{"id":206567,"date":"2019-10-30T15:51:14","date_gmt":"2019-10-30T15:51:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/strengthbasedliving.com\/?p=206567"},"modified":"2021-05-05T16:46:09","modified_gmt":"2021-05-05T16:46:09","slug":"what-would-you-be-like-without-your-signature-strengths","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.strengthbasedliving.com\/strengthbasedliving.com\/understanding-strengths\/what-would-you-be-like-without-your-signature-strengths\/","title":{"rendered":"What Would You Be Like Without Your Signature Strengths?"},"content":{"rendered":"

We don\u2019t often appreciate what we have until it\u2019s gone. This applies to people, like when a college student feels the absence of his parents after going off to school the first time. It applies to things, like when that old broken-down car finally gives out and you\u2019re left without transportation. It applies to character strengths. Have you ever stopped to think: What would you be like without your top strengths?<\/p>\n

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Recently, I was asked to teach character strengths to participants in a 10-month positive psychology certificate program<\/a>. We were at a week-long immersion taking place towards the beginning of the course. At this first immersion, deep personal connections are forged, and small learning pods are formed in preparation for the virtual portion of the program. I know because I graduated from this certificate program in 2014, assisted the faculty for 4 cohorts after that, and then became a faculty member.<\/p>\n

When teaching strengths, I like to start with the scientific evidence behind character strengths then move quickly into giving participants the experience<\/em> of what they are and why they matter. Consistently, there is one activity that can significantly influence whether we appreciate our top strengths. I featured this activity in my book 30 Days of Character Strengths: A Guided Practice to Ignite Your Best.<\/a>\u00a0 <\/em>Readers consistently share that it\u2019s among the most memorable.<\/p>\n

Strengths Activity With a Lasting Impact<\/h2>\n
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The activity is simply to imagine your life without a top strength. In research, taking away something important and positive is called mental subtraction (Koo, Algoe, Wilson, & Gilbert, 2008). \u00a0Participants in this study felt better having thought of themselves without something positive. When you think about it, this is counter-intuitive. Instead, we might think more easily about something we want but don\u2019t have \u2013 better health, a nicer home \u2013 rather than starting with something we already do have.<\/p>\n

Interestingly, when we think about boosting happiness and success, the pathways forward typically involve adding <\/em>something like mindfulness or positive emotions. This evidence-based activity is different. It\u2019s about subtraction. <\/em>Without fail, after imagining a life without a top strength, each group I\u2019ve worked with describes what their lives would be like in undeniably negative terms. Boring. Suffocating. Purposeless. Useless.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m careful not to leave anyone hanging out in a difficult space like that, so I always end with a reflection about why the chosen signature strength is important in participants\u2019 lives.\u00a0 The descriptors become energizing again. Inspired. Authentic. Enlivened. Motivated.<\/p>\n

Now It\u2019s Your Turn<\/h2>\n

I encourage you to see for yourself. Below are the steps you can take. Be sure to find a quiet space and a 15- or 20-minute block of time.<\/p>\n