To everything there are benefits and sacrifices, positives and negatives at the expenses of something else, the area of Strengths is no exception. Personality, gifts, abilities are each greatly affected by these innate aptitudes--and to varying degrees shape who we are.
Individualization enables me to see within people their uniqueness, to know what kind of person they are, appreciate them for their own talents and dreams. My passion for people goes beyond what they do and extend to who they are, the details...I get to know them, I want to know them. I develop strong and loyal relationships, but this tends to place me in a venerable position--not everyone is in it for the long-haul. Two weaknesses of Individualization for me are 1) along the lines of knowing people, and being too categorical--in thinking I have all people figured out solely because I can generally because I have good instinct. And 2) comparison; in the past I would very easily compare myself to others and their talents, wondering why I couldn't be as good as they at this or the other, hindering myself and not enabling myself to encourage them.
Developer, for me, is in close connection with individualization: in seeing their uniqueness I want to help them succeed--almost hand in hand. People ask what God is calling me to do: I'm called to help find healing though counseling. I care so much about those living in pain, physical, emotional--whatever the case maybe. The greatest disadvantage for this is obvious: caring TOO much, overwhelming myself, or putting my own needs aside for the sake of others. My mother says: you cannot help anyone if you do not first take care of yourself--over-exertion of emotion is the number one cause of burn-out among Counselors, the profession with the highest suicide rate...kinda ironic.
Connectivity--I don't really know the application of this Strength outside of my Faith. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: "For ALL things work together for the good of those who love Jesus Christ." My hope in what has been at times an otherwise dark and confusing place. A negative aspect is my tendency to hold onto things, whether as a "pack-rat" or just not being able to let things go emotionally, that is a long process for me--because I'm affected deeply.
Communicator: I have a love hate relationship with this Strength. Because communication is vital to any relationship, and because relationships are so vastly important to me, and communication being one of my strengths...this is kid of a big deal for me! that said: while i AM a good communicator, I tend to over state myself--my greatest weakness. People feel criticized or that I'm making a "big deal" of something because I have to talk it out (verbal processing is how I maintain my sanity--or what's left of it).
Belief ties back into the Connectivity, with my Faith being a huge factor in my life...but here even more so is the determination I find to push through opposition. because I have the foundation and the steadfast belief that what I trust is Truth and Right I can take one step forward at a time. Also, this enables me to accept others for who they are without judgment--I know I won't be swayed. on the flip-side some see that has hard-nosed, stuck-in-your-ways, and small-minded...but I'd rather be unpopular than floundering.
And as I have claimed Arranger, I'd have to say the greatest thing about it is color-coding...j/k. I love to find order and the most effective way to do things, make other people's beds, clean their kitchens, and I plan plan plan...oh, but do I ever procrastinate. If I've thought something through, it's as if I'm half done--and therein lies my greatest downfall. I have yet to learn to manage my time well. With the Strength of Arranger I have that ability, I need to learn to apply it. My goal this semester is to do that--sticking to my outlines, and actually doing them before deadlines are breathing down my neck (or pass me by--oops).
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