When each of us intentionally uses our strengths, we don’t just improve our own lives—we create a ripple effect that extends to those around us. When you begin to use your strengths daily, you foster deeper connections, build more positive environments, and contribute to a world where people feel seen, valued, and supported.
Title Photo by Christina Morillo
The Power of Small Strengths
Every morning, Lisa walked into her neighborhood café, greeted the barista by name, and ordered her usual tea. But today, something felt different. As she waited, she noticed an older man sitting alone, staring out the window with a distant look.
Lisa’s curiosity sparked. Instead of scrolling through her phone, she leaned over and said, “That’s a great spot—perfect for people-watching, isn’t it?” The man blinked, surprised, then chuckled. “It is. My wife and I used to sit here every Saturday.”
Tapping into her love of learning, Lisa asked him about his life, and soon, he was sharing stories of his travels, his late wife’s love for art, and the book he had always wanted to write. She listened with genuine perspective, offering reflections on how his experiences shaped who he was.
As she left, she felt a deep sense of Service—a small act of kindness that cost her nothing but had brightened someone’s day. Inspired, she decided to be more intentional about using her strengths. That night, she journaled about the encounter, reinforcing her gratitude for moments of connection.
Lisa didn’t set out to change the world that day. But by embracing her character strengths in small, everyday ways, she had made a difference.
Stories such as Lisa’s inspire me to look at my character strengths and ways I can use them day-to-day. I have kept a gratitude journal for several years in which I list three things that I’m grateful for each day. I use my love of learning to research and my strength of perspective to write these blog posts.
In creating my Excelerated Life™, I was drawn to choosing one strength to focus on each week, doing something to practice it daily. Sometimes, it is curiosity and I try to ask more questions during conversations or try something I’ve never done before. Or it may be kindness where I do a random act of kindness each day.
The power of small strengths lies in consistent practice. This requires that you use your strengths daily, or at least on most days.
From Awareness to Action
Knowing our strengths is the first step to making them a meaningful part of our daily lives. Self-awareness allows us to recognize what comes naturally to us and where we can make the greatest impact. But awareness alone isn’t enough—true growth happens when we intentionally apply our strengths in different situations.
Think of character strengths as tools in a toolbox. If we don’t take them out and use them, they don’t serve their purpose. But when we actively seek opportunities to use them, they can help us navigate challenges, enhance our relationships, and increase our overall sense of fulfillment.
Studies show that regularly engaging our strengths leads to greater happiness, higher levels of engagement, and a stronger sense of confidence. The more we use them, the more they grow—and the more they benefit both us and those around us.
Using Your Strengths with Intention
So how can you put this into practice? Start by identifying your core strengths. If you haven’t already, take the VIA Character Strengths assessment. This pinpoints your top strengths, your Signature Strengths. But it also lists all twenty-four of the character strengths and what order they fall in for you personally.
Next, intentionally seek out opportunities. When you’re at work, in your relationships, and in your personal pursuits, look for ways to apply your strengths in meaningful ways. If curiosity is one of your strengths, dive into learning something new. If kindness is a strength, find small ways to brighten someone’s day. And don’t be afraid to get creative—sometimes, the most powerful applications of your strengths come in unexpected moments.
Finally, make it a habit to reflect on your day. Ask yourself: “Where did I naturally use my strengths today? Where could I have used them more effectively?” By setting the intention, and then following up to reflect on how you did, you begin crafting a habit of using your strengths daily.
And by making this a daily practice, you’ll start to see ripple effects. Your strengths will become more than just words on a list—they’ll become the foundation for how you engage with the world, bringing you greater purpose and fulfillment along the way.
The Excelerated Strengths™ Practice: The Positive Impact of Using Strengths
Developing and using your strengths, especially your Signature strengths, increases happiness, improves relationships, and builds resilience-the ability to recover quickly from setbacks when things don’t go as planned. Using your Signature strengths has been shown to affect each of the components of PERMA-Dr. Martin Seligman’s model of well-being: Positive emotions, Engagement, Meaning, positive Relationships, and Accomplishment. [Seligman] And research shows that using your Signature strengths can improve measurements in all of these areas, even more than trying to overcome deficits. [Niemiec]
Your unique combination of strengths gives you the means to perform your unique purpose, to give your best in Service to the world in the way that you are uniquely prepared to do. When you use your strengths to help others, you leave your personal mark on your world.
You have the power to positively influence your well-being by focusing on your character strengths. And think about this: Using your strengths not only makes you more effective, but when you use your strengths to help others, it positively affects them as well. Psychologist Jonathan Haidt calls this emotion “elevation”. [Biswas-Diener] Elevation makes us more optimistic and more likely to help others. Using your strengths is a way for you to make our world a better place.
