Elements of Strength

Have you ever noticed that some people seem to get more done and have more life than everyone else?  You seem to notice them everywhere doing everything.  They seem to complete two lifetimes while you're fighting just to get your kids to school.  Why do they seem to have more energy or accomplish far more than everyone else?  What's their secret? What makes them different?

Time is the great equalizer

Even though some people seem to have an extra allotment of time, we all get the same amount.  It doesn't matter how rich or poor you are.  You can't really buy more of it.  You can't save it and you can't stop it.  No matter what, time marches on.  Time is what it is.  So more time isn't the differentiator.

Resources

Money or resources can't be the differentiator either.  Too many poor people qualify as over-achievers, and we all know stories of how people with resources never seem to accomplish anything.  Think of all of the resources wasted in America alone.  Many a poor person became rich after they achieved; many a rich person became poor without accomplishing anything.

Since time is fixed and money doesn't seem to make the difference, what distinguishes over-achievers from the rest of us?

The Keys

The key elements of strengths seem to be energy, talent, and passion. I call the combination of these three things your strengths. So think about what you consider your strengths to be.  Are those the areas where you devote your energy?  Do you have a natural talent in those areas? Are you passionate about that strength or activity?

Or,flip it around.  How are you spending your time?

• Are you energized by what you’re doing?
• Do you have a natural talent for it?
• Are you passionate about it?

You’ll know you’re in an area of strength when you can answer yes to all three.  Anything short of that is less than best.  How do your strengths measure up?

Are you using your strengths to your advantage?