Strength Finder....

So for work we had to read this book called "Strength Finder."  I like the concept since it focuses on what you do well, and not on all those "self help" suggestions to keep working on those things that need improved. Of course there is a time and place for improvement, I'm not say that; but I am saying this was a cool thing to see what they said about me....

Here is what it says, do you agree!???

Top 5 themes/Strengths:
1. Achiever
2. Activator
3. Learner
4. Positivity
5. Woo


Section I: Awareness
Achiever
Shared Theme Description
People who are especially talented in the Achiever theme have a great deal of stamina and work
hard. They take great satisfaction from being busy and productive.

What makes you stand out?
By nature, you dedicate yourself to acquiring knowledge and using your skills. You likely are selftaught
in many ways. You probably work with instructors, trainers, coaches, or mentors. You embrace
opportunities to expose your mind to new ideas. You welcome the chance to practice new ways of
plying — that is, diligently practicing — your trade or craft. It’s very likely that you typically enroll in
demanding classes. You thrive in situations where you can test your talents as well as your
endurance to discover how much you can accomplish. You need to prove yourself to yourself each
day. Because of your strengths, you expend much mental energy to devise innovative ways of doing
things. A change here and a change there normally stimulate your thinking. Instinctively, you normally
devote your energies to pinpointing what makes people special and unique. This knowledge probably
permits you to inspire many individuals to do their finest work. Chances are good that you use your
mental and physical energy for hours when the situation demands such effort. You generally
persevere and push yourself to keep working on assignments until you finish them. You refuse to quit
until you reach your goal.

Activator
Shared Theme Description
People who are especially talented in the Activator theme can make things happen by turning
thoughts into action. They are often impatient.

What makes you stand out?
Instinctively, you energize others so they feel enthusiastic about a position you have taken, a
conclusion you have reached, or an innovative idea you have proposed. As soon as you resolve to do
something, you typically announce, “Let’s get started right away. We can do this!” Driven by your
talents, you relieve people of the burden of having to figure out what you think, feel, and need. How?
You simply tell them. Your plainspoken approach enhances their understanding of you as a person.
Your straightforward expression of your needs and desires usually eliminates any confusion. By
nature, you sometimes make people feel special. Typically you point out the importance or usefulness
of something they said. Chances are good that you typically take the lead. You seldom wait for orders
or directions from people in positions of authority. You probably operate on the premise that it is better
to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission. Using this approach, you have delivered impressive
results and reached important goals. Because of your strengths, you easily stir people’s enthusiasm
with your cheerful exuberance for life. You have a gift for sharing your complete joy with others.

Learner
Shared Theme Description
People who are especially talented in the Learner theme have a great desire to learn and want to
continuously improve. In particular, the process of learning, rather than the outcome, excites them.

What makes you stand out?
By nature, you endorse the importance of acquiring additional knowledge and gaining new skills. You
regard education as an ongoing activity. Driven by your talents, you are grateful when your questions
are answered, your studies yield new information, or your knowledge increases. You routinely deepen
your understanding through conversations, the media, the Internet, books, or classes. You resist
spending the majority of your time on topics that are not in line with your natural abilities. Instead, you
choose to take advantage of your talents — and by doing so, you consistently produce topnotch
results. Because of your strengths, you regularly devote yourself to gaining knowledge and acquiring
skills. You are happy with life when you have lots of time to make more discoveries. How? You
probably read, solve problems, write, rehearse, or practice. Instinctively, you customarily figure out
what makes each person special. You talk to, observe, or study individuals who produce nothing less
than excellence to identify what inspires them. Unquestionably, you prefer to associate with those who
share your passion for taking something good and making it better. Once you understand what drives
a person, you can motivate him or her to transform whatever was made better into something utterly
superb. It’s very likely that you thirst for new ideas and knowledge. Often you lose yourself in a book.
You pore over the ideas contained on its pages for long stretches of time. Why? You want to absorb
as much information as you can.


Positivity
Shared Theme Description
People who are especially talented in the Positivity theme have an enthusiasm that is contagious.
They are upbeat and can get others excited about what they are going to do.

