Life in Alignment
Sometimes life on the outside can seem great but you know there is something missing. You have a stimulating job, a beautiful home, a loving family but…
I found a great tool that I use with my coaching clients to articulate their core values. If their life does not honor their top four values, they don’t feel fulfilled.
You can use this tool at no cost on the www.AuthenticHappiness.org website. Although there are a lot of assessments you can do, the one I’m talking about is the VIA (Values in Action) Signature Strengths Questionnaire.
It measures 24 strengths we all have (though I think the list looks more like values than strengths) and ranks them in order of how we use them to make decisions that influence our happiness.
Keep in mind that whatever comes in at the bottom of your list are just less important to your overall sense of happiness. However, a colleague of mine had her top four match her husband’s bottom four values…that explained a lot of their issues and gave them something to talk about.
You may also find other resources on the site valuable especially now when we are doing our best to focus on what makes us and those we care about smile.
If you do the assessment, list your top four values as a comment to this post. It would be fun to see if the readers of this blog are similar or not. Then I’ll share mine.
This was interesting. I have to admit, I thought this would hold no surprises for me, but it did. Also, I have to say that one of my favorite parts of taking the test was logging onto the site. I have never seen a more original or entertaining list of occupations than exists on this site. I started to describe myself as a paperhanger just for fun. The site is great, Marcia, and I’m grateful you shared it.
But I digress.
Here they are:
Your Top Strength
Capacity to love and be loved
You value close relations with others, in particular those in which sharing and caring are reciprocated. The people to whom you feel most close are the same people who feel most close to you.
Your Second Strength
Spirituality, sense of purpose, and faith
You have strong and coherent beliefs about the higher purpose and meaning of the universe. You know where you fit in the larger scheme. Your beliefs shape your actions and are a source of comfort to you.
Your Third Strength
Fairness, equity, and justice
Treating all people fairly is one of your abiding principles. You do not let your personal feelings bias your decisions about other people. You give everyone a chance.
Your Fourth Strength
Leadership
You excel at the tasks of leadership: encouraging a group to get things done and preserving harmony within the group by making everyone feel included. You do a good job organizing activities and seeing that they happen.
Your Fifth Strength
Forgiveness and mercy
You forgive those who have done you wrong. You always give people a second chance. Your guiding principle is mercy and not revenge.
Very interesting experiment Dr. Marcia:
Your Top Strength
Appreciation of beauty and excellence
You notice and appreciate beauty, excellence, and/or skilled performance in all domains of life, from nature to art to mathematics to science to everyday experience.
Your Second Strength
Modesty and humility
You do not seek the spotlight, preferring to let your accomplishments speak for themselves. You do not regard yourself as special, and others recognize and value your modesty.
Your Third Strength
Gratitude
You are aware of the good things that happen to you, and you never take them for granted. Your friends and family members know that you are a grateful person because you always take the time to express your thanks.
Your Fourth Strength
Humor and playfulness
You like to laugh and tease. Bringing smiles to other people is important to you. You try to see the light side of all situations.