Exceptional summary

When news broke that comedian Dave Maher had died, friends flooded his social media with heartfelt last messages. Many recounted touching stories from his life or thanked him for always being there for them.

Two weeks after this outpouring, another post appeared on Dave’s feed. It read, “This is Dave Maher. Spoiler alert: I’m here.”

Dave is far from the only person to turn his life around after going through a traumatic event. 

Up to 83 percent of people who experience trauma report that it helped them grow as a person and changed their life for the better. Maybe it’s because trauma reminds us of how precious life is, which brings us closer to the people and things that are really important to us.

It’s time to start creating your highlight reel. All you have to do is ask your friends and family to write back letters similar to the ones you wrote them. It’s that simple – and that scary! Indeed, many people think it’s awkward to ask their social circle to give them this kind of positive feedback.

But a highlight reel is not about asking people to tell you how great you are. It’s about finding what makes you you. The stories that the people in your life have to tell will help you pinpoint your unique character traits and skills. This will completely change the way you see yourself – that’s a promise! So go ahead and take the leap.

If you want to reach your full potential, make a habit of using your signature strengths regularly. Let’s say your highlight reel revealed that you’re an excellent communicator. Then you should make sure that your life and work consist of opportunities to use this skill. This could mean scheduling more time to have deep conversations with friends, taking on a more social role at work, or volunteering with an organization that needs help in the communication department.

As we all know, making new habits stick is hard. Our brains like routine, so change often feels awkward at first. But once you’re in the habit of using your strengths, you’ll find yourself all the more energized, happy, and fulfilled.

Did you know that we spend around one-third of our lives at work? And yet 80 percent of employees worldwide say that they can’t be the best version of themselves in their jobs. That needs to change, which is why this blink is all about crafting your work to reflect your unique strengths.

Now, maybe you’re worried that you can’t just go and change your job description. But work crafting doesn’t necessarily mean changing the tasks you do. It means changing how you do them.

Your life is probably pretty busy, even outside work. There might be lots of new things you want to try, but it just never seems like the right time to tinker with your packed schedule.

But guess what? Your busy life is the only one you have. So stop making excuses and start making space in your daily life for your unique strengths. Usually, the effort required to incorporate a rewarding new activity into your schedule will repay itself a thousandfold.