What makes you stand out?
Driven by your talents, you engage life with gusto. Bursting with creativity, you approach assignments,
tasks, projects, opportunities, or problems. You like to take the innovative path rather than follow the
traditional and tried-and-true ways of doing things. Instinctively, you feel life is good when you can
outthink or outmaneuver people such as your rivals, classmates, or peers. Chances are good that you
brighten a room by simply entering it. Your upbeat attitude is contagious. People respond to your
friendly, sociable, lively, and animated personality. Finding something to like in just about every
person you meet is easy for you. Consequently, people enjoy spending time with you. It’s very likely
that you realize life is good after you have shared your knowledge and skills with novice players,
students, teammates, or associates. You probably are most gratified by individuals who want to
improve personally or professionally. Because of your strengths, you feel all is well with your life when
people ask you to be their personal mentor, adviser, or consultant.

Woo
Shared Theme Description
People who are especially talented in the Woo theme love the challenge of meeting new people and
winning them over. They derive satisfaction from breaking the ice and making a connection with
another person.

What makes you stand out?
Driven by your talents, you customarily introduce yourself to newcomers or outsiders. Experience has
taught you the importance of building a large network of acquaintances. These individuals often
provide you with opportunities to use your talents at an optimal — that is, the most favorable or
desirable — level. You probably accomplish more when you continually practice doing what you
already do quite well. Instinctively, you repeatedly place yourself in situations where your friendly and
outgoing nature is appreciated. You really enjoy being the first person to talk with newcomers,
strangers, or outsiders. Not surprisingly, you have a knack for asking them general questions and
listening to their responses. You freely offer compliments. You are quick to tell someone you have a
common interest. By nature, you often share a lot of information about yourself with people. You
usually make individuals comfortable enough to candidly talk about themselves. Why do you do this?
You probably want to engage them in further dialogue. You probably want to generate feelings of
warmth and friendliness. This explains why you are so inquisitive and observant. Because of your
strengths, you spread good cheer wherever you go. Meeting people, talking with them, and sharing
your upbeat attitude energize you and those with whom you interact. It’s very likely that you
characteristically are gregarious — that is, outgoing — and enjoy the company of others. You really
enjoy mixing and mingling with all types of people at social events. You routinely move beyond small
talk with most individuals. Why? You probably are intrigued with what they think, do, or say.


Section II: Application

Achiever
Ideas for Action:
Select jobs that allow you to have the leeway to work as hard as you want and in which
you are encouraged to measure your own productivity. You will feel challenged and alive
in these environments.
As an achiever, you relish the feeling of being busy, yet you also need to know when you
are “done.” Attach timelines and measurement to goals so that effort leads to defined
progress and tangible outcomes.
Remember to build celebration and recognition into your life. Achievers tend to move on to
the next challenge without acknowledging their successes. Counter this impulse by
creating regular opportunities to enjoy your progress and accomplishments.
Your drive for action might cause you to find meetings a bit boring. If that’s the case,
appeal to your Achiever talents by learning the objectives of each meeting ahead of time
and by taking notes about progress toward those objectives during the meeting. You can
help ensure that meetings are productive and efficient.
Continue your education by attaining certifications in your area or specialty in addition to
attending conferences and other programs. This will give you even more goals to achieve
and will push your existing boundaries of accomplishment.
You do not require much motivation from others. Take advantage of your self-motivation
by setting challenging goals. Set a more demanding goal every time you finish a project.
Partner with other hard workers. Share your goals with them so they can help you to get
more done.
Count personal achievements in your scoring “system.” This will help you direct your
Achiever talents toward family and friends as well as toward work.
More work excites you. The prospect of what lies ahead is infinitely more motivating than
what has been completed. Launch initiatives and new projects. Your seemingly endless
reserve of energy will create enthusiasm and momentum.
Make sure that in your eagerness to do more at work, you do not skimp on quality. Create
measurable outcome standards to guarantee that increased productivity is matched by
enhanced quality.

