Most of you know I am always reading something because I’m always “waiting on something”….someone to pick me up, for the plane to arrive, for my baggage to finally show up, you know…waiting. So as not to leave one moment unproductive while I’m on the road, I am currently reading a great book by Marcus Buckingham and Donald Clifton called “NOW, Discover Your Strengths”.

What struck me as funny as I began reading was the fact that I am always trying to “uncover” the talents in others through role playing and other brainstorming exercises in my seminars and consulting sessions, to show them how to utilize those talents to get what they want in life, whether though a better career position or just by being more effective in their personal lives.  Rarely have I stopped to look in the mirror at my “own talents” or my “own strengths”.

The book begins with this question, “What DOES strong look like?”  Warren Buffet, one of the richest men in the world answers it this way…

“I may have more money than you do, but money doesn’t make the difference. I would rather have a cheeseburger from Dairy Queen than a $100.00 meal. The only difference between you and me is that I get up every day and have a chance to do what I love to do, everyday. If you want to learn anything from me, this is the advice I can give you.”

The author continues “So in a sense maybe he is right. Like the rest of us, he responds to the world around him in distinct ways. The way he handles risk, the way he connects with others, the way he makes his decisions, the way he derives satisfaction…none of which is random. They all form a pattern that is so stable his family and closest friends are able to recall its early tracings in the schoolyard in Omaha, Nebraska, half a century ago.”

Creating a life that is built around your own personal strengths is the key. I recall my own Mother who was such a role model for the family. Whatever “Mom said” was law. Her strength was her ability to balance a strong family and still have a demanding career in the early 1950’s when women weren’t in the workforce much yet. Mom was truly a woman ahead for her time. But as with Warren Buffett, Mom’s strengths were clear even as a child; the oldest of 9 children and her own Mother (my grandmother) died when Mom was only a young girl herself. Mom took over the “role of mother” to her brothers and sisters. Her strength of character came from hard work, an unwavering dedication to her brothers and sisters, and the unyielding belief in doing what was right. Mom was “The Colonel”.

Dad’s strengths came from that same “cut of cloth” of that era; a work ethic and a dedication to the family; quitting high school in 9^th grade to get a full time job. Dad was “The Worker”.

My sister’s strengths are seen as the “glue of the family”. She is and always has supported each of us with her unwavering love, devotion, praise, and her steadfast faith which has gotten her through some of the most traumatic times in any woman’s life: the loss of a brother at an early age; the loss of her first child; the loss of our father when her husband was seriously ill, the loss of her husband, and now the loss of our mother, when she was her caregiver for over 8 years. Yet she still is the same after all these years…she is “The Nurturer”.

My awesome husband has many strengths especially designed to deal with this family and their incredibly head-strong personalities. His unwavering ability to “hold his position steadfast” no matter how tough the storms of discontent roar….and believe me we have had some storms over the years! He is “The Rock”.

So what about my own strengths? I guess I’ve taken a little bit of all who surround me. I glean the best from those I admire and respect most and look to my own patterns of actions over the years and where my “comfort level” lies. I know I can’t be anyone, but me…the “authentic me”, as Dr. Phil says. With all the incredible blessings I have received, both personally and professionally, and the challenges I have had to face over the years, I look within each day and ask for the strength, the guidance, the words, and the energy to help others find their direction, their mission, to overcome the challenges in their lives. My success comes from your success. I like to believe that I am “The Peacemaker”.