Building Your Strengths
Character strengths enrich our lives and the lives of those around us. Amplifying your strengths can become an effective strategy to elevate life satisfaction and success.
Source: Dongjie Lai Photography
“People who have the opportunity to focus on their strengths every day are 6x as likely to be engaged in their jobs and more than 3x as likely to report having an excellent quality of life in general.”
Rath, T. (2007). Strengths finder 2.0. New York: Gallup Press.
Applying Your Strengths
When you know your best character traits, you can improve your life and thrive. Research shows that using your character strengths can help you:
- Improve your relationships
- Enhance health and overall wellbeing
- Buffer against, manage, and overcome problems
Character strengths are different than your other personal strengths, such as your unique skills, talents, interests and resources, because they reflect the “real” you—who you are at your core. Below, you can explore the 24 VIA Character Strengths in-depth.
Source: VIA Institute
After taking the survey or exploring the different character strengths, ask yourself:
What are my top five strengths?
How can I let my strengths inspire me?
How can I apply these strengths in my academic journey?
Source: Jason Jones, 2021
