Neurons to Networks: The Science Behind Your STRENGTHSPATH

There is solid science behind the STRENGTHSPATH principle. This short video, From Neurons to Networks is a good short explanation of the science supporting what I teach. Your STRENGTHSPATH is really a metaphor for neural pathways in the brain. Although I'm also a firm believer in the concept of lifelong nueroplasticity, or the ability to learn and grow throughout life, this video establishes that our hard-wiring begins before birth and is fairly complete early in life. The STRENGTHSPATH Philosophy is geared for the most part toward nurturing your nature, rather than attempting to completely re-wire what some might label as a weakness. Of course weaknesses must sometimes be addressed and managed, but the emphasis should always be on reinforcing what you naturally do well.

What's Your Child's Spark? 3 Responses

This is a terrific video from the Search Institute. It communicates 3 different parental responses to a child's passion and talent? If you're a parent or someone who otherwise has interaction with children, how are you doing?

How to Find Your Personal Calling - Brad Lomenick

In a recent article published by Outreach Magazine, Brad Lomenick writes about how to find your personal calling.

As Brad shares, asking good questions is one key answering this question well. I've been collecting such questions for many years. He's come up with some new questions and a few twists on some old ones that I plan to add to my collection:

What keeps me awake when I should be falling asleep?

What wakes me up when I should still be sleeping?

What are your passions and gifts? At the intersection of these two elements, you'll find your calling in life.

What would you work on or want to do for free? That is usually a good sign of what God has designed you to do.

What energized you when you were a child? Does it still animate you? Knowing your calling is often connected to childhood passions and gifts.

If you could do anything and take a pay cut, what would that be? You may have to blow up your financial goals in order to find your true calling.

What barriers are preventing you from pursuing your true calling? Can you begin removing those?

If you aren't engaging your gifts and talents where you are now, could you make changes in your current role to better to better engage those? Don't rule out the possibility that you are where you need to be.

Helping Your Child Find Their Spark!

John Maxwell on "Talent"

John Maxwell says, "You do have talent. Every one of you has a gift. You've just got to find it. And then when you find it, focus all your time and energy on it. That's what is going to give you the success that you want."

Warren Buffett's Advice to Kids

Warren Buffett has a program for kids called "Warren Buffett's Secret Millionaire's Club". Each segment has great financial advice. But if you weren't aware, Buffett is a huge promoter and terrific example of the strengths message I communicate regularly on this blog. Check out this short clip titled, "Gotta Dance".

"Great Minds" - A Message to Teachers

Math and Science Are Inextricably Linked??? Or, Are They???

Maybe you have been led to believe what I've been led to believe, namely, "that math & science are inextricably linked. That is, if you want to be good at science, you'll need to be good at math.

Hmmmm...Well, not according to Harvard professor emeritus Dr. E.O. Wilson. In his article, "Great Scientist ≠ Good at Math", Wilson writes:

"For many young people who aspire to be scientists, the great bugbear is mathematics. Without advanced math, how can you do serious work in the sciences? Well, I have a professional secret to share: Many of the most successful scientists in the world today are mathematically no more than semiliterate.

During my decades of teaching biology at Harvard, I watched sadly as bright undergraduates turned away from the possibility of a scientific career, fearing that, without strong math skills they would fail. This mistaken assumption has deprived science of an immeasurable amount of sorely needed talent. It has created a hemorrhage of brain power we need to stanch."

Wilson continues, "I speak as an authority on the subject because I myself am an extreme case. Having spent my precollege years in relatively poor Southern schools, I didn't take algebra until my freshman year at the University of Alabama. I finally got around to Calculus as a 32 year old tenured professor at Harvard, where I sat uncomfortably in classes with undergraduate students only a bit more than half my age. A couple of them were students in a course on evolutionary biology I was teaching. I swallowed my pride and learned calculus."

Wilson shares that Charles Darwin himself had little or no mathematical ability. When Wilson needs math for his science work, he collaborates with mathematicians.

Wilson's advice to aspiring young scientists?... "A key first step is to find a subject that interests them deeply and focus on it"

And that's a pretty good summary of the strengths message!

"That Kid Was A Find" - The Staples Price Guy

In 1998, Staples ran a terrific commercial designed to highlight their dropping prices. But what the commercial also gave us was a wonderful picture of an individual who was working in his strengths.

What are you doing to discover, develop and deliver the passion of the Staples Price Guy?

What are you doing to insure you're hiring people who can do the job, but also want to do the job?




Credits: This commercial was created for Staples by the Cliff Freeman Advertising Agency.
Creative Director: Arthur Bijur
Copywriter: Ian Reichenthal
Art Director: Wayne Best
Agency Producer: Catherine Abate
Account Supervisor: Livia Tuzzo
Advertising Supervisor: Dwight Garland
Production Company: Johns + Gorman Films
USA Director: Jeff Gorman
Producer: Gayleen Sharon