The Quiet Power of Strengths

What if you designed your life around what you’re good at?

For a long time, I didn’t pay much attention to my strengths.

Like many people, I focused on what I should improve — the gaps, the weaknesses, the skills I thought I needed to “round out.” I saw strengths as something obvious and fixed, not as forces that could actively shape my life.

That changed when I started to sense it was time for a career shift. I loved my years in the museum world, but I found myself longing for more meaning and personal alignment in my work.

When I finally took a step back to reflect on what truly energized me, a pattern began to emerge. My natural strengths — empathy, curiosity, clarity and vision, and a genuine drive to offer supportive accountability — had always been there, quietly guiding the way I showed up with others.

Alongside them were the skills I had developed through years in the cultural field: strategic thinking, communication, storytelling, and team collaboration.

For the first time, I began to see these qualities not as separate strands, but as my unique toolkit — one that could guide my next chapter. That realization led me to explore a new professional path that could bring everything together around a more meaningful purpose. Eventually, that exploration led me to coaching.

Coaching wasn’t the starting point — recognizing my strengths was.

This realization mirrors what Marcus Buckingham’s research has shown for years: the most fulfilled people don’t try to be good at everything. They identify their strengths and intentionally design their work and life around them.

Because strengths aren’t just what you’re good at. They’re the activities that make you feel energized, effective, and fully yourself. When you use them, time flows more easily, your impact deepens, and decisions become clearer.

Yet many of us overlook our strengths precisely because they feel “natural.” We underestimate what comes easily to us.

If you’d like to explore this for yourself, try a simple reflection:

When do I feel most energized and effective?

Look for moments — not just achievements — when you felt fully engaged, alive, or “in flow.” Those moments often hold the key to your unique strengths.

Now imagine what could shift if you designed your life around those strengths — instead of constantly compensating for what you lack.

I’d love to hear: What’s one activity or situation where you consistently feel strong and energized?