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Strengths “Super Sleuth”
By Dr. William K. Larkin on May 26, 2009
You are a great detective in life. Can you read the signs? The clues lie in what appear to be problems or a "closed door" in your life. This sleuthing is sometimes very easy; other times, much more difficult. If your problems cause you to go into a DownSpiral, the task is much more difficult, because your perception is narrowed. So the first clue is to stay in an UpSpiral, especially in the face of problems. Easier said than done? In an UpSpiral, you have a greater ability to access your strengths. And that's the first thing you do with a problem. You never deny the problem is there, even though after you get really good at this, you will stop seeing it as a problem and you will know it's an opportunity for growth and creation.
Using your strengths, coming from your strengths, thinking from your strengths, you simply ask these strengths of yours to tell you what is the goo
d that can come from any difficulty.
It is clearly a task of "mind" over "what's the matter!" Mind is larger than your brain. Your brain is in the service of your larger consciousness and that is your "mind." Your mind can tell your brain to find what is good. Sound "Pollyanna"? If it does, GOOD!
L
ong-suffering is far over-rated as a guide and teacher.
It was not "Pollyanna" to the mother who founded MADD, "Mothers Against Drunk Driving." It was the only way she could make sense and find sanity out of her son's death. From not just a problem, but a real tragedy, she rose above being a victim of the experience and started a movement that has changed the face of drinking and driving in this country.
Where
ver one door closes, another door opens. Always. ALWAYS. Except one. And that is when you choose to experience yourself as a victim.
If you are a soldier home from war and you see yourself as a victim for too long, you give away your power to victimhood. If you are hurt or harmed or ill, if you see yourself as a victim-past the time you needed to admit that you were, in fact, a victim-then you're headed for trouble in the long term. Sure, there is a period that a victim of a difficulty can experience the true sense of being a "victim," of being hurt, of being in pain, of dealing with loss. But whatever door has closed has to be left behind, and there has to be the knowing that another door will open.
A Strengths "Super Sleuth" is a detective on the journey of life who has learned that any problem will yield to learning and a new direction 
when we decide to use it as an opportunity to use our scientifically "tested" strengths to find out how problems are gifts in disguise and how, when one door closes, another door always opens.
If you have not read "StrengthSmart" in Growing the Positive Mind, I encourage you to do so.
9 Comments
Andrew Hamling wrote on Tue May 26th, 1:44pm:
I love the last two blog posts by Dr. Larkin, as they are dealing with Strengths. I find that just knowing my strengths helps me move in a more clearly defined path of how to proceed with life. Problems, issues, doors closing…whatever you want to call them…are really the best cues to go to Strengths…pull on the part of you that is strongest…YOU AT YOUR BEST!
My UpSpiral Group begins STRENGTHSMART SUMMER next Monday, 1 June. I am looking forward to sharing and hearing the shares of my group members on Strengths…and how they play a role in solving life’s little “problems,” and finding Heros, and watching everyone become more of who he/she really is. Ahhh…the JOY of it all…
Ann Yandle wrote on Sat May 30th, 12:02pm:
Dr. Larkin’s example of the mother who founded MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) after losing her son to a drunk driver really hits home for me. I was in a car accident caused by a drunk driver when I was 16 and was one of the lucky ones. My face was rearranged after hitting the windshield, but thanks to a very talented plastic surgeon at Duke University and two surgeries later, I was able to carry on with my life like any teenager would. BUT, what my strength of Gratitude (I didn’t know it was one of my strengths at the time, of course)afforded me out of this experience was knowing that, for one, my life had been spared and there are many victims of drunk drivers who weren’t that lucky. Secondly, I had my face restored back pretty much to its original condition with no obvious major scars. And thirdly and most importantly, at a young age I was afforded the opportunity to understand the value and fragility of life, that in a millisecond the end can come with no warning. I learned Gratitude, I learned to embody Gratitude and that strength has served me all of these years of my life . . . knowing that every day, every moment is a gift. Now that I KNOW that Gratitude is one of my prime strengths, it continues to enhance my life and helps to keep me in an UpSpiral most of the time.
