I decided to record my results everyday by writing them down. Now I will blog all my results on one blog. I will start off with day one, which was my number one strength.
Day 1: Monday, November 19:
Honesty, authenticity, and genuineness
I am an honest person, not only by speaking the truth but by living my life in a genuine and authentic way. You are down to earth and without pretense; you are a "real" person.
I utilized this strength today by telling someone how I truly felt about a certain situation. I also feel as though I used this about every minute of the day because I find myself always being a genuine person.
Ratings: Pleasure: 7, Flow: 6, Meaningful: 7
Debriefing: I think that this strength comes easy to me because being honest is the type of person I am. I think most days I am a genuine and honest person therefore making me rank it pretty high. It is important to me to be as honest as I can be and to a “real” person. I ranked flow lower because I don’t really find myself getting caught up in being honest. It comes pretty natural for me.
Day 2: Tuesday, November 20:
Hope, optimism, and future-mindedness
I expect the best in the future, and I work to achieve it. I believe that the future is something that I can control.
I utilized this strength today by hoping I would find out I had been accepted into the graduate program I applied for. I believe that you have to work to achieve what you want in the future which is what I have done because I have worked very hard up to this point in school so I could get in. I actually just found out I have been accepted into the program which leads me to believe even more that you can get what you want if you work hard enough.
Ratings: Pleasure: 5, Flow: 6, Meaningful: 5
Debriefing: I rated this strength higher in flow because I feel as though I can get caught up in being optimistic than the pleasure or meaning the strength is. But again, being optimistic and having hope comes easy to me so I rated each category pretty high.
Day 3: Wednesday, November 21:
Industry, diligence, and perseverance
I work hard to finish what I start. No matter the project, I "get it out the door" in timely fashion. I do not get distracted when I work, and I take satisfaction in completing tasks.
I used this strength today by staying in top of my homework and getting it done early. But I did notice that when I started a task, I sometimes would delay the task and do something else for awhile. I finished the task but I did get distracted.
Ratings: Pleasure: 5, Flow: 5, Meaningful: 5
Debriefing: The reason I rated this strength lower is because I got distracted while performing a task. I usually am satisfied with my completed task but I need to work on not getting distracted while doing a task.
Day 4: Thursday, November 22:
Judgment, critical thinking, and open-mindedness
Thinking things through and examining them from all sides are important aspects of who I am. I do not jump to conclusions, and I rely only on solid evidence to make my decisions. I am able to change my mind.
I used this strength today by trying to decide whether or not I should do another internship and to decide what classes I should sign up for. I tried thinking about all of my options and what the pros and cons are with each option.
Ratings: Pleasure: 5, Flow: 5, Meaningful: 5
Debriefing: I didn’t really have anything to jump to conclusions about today so that part of my strength was hard to rate. But as I said earlier, I thought I thought about all sides of the issue I had to deal with it. I also think I rely on solid evidence before I make my decisions that led me to rate this strength higher than a neutral ranking.
Day 5: Friday, November 23:
Capacity to love and be loved
I value close relations with others, in particular those in which sharing and caring are reciprocated. The people to whom I feel most close are the same people who feel most close to me.
I used this strength today a lot. This strength is a strength I think I use everyday. I am person who get very close to other people. I felt that today I showed many people I loved them and allowed myself to be loved by others.
Ratings: Pleasure: 7, Flow: 6, Meaningful: 7
Debriefing: I rated this strength high because of the fact that I feel I easily allow people to love me and it comes very easy for me to love others. I find myself hardly ever getting upset with someone I love. The reason I rate the flow lower is because I don’t seem like I get consumed with loving someone so much that I forget what else is going on.
Day 6: Saturday, November 24:
Kindness and generosity
I am kind and generous to others, and I am never too busy to do a favor. I enjoy doing good deeds for others, even if I do not know them well.
I used this strength today by giving my great aunt a ride back to Omaha just because I love her. Even though I could have found something else to do, I wanted to do whatever I can to help her out. I like being able to help anyone out if I possibly can. This includes doing community service for others as well, even if I don’t know them.
Ratings: Pleasure: 7, Flow: 5, Meaningful: 7
Debriefing: I rated this strength high again because I find it easy to help others out. I have a tough time dealing with people who are not kind and generous to others. I rated the flow category lower again because I don’t really find myself getting so involved that I lose track of time.
Day 7: Sunday, November 25:
Citizenship, teamwork, and loyalty
I excel as a member of a group. I am a loyal and dedicated teammate, I always do my share, and I work hard for the success of my group.
This was something that I think is a strength of mine but I really did not deal with working with a group today. Therefore, I really did not show teamwork. The only way I could show this strength today was by being a loyal person to everyone I was around.
Ratings: Pleasure: 4, Flow: 4, Meaningful: 5
Debriefing: It was hard to rate this strength when I didn’t really use it today. Like I mentioned earlier, I was a loyal person but I do not feel as though I showed this strength as well as some days. That is why I rated the strength pretty neutral.
Day 8: Monday, November 26:
Humor and playfulness
I like to laugh and tease. Bringing smiles to other people is important to me. I try to see the light side of all situations.
I felt I used this strength most of the day because I always try to see the light side of things. I don’t like to get too worked up over little things. The way I used this strength today was by trying to lighten my sister up a little bit. I am trying to teach her to not take things so seriously because some things aren’t worth worrying about.
Ratings: Pleasure: 7, Flow: 7, Meaningful: 7
Debriefing: I think this strength should be one of my top strengths because I like to bring smiles to other people’s faces. If I don’t make someone’s day better, then I feel as though my day has not been successful. I felt like I used this strength to full potential today so I rated each category with a 7.
Day 9: Tuesday, November 27:
Perspective (wisdom)
Although I may not think of myself as wise, my friends hold this view of me. They value my perspective on matters and turn to me for advice. I have a way of looking at the world that makes sense to others and to myself.
The way I used this strength today was by giving advice to a friend. She always values my opinion and seems to think that I explain things a little more clearly so she understands the issue better.
Ratings: Pleasure: 6, Flow: 5, Meaningful: 6
Debriefing: I rated this strength pretty high again because I feel as though this is a strong strength of mine. I thought I used this strength pretty good today but I don’t think everyday this strength is shown.
Day 10: Wednesday, November 28:
Gratitude
I am aware of the good things that happen to me, and I never take them for granted. My friends and family members know that I am a grateful person because I always take the time to express my thanks.
I showed gratitude today by telling my parents thanks for everything. I also cleaned the house to show my sister I am thankful for letting me live at her house. I tried not to take things for granted today but I think that was because I was aware of this strength.
Ratings: Pleasure: 5, Flow: 6, Meaningful: 6
Debriefing: I like to think that I am aware of the good things that happen to me but sometimes I think I overlook these things. This is why I rated this strength a little lower on the pleasure category. I am a very grateful person and I like to show people I am grateful which is why this strength was still on the high side.
