Almost every time I introduce Envision, I say, “Envision Academy is a strengths-based, Christ-centered elementary school working to open in North Omaha. We want to help our students learn their unique strengths so that they are able to use them to thrive throughout life and help others.”

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You might be wondering, “Why does Envision Academy have such an emphasis on strengths?” 

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Well, let me ask you a question: Have you ever felt “less” than someone who has a strength you do not have?

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I know I have. 

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I have a friend who is very eloquent. She is always able to come up with the right words at the right time. Her turns of phrase are well-thought-out and she always has great questions to ask. At least, it seems like that to me. I have always wanted to be like her.

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There is nothing wrong with admiring my friend’s skill with spoken words. But there would be something wrong if I thought less of myself because I don’t have the same strength in this area. 

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God created each of us uniquely. He does not make mistakes. Imagine if everyone in the world was eloquent, but no one had any spatial awareness, it would be a disaster! 

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One of the coolest things that God has been teaching me is how big he is. He is infinite. More than I could ever imagine. More than all of us together could ever imagine. He makes each of us in his image: we are each like a small mirror reflecting God. But God is so vast that each of those mirrors can reflect a different part of him. Each person is created with a unique combination of strengths. How they use those strengths is influenced by their personalities and their natural way of doing things. All of this works together to show a unique aspect of God. Artists demonstrating his creativity with color or shape, architects showing care in planning and building, parents loving children through all the mistakes those children make, each is a glimpse of God. 

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Recently, I was presenting about strengths to a networking group. One of the members said, “When I was in school, we focused on improving our weaknesses instead of learning about our strengths.” This is true in many schools and workplaces. 

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The thing is that even if you improve your weaknesses, they will still never be as strong as your strengths. Instead, we need to adapt. There are two ways to overcome our weaknesses. First, we can learn to use our strengths to compensate for our weaknesses. Second, we can learn to ask for help from people who have different strengths. Both are important. 

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As you can see, learning about strengths can be life-changing. At Envision Academy, we want to empower our students with the knowledge of who they are and how to use their strengths to thrive throughout life. More than that, we want them to see how they are uniquely created and to celebrate who God made them to be.

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To learn more, check out these resources:

https://www.gallup.com

Strengths Based Parenting by Mary Reckmeyer, PhD, and Jennifer Robison 

8 Great Smarts by Kathy Koch, PhD

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