take a moment to realize how much you have already gone through just to be where you are now. That alone is an achievement. One of my clients was convinced that she hadn't achieved much in her career, but she had a pretty fulfilling lifestyle according to other people’s standards. She lived by the sea, which is a luxury that many of us would love to have. There was a great deal of admiration for her. She had amazing relationships and she was surrounded by her loving family. But she still felt like she haven’t achieved much at all. Now here is why I am telling you all this: you need to be in touch with what is happening in your life and what qualities led you to where you are. If you can identify those trends, then you can also seize them strategically and make them work to your advantage. I realize that sometimes it can be difficult, that it requires a lot of thought, and involves a lot of reflection. Write down all the things people have said about you that you are good at and what they like about you. This will help you redevelop your stand and purpose as a person. In addition, consider asking others what they like and admire about you if you think you have never received any compliments. You might be surprised at what they have to say about you.       

Ask feedback for yourself 

Similarly, the process of receiving feedback and reviews is something that many businesses use for improving their performance. If you're not able to identify your strengths by yourself, do let other people describe you then use them to further push you to grow and be better. This method will truly pay off in the long run. Take your camera and start shooting, talk to people and connect with them if you want to inspire others. Become a one-to-one coach if you excel at it. Invest in your marketing strategy and make a few calls to attract clients, if you are good at marketing. Reach out, serve and connect. Your amazing life can be built just by discovering and using your strengths.  

Find your inner strength  

Did you know that people can instantly sense our inner strength when we stand up in front of them, especially when we have the conviction that anything can be dealt with, no matter what? Moreover, being surrounded by happy and confident people also makes other people feel good. So, by becoming your own role model and being aware of your inner strengths, you'll attract people with similar values. The most amazing part is that you possess this inner strength already! If you are reading this book, I am convinced you have faced a lot of obstacles in your life, no doubt. While you may not acknowledge all your achievements and failures, they are part of who you are.  

Imagine how much you could accomplish in life if you were always confident, strong, empathetic, and compassionate. Imagine if you always had the certainty that you can overcome any obstacle in your path. Your whole life could have changed in an instant, that’s a guarantee. From relationships to finances to career and business to fulfillment, contribution, and purpose—why waste your life when you only have one chance at it? A single step at a time is all it takes, trust me. 

Find the courage and be in control 

In 2015, I decided to do something about my shyness and lack of confidence, and it truly changed my life. This is why I created the My Design Tomorrow brand. Our lives can be transformed by our inner powers, but we are too afraid to use them or even discover them. We are only aware of the problems and our weaknesses that surround us and dwell in it if we never find the courage to leave them behind. Martin Seligman defined helplessness as the feeling we have of not being in control of our lives, our emotions, feelings, and being powerless in trying to improve our lives. The three factors he described are permanence, pervasiveness, and personal. The moment we begin to feel as if one problem we have will never go away, our lives go into a dull area of hopelessness, frustrations, and guilt. When we get stuck thinking about a particular problem, there is a tendency that we will also become the problem itself—and this is why a lot of people seemingly lose control halfway into their lives. You need to control your problems before they take over and control you. 

Access the Free Masterclass to Become Extraordinary: 

https://www.mydesigntomorrow.com/be-extraordinary

Diana