Activator
Ideas for Action:
Seek work in which you can make your own decisions and act on them. In particular, look
for start-up or turnaround situations.
At work, make sure that your manager judges you on measurable outcomes rather than
your process. Your process is not always pretty.
You can transform innovative ideas into immediate action. Look for creative and original
thinkers, and help them move their ideas from conceptual theory to concrete practice.
Look for areas that are bogged down by discussion or blocked by barriers. End the
stalemate by creating a plan to get things moving and spur others into action.
You learn more from real experience than from theoretical discussions. To grow,
consciously expose yourself to challenging experiences that will test your talents, skills,
and knowledge.
Remember that although your tenacity is powerful, it may intimidate some. Your Activator
talents will be most effective when you have first earned others’ trust and loyalty.
Identify the most influential decision makers in your organization. Make it a point to have
lunch with each of them at least once a quarter to share your ideas. They can support you
in your activation and provide critical resources to make your ideas happen.
You can easily energize the plans and ideas of others. Consider partnering with focused,
futuristic, strategic, or analytical people who will lend their direction and planning to your
activation, thereby creating an opportunity to build consensus and get others behind the
plan. By doing this, you complement each other.
Give the reasons why your requests for action must be granted. Otherwise, others might
dismiss you as impatient and label you a ‘ready, fire, aim’ person.
You possess an ability to create motion and momentum in others. Be strategic and wise in
the use of your Activator talents. When is the best time, where is the best place, and who
are the best people with whom to leverage your valuable influence?

Learner
Ideas for Action:
Refine how you learn. For example, you might learn best by teaching; if so, seek out
opportunities to present to others. You might learn best through quiet reflection; if so, find
this quiet time.
Develop ways to track the progress of your learning. If there are distinct levels or stages of
learning within a discipline or skill, take a moment to celebrate your progression from one
level to the next. If no such levels exist, create them for yourself (e.g., reading five books
on the subject or making three presentations on the subject).
Be a catalyst for change. Others might be intimidated by new rules, new skills, or new
circumstances. Your willingness to soak up this newness can calm their fears and spur
them to action. Take this responsibility seriously.
Seek roles that require some form of technical competence. You will enjoy the process of
acquiring and maintaining this expertise.
As far as possible, shift your career toward a field with constantly changing technologies
or regulations. You will be energized by the challenge of keeping up.
Because you are not threatened by unfamiliar information, you might excel in a consulting
role (either internal or external) in which you are paid to go into new situations and pick up
new competencies or languages quickly.
Research supports the link between learning and performance. When people have the
opportunity to learn and grow, they are more productive and loyal. Look for ways to
measure the degree to which you and others feel that your learning needs are being met,
to create individualized learning milestones, and to reward achievements in learning.
At work, take advantage of programs that subsidize your learning. Your organization may
be willing to pay for part or all of your instructional coursework or for certifications. Ask
your manager for information about scholarships and other educational opportunities.
Honor your desire to learn. Take advantage of adult educational opportunities in your
community. Discipline yourself to sign up for at least one new academic or adult learning
course each year.
Time disappears and your attention intensifies when you are immersed in studying or
learning. Allow yourself to “follow the trail” by scheduling learning sessions during periods
of time that will not be interrupted by pressing engagements.

Positivity
Ideas for Action:
You probably will excel in any role in which you are paid to highlight the positive. A
teaching role, a sales role, an entrepreneurial role, or a leadership role will make the most
of your ability to make things dramatic.
You tend to be more enthusiastic and energetic than most people. When others become
discouraged or are reluctant to take risks, your attitude will provide the impetus to keep
them moving. Over time, others will start to look to you for this “lift.”
Plan highlight activities for your friends and colleagues. For example, find ways to turn
small achievements into events, plan regular celebrations that others can look forward to,
or capitalize on the year’s holidays and festivals.
Explain that your enthusiasm is not simple naivety. You know that bad things can happen;
you simply prefer to focus on the good things.
You may get your greatest joy by encouraging people. Freely show your appreciation of
others, and make sure that the praise is not vague. Consistently seek to translate your
feelings into specific, tangible, and personal expressions of gratitude and recognition.
As you share your Positivity talents, be sure to protect and nurture them. As necessary,
insulate yourself from chronic whiners and complainers, and intentionally spend time in
highly positive environments that will invigorate and feed your optimism.
Don’t pretend that difficulties don’t concern you. Other people need to know that while you
find the good in virtually every situation, you are not naïve. Recognize challenges, and
communicate the reasons for your optimism. Your positive approach will be most powerful
when others realize it is grounded in reality.
Because people will rely on you to help them rise above their daily frustrations, arm
yourself with good stories, jokes, and sayings. Never underestimate the effect that you
can have on people.
Avoid negative people. They will bring you down. Instead, seek people who find the same
kind of drama and humor in the world that you do. You will energize each other.
Deliberately help others see the things that are going well for them. You can keep their
eyes on the positive.

