I made my first list by intuitively grouping strengths words from my practice of Steps 1 and 2 of our SfI-Practice on notebook paper. I then named the groups, and the names because the items on my Top Ten list. I worked internally a lot, letting the ideas settle into my deeper awareness and letting them re-emerge differently. This got me closer and closer to a list of elaborated strengths that I do feel is a good approximation of my best self.]
2022 Strengths
I enjoy this Jennifer most when she is..
1. Introspective and Perceptive
being aware of thoughts, feelings, and sensory experience, enjoying meditation, breathing practice, meditative walks, subtle blissful feelings related to meditation, enjoying introspective conversations with friends and relationships defined by being deep and honest, participating in psychological and philosophical sharing, being able to differentiate significant internal experiences from insignificant ones, taking action to bring her attention to the present moment, noticing small changes in her environment such as stepping out from under a rain cloud, noticing small moments of joy internally, noticing what others value.
2. Intuitive and inspired
being aware of conscience, following its guidance, asking for and listening to wisdom within, sensing non-physically into the present moment and its guidance and love, having inspiration such as to publish a collection of short stories and following through on it, showing courage in acting in accordance with intuited insights rather than shoulds and oughts, such as finding her yoga teacher and connecting with her doctor as a friend.
3. contemplative
seeking insight into the nature of humanness and aliveness, cause and effect, thought, will, knowing and being; connecting yoga principles to personal experiences; practicing internal dialogue; reading and thinking about what is read; looking out for experiences that relate to what is read; sitting in witnessing and acceptance of the moment as it is, the body, the breath, the outflapper (mind).
4. appreciative
seeing and being moved by beauty in both the seen, physical world, nature, as in flowers, mountain views, smiles, and the unseen world, as in seeing the relationship between the bee and the flower, the happiness behind the smile, or the creative intelligence behind an idea, noticing a moment of calm on a forest trail and stopping to take it in deeply, enjoying being together with others, seeing their efforts, seeing a person’s strengths and the beauty in it, seeing a person’s openness, sharingness, willingness to be vulnerable and trusting.
5. encouraging
sincerely finding joy in another’s success, helping to achieve another’s success, laying the groundwork for others’ successes, finding opportunities to develop others’ success, championing others’ success. For example, seeing the potential in Abby’s art.
6. creative
creating classes, activities, connections, books, photos, craft projects (Halloween mask), poems, articles, days, moments, meetings, stories, gifts, healthy alternatives. Creative as opposed to passive. Making a way more than finding a way. Creating ways to move in a healthy direction with joy. Writing kid-like stories that are parables to understand abstruse philosophical concepts such as Morty the Bulb, VIP: A Very Important Pigeon and others.
7. collaborating
enjoying working with others toward meaningful shared values on meaningful shared projects in the world, co-creating articles, books, teleconferences, or classes, seeing the significance of what my collaborator contributes in the context of our collaboration and facilitating its implementation, seeing the significance of information in the context of our shared collaboration goals, making something out of nothing but good intentions and caring relating (asynchronous course), listening to and respecting my co-creator even on non-verbal levels.
8. trusting the process
being confident in helping people that there is sure to be light following dark, clarity following confusion, happiness following disappointment, being confident in the evolutionary flow in the direction of forms, thoughts, and insights that allow greater freedom and broader perspective, seeing next steps, but moreover having certainty that then another step will come into view.
9. disciplined
pursuing liberation with body, treasure, and time, practicing meditation regularly, on time; eating healthy food in healthy amounts; doing breathing practices; getting exercise daily; choosing actions out of creativity rather than passively out of habit or submission to societal or relational norms; for example not turning on the news while eating breakfast (societal norms of being informed) in order to create a deep, attentive experience of eating my delicious and healthy breakfast throwing away the birthday cake but not the joy associated with it, and feeling good about myself, having the insight that self-discipline is not the exclusion of joy but rather the liberation of it from external circumstances.
10. sharing
teaching yoga, yoga techniques officially in classes or in passing such as helping a friend, teaching meditation, teaching writing, giving food or recycling with Ridwell, offering help, making someone laugh, being playful, providing leadership and articulating valuable content, such as SfI, Golden Rule Project, Yoga teleconference, guiding children with good intent, with honesty, with caring, sharing internally, energetically, creating the Instagram calendar of blooming for The Gardener while he was recovering from cancer surgery.