I was introduced to the concept of character strengths through Dr. Martin Seligman and his VIA Strength Survey. Seligman has identified 24 character strengths. We all have them in varying degrees with the top-five really defining our character. Research shows that knowing, understanding and using our strengths increases our life satisfaction. This was something I was certainly up for. I did the VIA survey and learned a lot about my character strengths. I came up with a list of my strengths from 1 to 24. This list created the shift for me. What I always saw as my weaknesses were just lesser strengths. What a concept! And the great news was if I chose to develop the lower strengths on my list, there were strategies to do just that.

One item on the low end of my list of strengths was my curiosity. Curiosity is an amazing tool that can shift us from a fixed to a growth mindset. It enables us to go from the path of judgment to the path of learning. I connected to the reasons that I had been hesitant in the past to be curious as well as identifying the tools I would need to clear the limiting beliefs around it.

Now curiosity is one of my top strengths and I absolutely love it. It would not have been so obvious to me had I not seen my list and where my strengths fell.

Know your strengths and know yourself. Visit the VIA Institute on Character. Identify your top strengths and decide if there are any that would serve you to develop. Have fun!