The Quest for Strength

 As part of my Introduction to Agricultural Sciences and Leadership class requirements, I had to take the Strength Quest Survey, a 30 minute questionnaire that determines your own personal strengths combination from a list of 34 themes.

My top five dominate themes were the following:
1) Adaptability
2) Communication
3) Positivity
4) Harmony
5) Context

People find strength from many different sources whether its from the company they keep, experiences that they've had, or just their own personal drive.

For me, the main power source of my strength comes from my family. 


( Above: My immediate family on my Dad and Dana's wedding day. My sister, Madison, is seated to the far left, I am in the middle, my brother, Marshall, is seated on the right. My father, Jeff, and stepmother, Dana, are the happy couple kneeling behind.)
  It's because of my family's constant support and encouragement that I'm the person that I am today. I am not surprised to see these 5 themes as my top strengths, because I can see where I picked them up from family members.

Adaptability, my number one strength, is one that my brother also has. Marshall, almost 17, possesses many of the traits that describe adaptability: living in the moment, adjusting plans around unseen detours, and being generally flexible. Not many things upset Marshall and he has a "go with the flow" type of attitude, whether its letting me drive his truck, his new pride and joy, or letting us girls pick what to eat for supper (as long as he gets to eat at least half of his body weight in good food).

While communication is my second place characteristic, it is by far my father's number one.  Daddy, or Jeff, depending on who you are, has the gift of gab.  He likes to tell colorful stories, speak at community events, and gives instructions with extreme details. Many people have told me that I,too, share these traits. When I get picked on about my stories getting long winded, I just remind my audience that I am my father's daughter.

Positivity is definitely something that I picked up from my stepmother, Dana. As an Emergency Licensed Veterinary Technician, Dana works nights in a high stress environment at a local clinic .  However, she always has a radiant smile on her face when she walks in the door after a 16 hour long shift.  I admire Dana's personal perseverance and the many things that she has had to over come in her own life. Her constant reminder to me is to always find the silver lining in every situation.

Harmony is a trait of my sister. Madison is 15, going on 30.  Even though my sister is almost five years younger than I am, I admire her for her people skills. At such a young age she is able to create a sense of serenity out of any inclination of tension. She can direct a divided group toward common ground, and is so down-to-earth that meetings of any kind go smoothly with her at the helm.

Finally, my grandparents bring in the aspect of context.  Both my grandmother, Meme, and my grandfather, Pappy, remind me of the rich heritage that my family has.  I am the sixth generation to live on my family's farm and my grandparents have instilled in me a sense of pride because of this. They always give me advice based on their own personal experiences, but also encourage me to be my own individual.

Your family helps shape who you are as a person.  With these traits I am who I am, and I continue to grow with the support of those closest to me.

"Hide not your talents. They for use were made. What's a sundial in the shade?"
- Benjamin Franklin