#88 - On a roll(y)

I was reading Rolly Keenan's blog today and discovered a wonderful post about the upside and downside of being an activator, which is one of Gallup's signature themes from their Strengthsfinder profile. (If you haven't already completed this assessment, I strongly encourage you to do so).

People who have the activator theme are described this way. "You are impatient for action. You may concede that analysis has its uses or that debate and discussion can occasionally yield some valuable insights, but deep down you know than only action is real. . . Once a decision is made, you cannot not act." (In the interest of full disclosure, I should admit that activator is one of my top five strengths).

Rolly's post has some great stories about how being an activator has been great and how it has also been painful. The part that really struck me was the following quote.

"It is important, I think, to note that my talents in the past were noted as negatives. Instead of seeing my action-oriented nature as a talent, I was called impulsive or reckless or sometimes crazy."

So, is Rolly action-oriented or impulsive? Does he have initiative or is he reckless? Is being an activator positive or negative? Is he strong or is he weak? Is he talented or flawed?

The answer to all these questions, for Rolly and the rest of us, is yes.

All of us are strong AND weak, talented AND flawed, positive AND negative. We can't separate the good from the bad, the right from the wrong, the brightside from the darkside, the blessing from the curse. They are inseparable. Fortunately, Rolly has discovered this truth and now comfortably flaunts his weaknesses and promotes his strengths.

Are you ready to do the same? Can you embrace both the upside and downside of your unique qualities? Can you flaunt your weaknesses? Can you find fulfillment in becoming a freak?