So, I told you a while ago that I strongly identify with the theme of Significance from Gallup’s Strengths. I came to this conclusion by reading the descriptions of the strengths on their website. You can take a test for a fee, but I was worried that, as an autistic person, I might struggle to answer the questions accurately and end up with random results, so I decided to just read the descriptions instead.
Significance wouldn’t be my number one strength, though. I’d say it’s probably third, but apparently, it’s the top five that really influence us.
And now, let me tell you how it shows up in my life.
1. When I was a child, I remember telling my mum that I wanted to be famous when I grew up. She was surprised that I had such a dream because she had never wanted that herself. I was then surprised to discover that other people might not want to be famous.
2. When it came to choosing what to study at university, I chose physics. I was very good at physics and maths, but better at maths. But maths seemed ordinary, whereas physics seemed more unusual. Whenever I told someone I wanted to study physics, they were very impressed. Their reaction made me even more confident in my decision.
3. Then I wanted to be a writer and wrote a novel. Did I ever tell you about it? Probably not much. It feels like such a long time ago.
4. At work, I’m especially praised for writing very good daily notes, and writing them well is very important to me. These notes are taken into consideration when managers and other professionals make decisions about individuals, so by writing high-quality notes, I can influence how care is delivered.
5. I also have a YouTube channel with my pattern based animations. I didn’t just want to earn money from it; I was also hoping to change the way people perceive patterns.
6. I only stopped wanting to change the way people perceive patterns after setting up my Community Interest Company. I’m not sure I’m capable of running it, but it needs to stay open because that makes me feel better about myself. (I’m not sure I’ll feel quite the same way when it comes to doing the taxes, though!)
I used to think this was something I needed therapy for. And here we are: apparently, it’s a strength.
But my need for significance also comes and goes. Today, for example, I feel perfectly content just being where I am: sitting on a Nabru sofa in my medium-sized flat. And if you asked me now if I can only chose one: money or significance I’d chose money.
But I bet a few days will pass, and I’ll be wanting to be recognised for the unique impact I have on the world (if any at all).
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