Strengths
embrace your superpower
We’re currently calling the Costa Rican jungle home, adapting to the symphony of 5 a.m. howler monkeys and the sweet call of the motmot bird. It’s rainy season here, which usually means two daily storms—one in the afternoon, one at night. But the other day, the skies opened up at dawn and never let up.
By midday, my husband Eric was climbing the walls with cabin fever. He had given up on surfing or tennis. Instead, he decided to brave the downpour and head to the nearby gym for a spin class. When he arrived, the power was out—no lights, no music, and no instructor. Multiple people who had already overcome the hardest part of working out (showing up) stood around staring at one another in search of a solution.
One woman looked at Eric and said, “You look like you could teach. Will you do it?”
To be clear, Eric is not a fitness instructor. But, without hesitation, he said yes.
He immediately and effortlessly took the reins. He built a little rapport and then told everyone to start warming up in the dark while he drove home to grab a wireless speaker. On the drive, he mapped out a class on the fly, drawing on what comes naturally to him: leadership.
A few hours later, he arrived back home, drenched in sweat and grinning from ear to ear. He crushed it.
- - -
Meanwhile, I’d been preparing for an upcoming webinar called 🧭Compass Bearings: Defining Core Values and Taking Stock of Strengths for the Wellness That Works 10-part webinar series I’m facilitating (the course is currently available for the genetic counseling community (for CEU credits) but coming soon to other professional fields and the public 🎥😀).
One of the core exercises in the session invites participants to discover their top character strengths. There’s a large body of research on the benefits of knowing and using your strengths—especially in new ways.
In one study, participants who identified their strengths(1) and intentionally used one in a new way each day for just one week experienced increased happiness and lower levels of depressive symptoms— and these benefits lasted six months after the exercise(2).
Watching Eric—sweaty, smiling, and proud—I realized I’d just seen this research in action.
By using one of his strengths (leadership) in a fresh way, he not only lit himself up, he sparked a ripple of good energy for everyone in that dark gym. And that’s the beauty of character strengths: they’re not just good for us—they’re good for those around us (ahem… the Ōnda effect). Just think of the beauty, the benevolence, and the efficiency that could result if we all leveraged our strengths just a little bit more.
Try it for yourself
Head to VIACharacter.org to take the free assessment and discover your top strengths. It takes about 10 minutes and offers a powerful and lasting tool for self-awareness.
Then choose one strength and brainstorm 2–3 new ways you could use it this week.
Top Strength: ____________
New Ways I’ll Use It:
1.
2.
3.
This simple practice can transform your day—and just maybe someone else’s, too (and possibly the next 6 months of your life!). Because when you honor what’s true within you, your energy shifts. And your energy is contagious.
Here’s to the ōndas you’ll create!
xxx,
Daniela
Founder, The Ōnda Collective
VIA Institute on Character: https://www.viacharacter.org/account/register
Seligman ME, Steen TA, Park N, Peterson C. Positive psychology progress: empirical validation of interventions. Am Psychol. 2005 Jul-Aug;60(5):410-21.
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