Think of character strengths, such as loyalty, integrity, perseverance, discipline, resilience, boldness, creativity, teamwork, courage, and responsibility. If you had to pick one, which of these is your strongest trait? And which is your weakest area, the one you would most like to improve? This week's theme is character strengths and virtues.
Out of just those listed (and let's keep it to those, thanks; time is short and the world of character traits is wide...)
I would have to say my strength is creativity. Certainly that's the one I have the most fun with, and have claimed as my own for the longest. Creativity manifested in the arts, yes-- writing, singing, drawing (I did that, too, once upon a time) but also a bit of an impractical visionary streak that comes out in my vague notions of how the world ought to be, or how it could be if we just...moved that.... there.... no, wait, maybe there....? Creativity, dear strength of mine, you are not always the most efficient of virtues.
What would I like to improve? Tonight, cowed by the fact of having two sick children, and attempting to deal with my phobia of vomiting while still being a mother to my ill daughter, I would have to say I'd like to get myself some more courage. At various moments in my life I've found reserves of resilience and perseverance and even boldness (three other areas I might cite as needs-improvement) but the times of which I am least proud, the situations that have left me frozen or powerless or embarrassed and have left negative imprints in my impression of myself... those are the times when I needed courage.
I tell my son that being brace means trying something even when you don't want to. Even when you're scared. Courage, I tell him, does not mean you're not afraid. You just go on anyways.
I think that's solid advice, don't you? Now, to follow it...
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