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 good 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!

Long-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.

Wherever 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.