Woo
Ideas for Action:
Choose a job in which you can interact with many people over the course of a day.
Deliberately build the network of people who know you. Tend to it by checking in with each
person at least once a month.
Join local organizations, volunteer for committees, and find out how to get on the social
lists of the influential people where you live.
Learn the names of as many people as you can. Create a file of the people you know, and
add names as you become acquainted. Include a snippet of personal information — such
as their birthday, favorite color, hobby, or favorite sports team.
In social situations, take responsibility for helping put reserved people at ease.
Find the right words to explain that networking is part of your style. If you don’t claim this
theme, others might mistake it for insincerity and wonder why you are being so friendly.
Partner with someone with dominant Relator or Empathy talents. This person can solidify
the relationships that you begin.
Your Woo talents give you the ability to quicken the pulse of your surroundings.
Recognize the power of your presence and how you open doors for an exchange of ideas.
By simply starting conversations that engage others and bring talented people together,
you will take performance up a notch — or several.
The first moments of any social occasion are crucial to how comfortable people will be and
how they will remember the event. Whenever possible, be one of the first people others
meet. Your capacity for meeting and greeting new people will help to quickly put them at
ease.
Practice ways to charm and engage others. For example, research people before you
meet them so you can talk about your common interests.

Boulder Half - Here I come.

So my awesome friend Tamara Yakaboski talked me into running the Boulder Half Marathon with her... oh boy what have I gotten myself in to!?   31 and pounding over 15 miles a week on my knees - I hope I can walk when I'm 80! Trent said he'd take care of me when I'm old, so is that a Green Light to do anything I want!? Just curious....

Well Training Day 1 -  4.2 miles in 40 minutes.  Not too bad for someone that hasn't run in a while, and up hill half way with wind in your face. I couldn't complain. I guess we'll see how the training days continue. I did see this woman walking her baby stroller thing around, and then saw her later at the grocery store, kinda weird, but that's Greeley for you!

Today will be Training Day 2 - that will involve eating pizza and gummy bears for breakfast (breakfast of champions right there!), and then gearing up to go camping for the weekend. Hmm.. guess no run, but my "work out" will probably be more like curling, so an arm work out. Yep curling that beer right up to my face! :)   Ah... camping! Maybe I'll consider a hike on Saturday to keep my legs moving.

(All while my training buddy hits up yoga and does her daily run... I'm a bad training partner.)

Here's to "training" for a half marathon!

Cheers!!

Making the impossible, possible!

As many of you know, I've had a lot of time to be sitting around thinking of what to do next with my life, and make some sort of decision about what that actually is going to look like without pressure!

You would think that processing something like this would be easy when you feel like you have all the time in the world, but honestly it feels like a bad item on a "to-do" list. So... naturually I have put it off of the "I'm really thinking about this seriously" today list, and have continued to just mull over it while doing other fun activities.

I decided recently it was about time to actually put some thought into it. How do you really think about something that seems so distant, and so demanding, and so time consuming. I dream of big things, and then think it's nearly impossible to get there. However, I decided today that nothing is impossible. I just traveled Latin America for a year, and didn't think that possible in a lifetime, so why would I give up that now?

So here we have it. These are major goals that I want to see happen one day, and they WILL happen one day. Thanks to my Aunt Patti she said today Mandi I am stating a goal to you because I want it to happen, and it will happen. So I told her that I wanted to do the same thing... So here you have it.

She told me that to state my goal, is not just a mere statement. It's a powerful driving force that pushes us to achieve those things that seem impossible. To make the impossible, possible! So don't state I HOPE or I WANT...but state as if it has already happened...Let's try it out...

I AM A PERSAL TRAINER BEGINNING JANUARY 2011.
I AM A FITNESS PROFESSIONAL WITH AN EMPHASIS ON NUTRITION AND PERSONAL TRAINING - HOLISTIC FITNESS IS MY ULTIMATE "I AM".

With that being said, you can best believe that I will be doing all possible things to get to this in the next 2 months. I have a lot to do, and I will have to push hard. Now to figure out how that works into a job....a real job, as some might say... that will be the question. But I am and WILL NOT settle for anything but my dreams. The only thing that may have to come between me and my dream, is a step to get there - like making money - so I will have to think that too, however these are the things I will be, I want to be, and truly AM at heart!

WOW joins the Gym Club!

