FROM LIFE STRUGGLES

TO LIFE STRENGTHS:
Developing Leaders for
Community Service
STRUGGLES
ALLOW US
TO
EXERCISE
OUR
STRENGTH
MUSCLES
What are struggles?
STRUGGLES
* difficulties which
make us feel
burdened
* demanding and
trying times
* situations that
are tough to cope
with
 STRUGGLES
* emotionally
demanding
experiences
* overwhelming
negative
emotions such as
grief, anger, fear,
shame
* negativity and
pain
STRENGTH
Researchers have defined
character strengths as
positive, trait-like
capacities for thinking,
feeling, and behaving in
ways that benefit oneself
and others (Niemiec,
2014a), and as a “family
of positive
characteristics … each of
which exists in degrees”
(Park & Peterson, 2009,
p.3).
STRENGTH
•Character strengths are viewed as specific psychological
processes that define broader virtues, which are core
characteristics that have been identified and valued by moral
philosophers and religious thinkers throughout time (Peterson &
Seligman, 2004).
STRUGGLES

lead to
STRENGTH
SPIRITUAL STRENGTH
SPIRITUAL
STRENGTH
PHYSICAL STRENGTH
COGN
ITIVE
STRE
NGTH
EMOTIONAL
STRENGTH
SOCIAL STRENGTH