Free Articles on Self Improvement and many other topics
Another free Self Improvement article for you by Carol McClelland
Titled: Three Ways to Claim Your Strengths Get the Self Improvement category RSS Feed 
Three Ways to Claim Your Strengths
Article Summary: Very few of us have a clear, accurate picture of how we are perceived by others. Sometimes we live our entire life thinking we aren't good enough. This article describes the power of sharing your gratitude with someone who has touched you, the power of receiving gratitude from others, and the power of asking in a proactive manner how you are perceived. Hearing how we impact the lives of others can have a profound impact on how we see ourselves.
Most people don't have a clear sense of their strengths and who they are. Instead they have a picture of themselves that may be limited by failures from their past, by the voices they hear from the past, or by their own limited self-esteem.
My father was a very intelligent man and yet regardless of his numerous achievements, he was unable, like many of us, to escape his internal voices of worry and concern about things large and small. He always wondered if he'd done the right thing; if he'd made the right choice. As his health faded, he started to receive letters from those who had been touched by him in some way. After he died, we received many more notes that he never had the opportunity to read.
One thought always struck me:
How would his life have been different if he had heard from these people much earlier in his life? Would he have been able to claim his strengths and his power in a deeper way?
I believe his life and the lives of those in our family would have been very different.
Strategy 1: When someone's actions touch you deeply, take a moment to write a note to share your gratitude with the person. Take a moment this holiday season to brighten someone's day with a memory, a thank you, or an explanation of how your life was changed by something they did.
Don't assume they already know how wonderful they are.
Don't assume they even remember the moment that's burned into your psyche as a turning point in your life.
Share the details of the situation
Share your heartfelt emotions
Share who you have become
You never know how much it will mean to them to hear how they've impacted your life.
Strategy 2: If you are on the receiving end of such a note, you may be tempted to downplay or minimize your part because you feel embarrassed or awkward about the whole thing. Instead...I encourage you to do the following.
1) Say Thank you! You don't have to say anything else at that moment.
2) Save the note in a safe place. Create a folder on your computer or in a file drawer where you can return to read the note at a later point in time.
3) Fully acknowledge to yourself the part you played in improving someone else's life. Integrate this information into the picture you hold of yourself.
4) Find other opportunities to impact people's lives in a powerful, positive way.
Strategy 3: If you would like to be proactive and gain new insights about how others see you, send the following email to 4-6 people you trust.
Dear ________,
My coach has given me an assignment that I hope you can help me with. Please reply to this email and include a list of up to 10 characteristics you admire about me. Thanks so much for your help. I appreciate your time and thoughtfulness. /signed by you
When you receive you lists back, you are likely to be surprised! Some of the characteristics may be in line with how you see yourself and some of them may be completely unexpected.
Use your insights as a catalyst to update how you see and think of yourself. Several months from now, take another look at the lists. Has anything changed in how you perceive the list or yourself?
Although quite simple, this activity provides profound inspiration and insight if you are learning about who you are and how you are perceived in your world.
Each of these strategies can help you claim your strengths, which enables you to live a happier, more fulfilling life. When you are content with who you are, your partner and family benefit as well.
Copyright (c) 2006 Transition Dynamics Enterprises, Inc.
Article Source: http://www.upublish.info
About the Author:
Carol McClelland
Carol McClelland, PhD, author of The Seasons of Change and Your Dream Career For Dummies, is a transition expert. Shes helped thousands of people get back on their feet after their lives have been turned upside down by natural disasters and personal losses, such as grief, illness, job change, relocation, and divorce. To receive your own copy of her Seasons of Change Workbook visit: http://www.transitiondynamics.com/seasons
