PERSONAL STRENGTHS

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This session focuses on identifying personal strengths and appreciating how they can help guide career decisions.

Category

  • Life Skills

Objectives

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

 

  • Use the results of the personal strength assessments to identify personal growth opportunities.
  • Apply problem-solving skills and engage in decision-making related to personal growth opportunities.

Supplies

  • Getting to Know Myself activity sheet—make a copy for each participant
  • Pen or pencil for each participant

Advisor Note

Text in italics should be read aloud to participants. As you engage your post in activities each week, please include comments, discussions, and feedback to the group relating to Character, Leadership, and Ethics. These are important attributes that make a difference in the success of youth in the workplace and in life.

Activities

INTRODUCTION

 

Share the following points with the Explorers:

 

  • Today we’re going to look at some descriptions of feelings and some traits associated with them. Knowing these feelings and traits can help you discover your personal strengths. It can also help you identify areas you can improve in your life.
  • We all believe certain things about ourselves. These beliefs help make us who we are or who we believe ourselves to be. Sometimes we feel we are great; sometimes we feel we aren’t good at anything. This outlook can make us feel better or worse. We can put ourselves down or build ourselves up.
  • We learn to label ourselves and others as we learn labels from people and the world around us. If we believe the labels, we often start to act in ways that make the label true. We need to be careful of labels, especially negative ones.
  • You can always change negative traits to positive ones by recognizing them, working hard, and making positive changes.

Activity 1

Getting to Know Myself

Pass out the Getting to Know Myself activity sheet and have the Explorers complete it. Ask them to respond to the questions, including the six summary questions. Allow five or six minutes for them to complete the activity sheet.

Advisor Note

Some sample questions are below. They are designed to help the participants apply what they have learned to their own interests. You are welcome to use these questions or develop your own questions that relate to your post or specific focus area.

Reflection

Focusing Questions

  • How do your interests (what you like to do) line up with your strengths (what you are good at)?

Analysis Questions

  • What do some of your personality traits tell you about what you like to do now or what you might like to do in the future?
  • How might you use this in your potential career?

Generalization Questions

  • How can you use your summary responses to plan for action moving forward?
  • How might you use this in life or in college?
  • Why is this important?
Personal Strengths Activity Guide