ABSTRACT
Acknowledging and using our personal strengths builds resilience against the onset of mental health problems like depression and can significantly reduce depression if it is present. More positively, the awareness and employment of our strengths is correlated with greater levels of self-esteem and self-efficacy. People who make good use of their personal strengths report experiencing higher levels of psychological well-being, life satisfaction, and positive affect. For these reasons alone, recognizing and developing our personal strengths is an appropriate if not essential process in the creation of greater happiness and personal well-being. This chapter presents some stories that provide sample metaphors about how to help identify, develop, and use strengths. These stories related to the topics such as the art of strengthspotting; finding inner strengths; when life sucks, laugh out loud; using and developing strengths; what's right with him and finding hidden strengths. The full benefits come when a person is effectively and meaningfully making use of those strengths.
