34 Strength Capabilities. The tool evaluates and returns your top 5 Strengths. Everyone has 5. I knew that going in and yet, the first time I got together with my coach to discuss the results, I said, "Ok, Pat. I get that I have these 5 Strengths (and oh-by-the-way one of them is wrong -- which is a different story!) but what are we going to do about the 29 weaknesses?"
The premise behind the StrengthFinder assessment is that by identifying and investing in your strengths, you will be happier, more confident and more effective. On the flip side, if you focus on shoring up your weaknesses, it drains your energy and causes you to lose confidence. "At a very basic level, it is hard for us to build self-confidence when we are focused on our weaknesses instead of our strengths."
Let's take that philosophy to our yoga practice. In the asanas we practice tonight, think about the source of your strength in each pose and build the rest of the pose from there. For example, in Ardha Chandrasana - Half Moon Pose, does your strength lie in your ability to really extend cultivate muscular energy in your legs, extending down into your standing leg and out through your back leg making it arrow straight and incredibly firm? Or is it in your strong, stable core that allow you to extend up through the arm, out through the head, down into the ground and out your back leg? When I do this pose, I immediately want to get right to improving my ability to turn my head, extend my arm more and face up to the ceiling. BUT...the minute I focus on that, I lose my connection in the middle, my back legs sways, my arm drops forward...you get the picture. The pose falls apart. When I bring my focus to my strength, my really strong and long legs and the ability to extend them, the pose comes together very differently for me. I'm able to add on the other components in the pose by continuing to build on my strength.
