Finding Your Strengths: Why Believing You Can Matters
Imagine us walking in the park with our dogs, and you say: “I know I’ve handled a lot in life, but lately I just don’t feel like I’ve got it in me anymore.” I’d give you a hug and say I get it, sometimes we can feel like we have just havent got it in us to get through. The good news is that that feeling has a name. Psychologists call it self-efficacy, its your belief in your ability to take on challenges and shape your own future.
And here’s the thing: it’s not just about blind confidence. Self-efficacy grows stronger when you know and use your unique strengths.
Why it matters
When life throws curveballs, what gets us through isn’t just skill or luck, it’s believing we have what it takes to navigate the mess and make progress. People with higher self-efficacy are more motivated, more resilient, more optimistic and more likely to follow through on the changes they want to make.
And that belief doesn’t come out of thin air. It comes from recognising and using your strengths. What are strengths? They are the important things with in us that we may naturally do well, the traits that when we use them feel most comfortable, most absorbing, most energising. When you lean on these, you’re not just surviving challenges, you’re actively shaping how you respond.
Here’s the science bit
Psychologist Albert Bandura identified self-efficacy as one of the most powerful predictors of success and wellbeing. His research showed that people with higher self-efficacy:
Bounce back more quickly from setbacks.
Persist longer when tasks get tough.
Experience lower stress because they trust their ability to cope.
And here’s where strengths come in. The VIA Institute’s decades of research on character strengths shows that when people identify and use their top strengths in daily life, they report:
Greater happiness and life satisfaction.
Lower depression and anxiety.
More energy, engagement, and confidence.
Better relationships because they bring their best self to the table.
How to start
The good news? You don’t have to guess at what your strengths are. The VIA Character Strengths Survey is a free, research-backed tool that helps you identify your top ‘signature’ strengths - these are the strengths that help you feel most alive, and your awareness of them can help you consciously use them more.
Once you know your strengths, you can ask:
How could I use one of these to make today a little easier?
Which strength could help me handle this challenge differently?
Where in my life am I under-using a strength I’d love to bring forward?
Try this as a mini-exercise
Take the VIA Survey (it only takes about 15 minutes). Make a note of your top 5 strengths.
Look back at your last week. Where did you already use one of these? How did it help?
Choose one strength. Find a fresh way to dial-up the use of one of them in the next few days - whether it’s creativity, curiosity, humour, or perseverance.
Why it’s worth it
Knowing your strengths isn’t about polishing up a CV or putting labels on yourself. It’s about building trust in your own ability to handle life as it comes.
Every time you spot and use a strength, you give yourself evidence that yes, I can do this. That evidence builds belief. And that belief, self-efficacy, is one of the strongest predictors of thriving we have.
So, why not give it a go? Take the VIA Character Strengths test this week, and see what you uncover.
✨ Thriving starts by believing you can. Strengths are the proof.