Strengths
Josh’s Clifton strengths
Leesie’s Clifton strengths
Josh and I have been getting to know each other anew on a deeper level, and from a place of more grounded peace. It's been a very healing and loving process, and I truly see now where Jeff and Shaleia have shared in their book that every upset is really rooted in a miscommunication on some level.
Josh and I recently took the Clifton Strengths test (I was invited to for my job, and I invited Josh to do the same since I found it so healing.) I've never taken a personality quiz or test that was so accurate, or that I liked as much as this one, and I want to recommend it in case anyone is curious. It brought a lot of relief and ‘a-ha’ moments.
I can see many of our conflicts arose because I didn't truly know enough of myself yet. Since I didn't know myself, I couldn't know Josh, and I couldn't see him or myself. That was also mirrored.
Through going deep in practicing the Teachings of Union, I’ve begun to see myself and Josh in a new light, one that’s much more based in unconditional love. With this growing love, our Union feels like it’s truly blossoming into the loving, conscious relationship I had always dreamed of!
I’ve started asking myself: Who am I? What am I really like? What are the unique Divine traits that God created me with? What am I good at? What areas do I need support to navigate? And I wondered the same questions about Josh.
The test is a series of scaled questions asking how you would respond this or that way in given scenarios. From this 20 min test, through fifty years’ research, the algorithm is able to arrange your scores from 1 to 34: #1 being the top Strength that you express/how you operate the most, and #34 begin the least.
Cool fact: There is only a 1 in 33 Million chance that someone else on Earth will score the same Top 5 Strengths as you!
The test results come with a delightful write up of your top five strengths (2 pages per strength) which includes
How you can thrive in each strength
Why your strength is unique
Taking action to maximize your potential in each strength
Watching out for blind spots specific to each strength
What I like a lot about Clifton Strengths is summed up in a quote from the founder: "Strengths science answers questions about what's right with people rather than what's wrong with them." Also, the Strengths aren’t about whether or not someone can do a specific task, but rather it’s about how they would go to resolve it. The same problem can be resolved in multiple ways.
While the Top 5 are the predominant strengths through which you operate in the world, the traits at the bottom of the list aren't to be viewed as 'weaknesses,' but rather traits that we don't really find ourselves easily operating from in our being. The idea is to focus energy into strengthening what is already a natural talent.
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When Josh finished his Strengths test, I began to see exactly what I hadn’t previously understood about him, and vice versa. It also felt so good to him to validate ourselves and look at ourselves in a new way.
It’s so clear that Josh and I both operate with our predominant strength as ‘Strategic.’ This means we are super good at pinpointing problems, being innovative, creative, and notice unusual patterns or configurations. Designing innovative plans is another quality of the ‘strategic’ strength.
Blindspots include being mindful that others could interpret our strong strategic talents as criticism. Also, because we evaluate pathways and patterns so quickly others may have difficulty following or understanding our thought process, and that we need to have the awareness to explain how we got to the conclusion we arrived at.
Josh and I both have Ideation in the #4 spot, which is another innovative category. We think outside the box at new and different ways of solving problems. We’re not so much a routine task-doer. Our blindspots for that include that we need to be mindful that our thoughts and ideas don’t overwhelm people. (I’ve totally noticed both me and Josh have been called ‘intense’ by many for this reason!)
Neither Josh nor I have any purple categories (Executive functions). We tend to see easily WHAT needs to happen with a sharp and discerning eye, but carrying it forth? Not so much a strength.
We have areas of difference:
Josh has one of the rarest strengths among all those tested: Command. I do not have this trait, and so I notice when I try to take the wheel and ‘command’ in our Union in the way Josh is designed to, it always feels like a bunch of contrast! Josh is a natural leader and feels very comfortable in the drivers’ seat. Josh kind of knew this about himself, but hadn’t really been giving himself the opportunity to strengthen this talent in his life yet.
One of my top 5 is Relator. This means that I enjoy close 1:1 connections with others who seek me out for support and guidance, and probably why I love Ascension Coaching so much.
There is so much deeper to go here. I’m really enjoying all the learning that God has brought forth to all of us, thanks to the Teachings of Union opening such great insights and awarenesses. And most of all, I’m so grateful to Jeff and Shaleia for loving me and Josh.
I’m truly grateful to be taking these steps with my man, steps I never thought we would take. Amen!
