Core Strengths – do you know what yours are?

Recently I took the Clifton Strengthsfinder(tm) test to determine what my core strengths are.  This test is absolutely amazing in that it can pinpoint who I am and what I’m all about.

I have known for years that I’d rather eat barbed wire than do anything related to accounting.  Although in my business, quite often I am required to look at the bottom-line numbers of my company, however, this is the least favorite thing on my “to-do” list.

Give me a widget to sell; sign me up to work the booth at a trade show; show me a new product that solves some problem and let my creative juices start to figure out ideas on how to market and I’m in my element.

So why was I so surprised at what the test results showed?  Well blow me over I don’t know.  What I do know is that I doubt there is anyone who knows me even slightly will disagree as to what the test results revealed about who I am.

The test results labels me is a “Passionistas” ™!  Ok, what does that really mean?  The formal or technical answers are:

• • Purpose driven–intrinsically motivated by my passion.
  • Warm, approachable and externally-focused.
  • Love leading others to action.
  • Personal and organizational mission statements are important to me.
  • Critical that I use my talents daily and love what I am doing.
  • Team-oriented–add gusto to any group!

What does this really mean in real down-to-earth terms:

• • I love to have fun.  If it ain’t fun, let’s find something else that is!  This why my friends refer to me as “Wild Woman”!
  • I make friends easily.  Well why not, I can clearly say, I never meet a stranger.  After all, Momma said I would talk to a sign post!
  • I explain things in story form.  Did you know that when I was 9 years old, …..happened to me and so, on and so on.
  • I want everyone in the room, on the block, in the building to come to the party.  We can’t leave anyone out.  Being an only child made me this way.  I had to go find friends because I didn’t have brothers or sisters to play with.  Now you know…I was deprived.  That’s why I married someone who is the oldest of 15 kids!  Really!
  • I am full of ideas.  Well that explains my sewing room with a zillion projects in various stages of completion.  Yes, that is because about the time I come up with one idea to make something pretty, I will start thinking of 5 other things I could make in the next hour.

So you see, if they had just asked me about me rather than me having to take a test to find out who I am, I could have told them all about me!

Peggy P. Edge (c) 2013