And then once they're strengths, they need to be practiced, applied, used. Action must be taken. Another beginning. Just exactly when do we get to rest on our laurels??

"Don't worry about your problems with mathematics," said Einstein. "I can assure you that mine are far greater." No rest for weary.

The gifted poet John Berryman wrote a profound poem about 'the end of strengths' which I felt moved to illustrate (URL:http://www.geocities.com/pocketpeach2 rainer.htm) It's about a proficient animal trainer who's in burn out. He's used his natural talents and strengths ... too long? too hard? too often? without balance? without adequate support? But that's a whole 'nother story, burn out, and there we have orouborus again: some clients can recycle from burn-out. For others, it's too late.

Understanding endless cycle of beginnings and endings is part of adjusting to constancy of change in our lives.

Also pay close attention if you're asked to do something new and you 'take to it like a duck to water.' This is a signal that it's tapped an innate talent.

You can also buy book and take excellent StrengthsFinder (tm) Profile (online) to find out your 5 signature themes.

The authors came up with 34 names for strengths and filled a real gap in our collective vocabulary. These are not terms like "trustworthy" or "dependable," but rather: Activator, WOO (Winning Others Over), Relator, Empathy, Strategic, Deliberativeness and Harmony.

We can become very good at something that isn't a strength, but can never reach excellence at it, and it will never give us perfect life we want and deserve. It will also be far more stressful.