Getting Started
So, how do you begin reaping the benefits you gain when you use your strengths daily? Here are some suggestions for getting started.
The first step, of course, is to find out what yours are.
If you haven’t completed the VIA Signature Strengths assessment, take the VIA Strengths Survey here to find your own personal ranking of the 24 character strengths. (The survey is free but you have to register. It takes 20 – 30 minutes to complete.)
If you have completed the VIA Signature Strengths assessment in the past, find it and dust it off. Refresh your memory regarding your top strengths. You might also consider taking the survey again. I have completed the survey three times over the last 18 years and have found, as I have grown and changed, that my strengths have differed somewhat.
With your Signature strengths in mind, explore ways you can draw on them in your work, your family life, your relationships, your hobbies, and all other aspects of your life. Try this: At the start of the day (or the end of the day before), pick one strength. Then, come up with one action you will do during the day to draw on that strength.
To get the full positive impact that comes when you use your strengths daily, begin to craft your work and your daily life to apply your strengths more often. [Fredrickson]
Ideas for Using Your Strengths Daily
Here are some examples of how to put your strengths to use daily. Use them to get your own ideas flowing.
If you select Creativity as your strength: Challenge yourself with puzzles and games – solve puzzles, play strategy games, or engage in brainteasers.
If Gratitude is your strength, keep a gratitude journal. Each morning or evening, write down three things you are grateful for. Be specific.
For Kindness, do three random acts of kindness per week for those whom you know (for example, do small favors for friends and neighbors, call a sick or sad friend, take a treat to a friend who is busy with exams, etc). Then do one random act of kindness each week for someone you don’t know.
To exercise your strength of Perspective, engage in active listening. When in conversation, focus on truly understanding the other person’s viewpoint without immediately forming a response. Ask open-ended questions that encourage others to share their thoughts and feelings more deeply.
If you want to develop your strength of Spirituality, begin a morning ritual. Start your day with a spiritual practice such as meditation, prayer, or mindfulness. This sets a positive tone for the day ahead and creates a sense of inner peace.
For a deeper dive into using each of the twenty-four character strengths, check out this comprehensive list provided by positive psychologist, Tayyab Rashid.
Choose one of the character strengths you want to develop further and devise a simple practice to use your strength daily.
The Collective Power of Strengths
When each of us intentionally uses our strengths, we don’t just improve our own lives—we create a ripple effect that extends to those around us. Our strengths influence our families, our workplaces, and our communities in ways we may not even realize. A kind word, an insightful perspective, or a willingness to listen can uplift someone’s day. When we collectively commit to using our strengths, we foster deeper connections, build more positive environments, and contribute to a world where people feel seen, valued, and supported.
Think about the impact if more people used their strengths daily. Imagine workplaces where leaders leaned into their wisdom, where colleagues collaborated through appreciation of each other’s talents. Picture families where patience and kindness shaped conversations, or communities where a shared commitment to gratitude and service created a foundation of mutual support.
We all have a role to play, you and I, in shaping this kind of world. And it starts with small, intentional actions—just like Lisa’s conversation in the café, just like the ways you can apply your strengths today.
Your Turn: Putting Strengths into Action
Now, contemplate these questions as you reflect on how to bring your strengths into daily life:
- What is one strength you already use regularly, and how does it shape your interactions?
- Which strength would you like to develop further? How can you practice it in small ways?
- How might using your strengths more intentionally benefit not just you, but those around you?
Take a moment to think about your responses. Let’s build a community of strength-focused living, one small action at a time. That’s how we embrace our Excelerated Life™!
How might using your strengths more intentionally benefit not just you, but those around you?
Share your thoughts in the comments. Let’s build a community of strength-focused living, one small action at a time.
Excelerated Strengths™ — discovering and using your Signature Strengths — is one practice for creating your Excelerated Life™, a life of flourishing and well-being, and a life of meaning, purpose, and service.
Read more about the Excelerated Life™.
Resources:
Biswas-Diener, Robert and Ben Dean. Positive Psychology Coaching. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2007.
Fredrickson, Ph.D., Barbara, L. Positivity. New York: Crown Publishing Group, 2009.
Niemiec, PhD., Ryan and Robert E McGrath, PhD. The Power of Character Strengths: Appreciate and Ignite Your Positive Personality. Cincinnati, Ohio: VIA Institute on Character, 2019.
Seligman, Ph.D., Martin E. P. Flourish. New York: Free Press, 2011.
This blog post includes research information and suggestions provided by ChatGPT, an AI language model developed by OpenAI. The content was generated with AI assistance and is intended to provide information and guidance. Please note that the suggestions are not official statements from OpenAI. To learn more about ChatGPT and its capabilities, you can visit the OpenAI website.