I had a mild dose of the ‘self-doubts’ the other day. In an attempt to boost my morale, I undertook a strengths test to remind myself that I must have something to offer.
Turns out one of my top 3 strengths is:
‘Appreciation of beauty and excellence’
To which my first reaction was:
“What the f**k am I supposed to do with that?”
Essentially, I heard the voices of those I’ve come across who don’t seem to place much value on that which they can’t quantify.
The desire to challenge this narrative got me remembering examples I’ve witnessed of the ‘soft skills’ or more appropriately gifts, that people possess that can’t be measured by a metric. They aren’t so readily acknowledged as a grade or a bullet point on a CV, however, they make all the difference to the way others feel.
They’re possessed by the people who make others feel seen and heard in their presence,
the people who sense when someone is nervous and make them feel welcome,
those who can have tough conversations with compassion,
those who bring people from different backgrounds together in community.
I guess these are the skills that if we let ourselves feel them offer insights into new ways of being and bring a little more magic and bonhomie into various settings.
Definitely things worth paying attention to don’t you think?
The Midlife Mash Up 
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