Building On Strengths

A key to getting the best from ourselves and others is to build on strengths. When working in teams it is important to recognise what strength each person brings to the group and provide space for them to utilise that strength. Through positive engagement with the team there is greater capacity for growth to occur through the influence of the team activity. For us as individuals, when we are faced with challenging tasks, we also need to discipline our thinking to focus on the strengths that we bring to the situation. For Middle and Senior College students, who are currently engaged in a range of assessment tasks and for younger students who may hit points of frustration, it is important to calmly identify what they are able to do for each area and take the next step to build from there. It is important to have the focus on a lifetime of learning skills and attitudes including resilience and persistence rather than the short-term focus on a grade or some other immediate gain. Each step forward improves our learning and our situation. One of our goals is to learn how we learn best. If on reflection we wish we had done something differently in the past, we learn from that, make the choice to do things differently in the future and in that moment, focus on taking our best step forward.

God walks with us each step of the way. In times of uncertainty we can calm our minds by opening ourselves to God’s wisdom and presence through praying for Him to equip us to make that next purposeful step.