Article written by Kristin Huntley

What are my strengths?

As promised, I’m here to continue the conversation from my session at Women in Automotive on The Five Questions Every Successful Woman Must Answer.  Here I hope to provide you with resources and ideas for answering these questions and keep the inspiration to live your purpose going!  If you enjoy the blogs, please tweet me, comment, share, etc. so I know to keep going!

But first…I want to say THANK YOU again to every single person who came up to me afterward, emailed me, tweeted me, etc. to tell me your stories and what resonated with you.  You really have no idea how welcomed and encouraged each of you made me feel!  I think we are on to something…this women empowering other women in the automotive industry thing!

So let’s get to the good stuff.

The first question I shared was about finding your calling or purpose…in other words, figuring out what you were made to do.  When you’re coaching yourself, it helps to remember a version of you that existed before you were all of the things you are now.  I shared some photos I called “clues to who I was going to be” and told you how those things are playing out in my life today.

Not much has changed and everything has changed.  It’s so interesting how both of those things are true. Yes, myUnderoos are now Spanx…but much of who I am at my center is the same.  I honestly have never met a successful person who didn’t have some clues to their calling from a young age.

My clues were my endless creativity, active imagination, love for reading and writing, and my appreciation for art and photography, and I’ve always loved sharing those parts of myself with others. That is my calling, and I do it every day.

I also mentioned a formula I learned from Career CoachRichard Ledier “G+P+V=C”.

“G” stands for “gifts” [Start with focusing on what you’re good at…what comes naturally to you that doesn’t to others.]

“P” for “passions” [What could keep you up talking all night? What moves you? These are clues to your passions.”]

“V” for “values” [What are your drop-dead deal breakers? What matters to you, guides you, what are you convinced is true?”]

Together, they form your calling. “Gifts” prompts you to consider your strengths. It’s always good to start with what you’re good at. Next, “passions” is essentially asking: What do you care about? Are there issues or communities in the world that resonate with you more than others? And finally, “values” are all about your lifestyle and personality. What is non-negotiable about they way you work?

According to Leider, these things together….using your gifts toward something you are invested in and in an environment that suits your values…will lead you to your calling. I discovered Ledier’s work when I found myself quite lost when my marriage ended.  His book Life Reimagined was extremely helpful to me.  He also has this cool, free website based on the book where you can use his system to discover what your calling might be.  I took the challenge and my results were spot on!

Life Reimagined is written for those with a little bit of life under their belts, but this applies to anyone.  Ledier has a new book scheduled for release in November called Work Reimagined and I can’t wait to read it.

Other clues to your calling may be found in the experiences life brings to you.  Remember Branch Rickey?  His experience with Charlie Thomas, a catcher who played for him during his coaching days at Ohio Wesleyan University, formed his calling.  It may have taken him 40 years to answer the call, but when he did, he broke down racial barriers in major league baseball and signed one of the greatest players to ever step on the baseball field, Jackie Robinson.  

Listening to Your Own Voice

I shared a quote by author Kristin Hannah, “Finding your passion isn’t just about careers and money. It’s about finding your authentic self. The one you’ve buried beneath other people’s needs.”  Do you take time to listen to your own voice?  If you haven’t, there’s no better time to start than now!  If you’re a creative person, you might look through old photos to make a collage of the “you” that is buried under everyone else’s needs.  Or simply take a piece of paper and list your Gifts, Passions and Values and see if you can see yourself in that list.  What could you start doing to nurture the parts of you that need attention?  What do you need to let go of?  Branch Rickey is a good example of how it’s really never too late to answer your calling.  It may not be a radical calling, but I believe the world waits for each of us to answer the question of what we are here to do, and in answering we find joy.

Additional Resources:

Below are some links to resources I hope will be helpful to you as you seek to answer this first question, or affirm the answer you are already living!

Broken Open: How Difficult Times Can Help Us Grow by Elizabeth Lesser

The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed ... by Brene’ Brown

Strengthsfinder 2.0 by Tom Rath

The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself by Michael Singer

How the World Sees You: Discover Your Highest Value Through the Sci... by Sally Hogshead