Strength.

So, my Dad had me take this test that analyzes your personality & finds your top 5 strengths. I was a little surprised by mine, but found them very interesting...

#1. DEVELOPER

You see the potential in others. Very often, in fact, potential is all you see. In your view no individual is fully formed. On the contrary, each individual is a work in progress, alive with possibilities. And you are drawn toward people for this very reason. When you interact with others, your goal is to help them experience success. You look for ways to challenge them. You devise interesting experiences that can stretch them & help them grow. And all the while you are on the lookout for signs of growth - a new behavior learned or modified, a slight improvement in a skill, a glimpse of excellence or of "flow" where previously there were only halting steps. For you these small increments - invisible to some - are clear signs of potential being realized. Over time many will seek you for help & encouragement because on some level they know that your helpfulness is both genuine & fulfilling for you.

#2. STRATEGIC

The Strategic theme enables you to sort through the clutter & find the best route. It is not a skill that can be taught. It is a distinct way of thinking, a special perspective on the world at large. This perspective allows you to see patterns where others simply see complexity. Mindful of these patterns, you play out alternative scenarios, always asking, "What if this happened? Okay, well what if this happened?" This recurring question helps you to see around the next corner. There you can evaluate accurately the potential obstacles. Guided by where you see each path leading, you start to make selections. You discard the paths that lead to nowhere. You discard the paths that lead straight into resistance. You discard the paths that lead into a fog of confusion. You cull & make selections until you arrive at the chosen path - your strategy. Armed with your strategy, you strike forward. This is your Strategic theme at work: "What if...?" Select. Strike.

#3. BELIEF

If you possess a strong Belief theme, you have certain core values that are enduring. These values vary from one person to another, but ordinarily your Belief theme causes you to be family-oriented, altruistic, even spiritual, & to value responsibility & high ethics - both in yourself & in others. These core values affect your behavior in many ways. They give your life meaning & satisfaction; in your view success is more than money or prestige. They provide you with direction, guiding you through the temptations & distractions of life toward a consistent set of priorities. This consistency is the foundation for all of your relationships. Your friends call you dependable. "I know where you stand," they say. Your Belief makes you easy to trust. It also demands that you find work that meshes with your values. Your work must be meaningful; it must matter to you. And guided by your Belief theme it will matter only if it gives you a chance to live out your values.

#4. RESPONSIBILITY

Your Responsibility theme forces you to take psychological ownership for anything you commit to, & whether large or small, you feel emotionally bound to follow it through to completion. Your good name depends on it. If for some reason you cannot deliver, you automatically start to look for ways to make it up to the other person. Apologies are not enough. Excuses & rationalizations are totally unacceptable. You will not quite be able to live with yourself until you have made restitution. This conscientiousness, this near obsession for doing things right, & your impeccable ethics, combine to create your reputation: utterly dependable. When assigning new responsibilities, people will look to you first because they know it will get done. When people come to you for help - & they soon will - you must be selective. Your willingness to volunteer may sometimes lead you to take on more than you should.

#5. EMPATHY

You can sense the emotions of those around you. You can feel what they are feeling as though their feelings are your own. Intuitively, you are able to see the world through their eyes & share their perspective. You do not necessarily agree with each person's perspective. You do not necessarily feel pity for each person's predicament - this would be sympathy, not Empathy. You do not necessarily condone the choices each person makes, but you do understand. This instinctive ability to understand is powerful. You hear the unvoiced questions. You anticipate the need. Where others grapple for words, you seem to find the right words & the right tone. You help people find the right phrases to express their feelings - to themselves as well as to others. You help them give voice to their emotional life. For all these reasons, other people are drawn to you.