Your best bet for success lies in building on who you already are, not trying to become someone you’re not.

Feeling overwhelmed or burned out? Strength psychology shows that gratitude for your natural strengths improves regulation, resilience, and emotional clarity. In this blog we are going to focus on how Strengths Psychology can help you change your world from the inside out through shifting your perception of yourself.

When you know what you are good at, how you work best, are most productive and form relationships - it sets an amazing foundation to move forward in whatever you do in life. The problem, however, is we have been conditioned to constantly seek how to shore up our weaknesses. In Human Design we call it “living through your openness” .

With a brain focused on negativity bias it takes a conscious effort to focus on what we are exceptional at. Research has found that over 90% of people lack true self-awareness and only 10% of people actually have strong self-awareness. This is relevant to strengths as most people are unaware of what they are good at.

When we focus on our strengths, research shows that it counterbalances the negative aspect of our lives, so we can build on the positives and create upward positive spirals. If you are anything like me, maybe growing up as the outcast, the odd one, the black sheep (hello undiagnosed ADHD!) we can spend our whole lives trying to shore up our weaknesses, cut off pieces of self, and attempting to fit in. That ends here. Most of my work with clients is helping them release all those layers of masking, conditioning, and performance to discover their true strengths and who they genuinely are under the surface.

(Maybe I will add that I am wildly grateful for Strengths & Positive Psychology for their work to help us shift our perspective on who we be!)

Like I said, studies have found that most of us are a little blind to what we do best. So, to become more strengths-focused the first step is getting clear on what they are and how these strengths show up in your work or life by starting to tune into the moments where you’re really feeling engaged, energized, and enjoying what you’re doing.

Strengths vs Conventional Approach to Self Development

The conventional approach to self development starts with the assumption that if we are already good at something we don’t need to worry about it or develop it. We simply aim to maintain our strengths and develop our weaknesses. i.e. identify areas of improvement and develop an improvement plan.

The problem with this approach is that we are putting all our focus on developing what we are not really good at instead of working on what we are really good at. If you are building a personal brand as an entrepreneur this is a critical shift in perspective. Why? Well, you can try to shore up your weaknesses to be something you are not, or to be like someone else you view as successful, however you will never actually be reaching your full potential. You will increase stress, roadblocks, and ultimately, as I often say to clients, be a second rate version of someone else.

Your strengths differentiate you. Your openness, in Human Design, is your wisdom that you sell to others.

Ra Uru Hu, the founder of the Human Design System said: No one is broken yet we run around trying to fill up the open places & seek what we are not.

Whereas a strengths approach focuses on what people do well, emphasizes them, and builds on those strengths to help achieve more success and become more productive without actually working harder.

Our talent and strengths are quick, powerful, dynamic, and transformative. When people learn how to consciously seek and invent ways to apply their talents to their goals and tasks, their ability to perform with excellence increases substantially.

Research has found that fixing weaknesses prevents failure, whereas strength-building leads to success.

The Gratitude Practice

My favourite tools for finding our strengths are listed below:

1. Human Design. You can find out your Human Design profile on the main page of my website. Your strengths are what is coloured in, to put it simply. I do offer Human Design Foundation sessions if you wish to learn more! This tool I have is through the official International Human Design School, where I have done my education and continue my education. Get yours here: https://www.ashleybrianaeve.com/

2. Gene Keys. You can find out your Gene Keys hologenetic profile HERE. I have been trained at through the official schools in Gene Keys as well. I do offer foundation sessions for Gene Keys if this is something you wish to explore more.

3. The VIA Character Strengths Test. This test asks “who are you at your best?”. You can take the test HERE.

Then:

1. Write out your natural strengths.

2. Pick the top 3 and give at least 1 example for each of how it shows up in your daily life.

3. Finish this sentence for each one “I’m grateful for my ability to ___”.

Why This Practice Works

Overwhelm, stress, and focusing on what we lack narrows our perception.

Gratitude and being strengths focused widens it.

When you name your strengths, your nervous system receives the message:

I have capacity. I have internal support. I’m not unsafe.

That’s why this practice often brings a sense of calm, relief, or emotional softening — even though nothing external has changed.

You didn’t fix yourself.

You rediscovered yourself.

Now, does this mean we never look at our weaknesses or ignore them? Of course not. Healing, shadow work, and recognition of the “not self” (Human Design) is a critical part of our journey. The difference is:

1. We identify strengths first to cultivate a growth mindset which recodes our identity, shifts our perception, and as a follow along redesigns our reality.

2. Simply shifting to being strengths focused will start to shift self sabotage patterns and “not self” characteristics. You then get to work on the deeper “stuckness” rather than the surface level patterns that would shift with simply a shift in perception.

    

Ready for Deeper Clarity on Your Strengths?

If you enjoyed starting to dive into your Human Design bodygraph and Gene Keys Hologenetic Profile and want to understand them on a deeper level book a private foundation call!

Learn more about ways to work together here: https://www.ashleybrianaeve.com/1-1-sessions

I hope you enjoyed this practice!

ashley