DrWKentLarkin wrote on Sat May 30th, 3:01pm:
These are really great entries, thanks to Andy and Ann for sharing. It is exciting to hear about the StrengthSmart summer, very powerful.
And your story, Ann, is very powerful as well. Thanks for the reminders about gratitude.
DreamerDeb wrote on Sat May 30th, 5:20pm:
Being a ‘super sleuth’ and determining the cause of a negative emotion can be a challenge sometimes. Maybe that is what I’m doing wrong - forget the problem (close the door) and just go to the good feeling that I do want to experience.
Taking those small steps and moving closer all the time to my greater good.
Tanya Burak wrote on Sun May 31st, 7:45pm:
What a thrill to “finally get” after a zillion years of sideline living ... that my weakness are not something to be beaten out of myself or hide in shame!
That delightfully to the contrary they are the “friendly committee” that starts chattering or moaning if I am going the wrong direction (down).
Their job is and has always been simply that but no one ever told me. So through my lens of shame of never enough all I heard was they too thought little of me.
So this committee, my strengths in costumes, had to scare me back on track if that is what it took. They knew the bottom had a limit… and that they could help me start going back up when I finally understood. Boy, are they patient.
They would take my dislike and abuse becasue they had “certitude” regarding their mission. They were pretty worn out and were very relieved to have ANI explain ... like a neutral third party intervention.
I now can hear that I was uniquely and purposefully designed exactly the way Spirit wanted me. So now when I hear them whispering or shouting I don’t get afraid. I know it is their “loving warning” that I am ignoring one of or all of my unique pieces.
They still stand fast until I turn myself around a get headed the right direction. It’s tough love but someone has to do “it”.
Thank you committee ... also for reminding me I don’t have to look for anyone else’s strengths to fix me ... that it doesn’t work and is not suppose to!
Reflecting Spirit
Ann Yandle wrote on Mon Jun 1st, 6:47am:
Dear Reflecting Spirit (AKA Tanya)- What a beautiful and heartfelt share you wrote !!! I must say that one of your strengths is bound to be expression because you do it so eloquently. I love the description of your weaknesses being your “friendly committee” and “strengths in costume”. How true, how true. I can hear how you are owning your strengths now and how solid your certitude is regarding them. Thank you for sharing, I hope you’ll grace the blog with more of your writings. My strength of Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence just shot my UpSpiral score up ten points at least !!!
Jana Lee Lehman wrote on Tue Jun 2nd, 8:22am:
I felt a sense of relief when I read Tanya’s comments “...that my weaknesses are not something to ...hide in shame…” and “...so through my lens of shame of never enough all I heard was they too thought little of me.”
I am finding as I finish my sessions that I do not plunge into and stay in a downspiral with my weaknesses as I used to do. I still struggle to see the strength that my challenges present to me at the time, but I am now better able to recognize that the brief moment of negativity needs to be dealt with immediately, so as to bring me back into my upspiral.
I find myself physically taking a step back, and taking a deep breath. This allows me to “see the whole picture”. I then ask “is this as devastating as I had initially thought?” I really don’t recognize what strength I am using at the time as it seems more automatic. But after reassessing the challenge I too can see that perhaps some good has come from the situation and my strength of gratitude has come into play, thus helping me to regain my upspiral.
Thank you Dr Larkin for reminding me that “in an upspiral you have a greater ability to access your strengths”.
Thank you Tanya for your encouraging words also.
Mark E. Anderson wrote on Tue Jun 9th, 5:54pm:
When one door closes another door opens leads me back to acceptance. I have to accept that the door has closed. I don’t have the key. I can not change what has already happened. I can discover the lessons to be learned and move on. If I stand facing this closed door in the stance of a victim, pounding my head against the door, I may not see the great opportunity through the open door right behind me!
Mark E. Anderson wrote on Tue Jun 9th, 6:04pm:
Jana Lee - I like what you wrote “I am now better able to recognize that the brief moment of negativity needs to be dealt with immediately, so as to bring me back into my upspiral.” It’s wonderful to realize we have a choice to lean in a positive direction. We don’t have to climb aboard the negativity train and let it take us down.
Yes, I like Dr. Larkin’s comment as well “in an upspiral you have a greater ability to access your strengths.”
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