Knowing and using personal strengths increases happiness

When we know what our top strengths are and use them in different ways to normal happiness increases and depression decreases. So Dr Martin Seligman and colleagues found recently (to see the study go to www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu and look for the article by Seligman, Steen, Park and Peterson).

What does this mean in practice? According to the VIA Survey of Character Strengths I did on 2nd March this year my top five strengths are:

1. Appreciation of beauty and excellence
2. Bravery and valour
3. Creativity, ingenuity and originality
4. Fairness, equity and justice, and
5. Curiosity and interest in the world.

(To find out your own top strengths go to www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu, fill out a simple registration and click on the test. There is a long and a brief version. The website keeps your results so you can look back over the years and see how they’ve changed.)

Now that I know what my top strengths are the next step is to work out a way to use them differently than normal. Given that my number three strength is creativity it should be a cinch to work this out, but I must admit I’m scratching my head a bit! OK, let’s take number one. I normally indulge my appreciation of beauty and excellence by ooh-ing and ah-ing over the natural world – trees, flowers, sunsets etc. I very rarely go to a museum or art gallery, although I usually enjoy it when I do. I could aim to go to Waikato Museum or find an art gallery in Hamilton and look at some exhibits there. That would be a different use of that strength from usual. OK so my mission should I choose to accept it (which I do) is to go to a museum or art gallery – I’ll report back on what I feel as a result.