"They
go not only from cradle to cubical, but then to the casket, without uncovering
their greatest talent and potential", Tom Rath, Strength Finder.
I just finished
reading Mr. Rath's well researched book and loved the concept. The premise is summed up beautifully in
another quote from his book. He and another researcher "were tired of
living in a world that revolved around fixing our weaknesses. Society's relentless focus on people's
shortcomings had turned into a global obsession. What's more, we had discovered that people have several
times more potential for growth when they invest energy in developing their
strengths instead of correcting their deficiencies."
In
reading just the first 30 pages, it became apparent to me that many people who
journey along the State of Being Cycle in pursuit of "Being" someone
or something, may be pursuing an ideal or dream that is not in their arena of
strengths. We might be
"fixing our weaknesses" versus developing our strengths. Like swimming up stream, we may get
there but with a lot of effort and it is very easy to slip back, giving way to
the opposing current, hence the title of this blog.
In
another aspect, some people may not take the plunge at all but just timidly
waiting and not jumping from the State of Desire to the State of Being
Cycle. They know deep down that it
is the wrong cycle to be on.
Perhaps it is not a question of being wrong or scared but just not
knowing what is right.
Having
gone thought the Strength Finder questionnaire and seeing the results, it
becomes very clear that trying to achieve the attributes and traits we admire
in others and aspire to acquire, may rob ourselves of those opportunities that
are as clear as the nose on our face.
After gazing in my mirror, I realize that my own nose despite being a
little pointy, is pretty darn good.
Maybe in
those moments where things are just not coming together, we need to step back
and take a look at why. I submit
that perhaps we are needlessly trying to swim upstream. Would it not be much easier to “go with the flow”? Often we think that is going backwards and falling behind,
but I also submit that the chances of surviving a Class V rapid is much greater
going with it, not against it.
In the
terrific true account of Teddy Roosevelt's epic journey down the "River of
Doubt" (a book with the same title by Candice Millard), I found a perfect
analogy. At one part of this
harrowing trip, a very wide and calm stretch of the river quickly narrowed to a
space that a canoe could not even get through, bordered by high canyon
walls. The intensity of the
funneled water increased exponentially into a powerful force that couldn't
possibly be imagined. Now think in
term of your strengths. How might
they be channeled to generate a force that couldn't possibly be imagined?
Perhaps
shifting to another State of Being Cycle …… one that plays to our strengths is certainly worth
consider.
Mr. Rath
also points out that strength is a combination of one’s natural abilities and the
investment of time and effort to develop that talent (Talent + Investment =
Strength). This makes perfect sense and the concept resonates with me.
I would
like to add two things to that equation ..... desire and passion. My interpretation is that talent is the
fundamental ingredient and an obviously critical component. Investing in your talent gives it the
capacity to flourish. To me,
desire is the match and passion is the accelerant that makes things
happen. In my extensive study
involving absolutely no data nor supporting clinical research, the degree to
which a talent is fueled can turn it from a marshmallow-roasting campfire to a raging
forest fire. Without the fire of
desire (sorry for the rhyme) and the accelerant of passion, talent could only
be a pile of logs that once engaged could run out of fuel and burn out no
matter how many logs you build upon.
Therefore,
my equation is this ..... (Talent + Investment) x (Desire + Passion) = Strength
The moral
of the story is that recognizing that you are on the wrong cycle is the best
that can happen and the sooner the better. Get on another that is flowing in your direction so you can
glide effortlessly and swiftly propelled by your strengths.
Bottom
line ….. we
are not salmon after all.
God speed
on your journey!
Recommended
reading:
•
"Strength
Find 2.0" by Tom Rath
•
"River
of Doubt" by Candice Millard