I was at the gym this morning, and I've been doing this new workout thing, and I take a book to remind me what's next so that I can keep my heartrate up. Anyway, I have it sitting to the side so it's not in anyone's way, and so I kind of have my own workout station. (sorry need to give you a bit of background first). Mid workout I need the lat machine.....and this old dude is just sitting at the lat machine reading his newspaper. Aren't there better places to just be sitting or reading your paper? I don't know like on a bike or home or something wher eyou're not in the way! haha! Then of course I had to ask him to move, that was kind of weird, but oh well. So then this other guy comes up to me right then (not sure why his timing was so spot on) and asked me - oh it looks like you follow a book routine, right? So I was polite and said yes. (Now let me tell you about this man - he had been sitting on the row machine for probably 20 minutes while I'm pretty much running around the gym to different stations, jump roping, etc... and then all of the sudden he has to stop me mid workout to ask me that one question when he could clearly see that i had a book with me!). Anyway, he started to have a conversation, and how do you tell someone politely, hey man I'm trying to workout here and keep my heartrate up can you shut up please? HAHA. So then he kept talking while I was just doing my thing, and he said ..."yeah, I spend 20 mins here, 20 mins there and then 20 minutes over there." I was thinking - yeah I can see the awesome workout you're getting in when you stand and talk to people, and then just sit at a machine for 20 minutes. So why are you here again? Good thing people can't read my mind! He litterally was sitting at the row machine for 20 minutes before he said something to me. I think I saw him do ONE set!Oh I nearly forgot he was texting the whole time while sitting there! What's he worlking out, his thumbs! Leave the stupid cell in the car! I couldn't believe it, it made me laugh when he was trying to brag, like I hadn't noticed him RIGHT in front of me! Oh man people crack me up at the gym! Ah back to the American I have to show you how awesome I am routine. Why am I back again?

It's about time...

So I really am going to get ready to start blogging about my trip. I will try to take it one day. one picture at a time....so watch out next week I should post a few fun stories! Hopefully Chris can help me!!!

¨Watch out, there is a giant F*ing hole to your right¨

That was a quote by my tour guide, Javier, on my mineral mine tour today. I nearly fell in the hole because it was pretty funny to hear some guy that spoke mostly spanish, yell that behind him!

The mine tour today was interesting. It was SUPER depressing, and actually one of those things that I was interested in because my grandpa used to work in the mines in PA when he was younger. Now I really want to hear those stories again, I feel like I might appreciate all the hard work he did to make it to where he is today - much more than when I was about 8 years old hearing the stories!

The miners work in some very tight spots, with very littel oxygen. I couldn´t believe that Bagilla, a local miner of Potosi, works 24 hours on Fridays so he can make enough money for his family of 7 kids! He has two of his kids working in the mine with him, one 14 and the other 20. He is currently 40 years old, and has been in the mine since he was 13! I couldn´t belive that he has been working there for so long. They have short lives, and he is probably only expcted to live another 20 years max, so it´s hard to hear those stories.

These kinds of stories are the ones that are making the silver, gold, and other mineral type compositions that you use everyday. These lives are the ones being risked to make that pretty earring that you are wearing. Tough to see this, and hard to know that they are not treated very well here! They hardly see any of the money from it. They might make 500 bolivianos (about $75 USD) each month! The ¨leaders¨sometimes make up to 1500 bolivianos (that is closer to $200 USD) a month!

Just something to think about. Say a prayer for these guys and their families if you think of it! They work hard for you!!

Worlds Worst Surfer

I was so excited about surfing today! I can´t even tell you! After learning to surf in San Jan Del Sur, Nicoragua I was pumped about trying it again...until I actually got in the water. The bottom was not a nice sandy beach like before, it was filled with rocks. The nice waves that were in Nicaragua were not so nice in Peru! Can I tell you that I was so tired from swimming out into the ocean over these huge waves that I pretty much didn´t have it in me to even try to stand up on a wave! I need to do more push-ups! Despite not being able to surf, I still had fun. Chris had to give me a few pep talks to make sure I went back out in the water. I was not having fun some of the time because I was so frustrated, but you know what I changed my attitude and had a good time seeing the underside of the water! Good thing the water wasn´t too salty! Anyway, I got pummeled by a lot of waves, now I am sore, tired, and reday for bed. Can´t wait to see what I feel like tomorrow.

Maybe that is why God had me grow up in CO, he knew that I wouldn´t master surfing. Oh well, I will keep trying and having fun, but I don´t think that I will be in any pictures in surf magazines! Well...maybe the what not to do section!