Hmm.
There are a few things that come to mind, and I just want to say, before I list them, that I know that my skills are a gift from God, and I’m approaching this list in that light.
Because otherwise, geez, it feels pretty braggy to answer this type of question.
Thinking about other people’s feelings
Sometimes, I feel like this is more of a negative trait than a positive one because, OH MY WORD, it occupies a large percentage of my thoughts sometimes.
But thinking about this so much does help me be gentle and understanding when I might not otherwise be that way.
Being kind
I think this is probably related to the item above because if you think about other people’s feelings, and you put yourself in their shoes, that tends to lead to kindness.
I’m often thinking, “How might I feel if I were person X?”, and that makes me want to be kind because I’d want kindness from someone else myself!
Being patient with people
(Also probably related to the first thing on this list! Put yourself in someone’s shoes and you will probably be more patient.)
Although there are exceptions, I have a pretty long fuse with people.
In fact, just this past week, one of my girls was surprised that I wasn’t getting frustrated with her during school, because she said she would be getting frustrated if she was the mom! Heh.
Being efficient
I don’t like to waste time, and I like to do things fast.
This has a downside (as almost everything does), but the good part is that I can usually get a lot done in a short amount of time.
Aaaand this is an area where I am not very patient (to contradict the item above!)
I can be patient with people who are rude or unkind or who have a bad attitude or who need extra help understanding something…but when people design things inefficiently or do things inefficiently, sometimes I do feel impatient about that!
Getting rid of clutter
I really, really enjoy organizing and decluttering (if I ever need to start another business, I would consider this as an option!), and I’m pretty good at it.
Being friendly
I smile a lot, and it’s pretty easy for me to greet strangers and strike up conversations. If I ever get my nursing degree, I think this is something that will be a helpful skill. Friendly, kind nurses have made a big difference when I’ve been a patient.
I am really good at seeing both sides of issues, bad side is when two people want me to settle their difference rather than open their hearts to hear the other person.
Sewing- I love sewing and am getting into using recycled fabrics in a totally different manner from their original intention. However, I absolutely hate mending and no I won’t hem your pants or skirt.
I like to be independent although I have some health issues that cause difficulties and there are times I do not accept help graciously or politely.
I am really good at being assertive. I did not think this was a skill or an asset, since more than one man I dated told me it was a character flaw. I think I cried a little when my future husband told me he loved how I was not shy about telling people what I wanted or needed, and that I use the skill on behalf of others; I have been known to intervene when someone was abusing a grocery store clerk or janitor.
I am good at handling anger without screaming, name calling or threatening. When I have a dispute, polite insistence has gotten me further than the person in front of me got by screaming or degrading people. I was in high school when a nun took mouthy me aside and taught me the concept of cognitive override. She told me to picture my anger as an uncontrolled horse and my brain as the rider who could harness the power of the horse to do good or be destructive. An out of control horse could get the rider killed. I was horse crazy and this made perfect sense to me.
Finally, I am pretty good at expressing appreciation. Another lesson earned early on: I paid part of my way through college by being a janitor in a corporate building. I remember how awful it was to be treated as part of the furniture, and how a word of kindness could make my day much brighter. I know I was being paid to clean, but being seen, being acknowledged, was much appreciated. I make it a point to look the cashier or the bus driver or the waitress, in the eye and thank them.
I’m never sure if this is a skill or a curse but I automatically ‘take the pulse’ of a room when I walk into it. I can almost feel the vibes and I know if there is a problem or an issue between people, whether I know them or not. I’m not a religious person at all but my Christian friends (I have many) all say I’m in touch with my spiritual side, sometimes more than they are.
I’m exhausted by it sometimes but delighted mostly as I love to help people and often a gentle word or action from me calms the situation down.
I’m good at organization and details. For example, the last 4 years I’ve been in charge of supplies for our church’s Kids Camp (VBS) in the summer. So I make sure we have the correct amount of each supply without missing anything. Since we do ours at a park downtown, I have to have a list of what each station needs for each day so that the leaders can just grab their tub for that day and know that everything’s there. At home, I spent Saturday morning making a 2-week meal plan (with snacks) so that I could stay out of stores for a while and help stop the spread of the virus. So I made my list, then organized it by store and order in the store. I love lists. 🙂
I’m thankful that God has given me these gifts and avenues to use them. When I left the workforce 5 years ago to be home with my littles, I wanted to be able to find ways to serve but didn’t know what that would look like with kids in tow. He’s given me opportunities that allow me to both be home AND serve. I love it.