What is Strong with You?
The Qualities That Help You To Thrive
Discovering your Character Strengths
Have you ever noticed that some things seem to come naturally to you?
Perhaps you’re the person friends turn to for advice because you’re a good listener, or maybe you have a knack for finding humour even during difficult times. You might love learning new things, enjoy organising projects, or naturally encourage others to believe in themselves.
These qualities are more than just personality traits—they are your character strengths.
Character strengths are positive qualities that influence how we think, feel and behave. They are considered to be universal positive personality traits found across cultures; they represent the very best of who we are (Peterson & Seligman, 2004). Research has consistently shown that using our signature strengths is a associated with greater life satisfaction, happiness, increase confidence, resilience and psychological wellbeing (Park, Peterson, & Seligman, 2004); thus helping us navigate life’s challenges more effectively.
Rather than concentrating solely on problems or weaknesses, Positive Psychology asks an important question:
“What is strong with you?”
This shift in perspective doesn’t ignore life’s difficulties. Instead, it recognises that we all possess inner resources that can help us navigate adversity, build meaningful relationships, achieve our goals and experience greater wellbeing
One of the most widely researched ways of understanding these strengths is through the VIA Character Strengths framework. Developed by psychologists Dr Martin Seligman and Dr Christopher Peterson, the VIA identifies 24 universal character strengths found across cultures and throughout history.
Each of us possesses all 24 strengths, but we each have a unique combination of those that come most naturally to us. These are known as our signature strengths, the qualities that feel authentic, energising and effortless when we use them.
Understanding your strengths isn’t about labelling yourself or suggesting you should only use certain qualities. Instead, it helps you recognise the resources you already have, appreciate what makes you unique, and discover new ways of using your strengths to improve your wellbeing, relationships and confidence.
Whether you’re navigating anxiety, low self-esteem, a life transition, or simply wanting to flourish rather than just cope, learning about your character strengths can be a powerful starting point.
Take the free VIA Character Strengths Survey here: https://www.viacharacter.org/
Reference
Park, N., Peterson, C., & Seligman, M. E. P. (2004). “Strengths of character and well-being.” Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 23(5), 603–619.
