My strengths

I'm a little obsessed with personality, talents, giftings, and the like. For example, last semester I decided to take Psychology of Personality, not because I had to, (I had all of my requirements for graduation fulfilled) but because it was fascinating. It was a power lecture at 8 am Tuesday and Thursday and I went (most days at least) while taking it pass/fail, because I found it so interesting; it was worth getting up for. One of the strengths below suggested that I continue studies in psychology or a similar subject, which is amusing. I love tests and such that are supposed to tell you more about yourself, even though they aren't always very accurate.
I'd heard about this book called Strengths Finder 2.0 from some friends and decided to check it out for myself. It's written by Tom Rath.

My top five strengths results according to it are as follows:
Relator
"People who are especially talented in the Relator theme enjoy close relationships with others. They find deep satisfaction in working hard with friends to achieve a goal.

It’s very likely that you feel most fulfilled when you are busy and simply performing routine tasks. When you have nothing to do, typically you find something to do. Sitting around and wasting time does not suit you at all. Chances are good that you might prefer to assist individuals who have set clear goals for themselves Perhaps the more you know about someone's dreams, the easier it is for you to befriend that person. By nature, you welcome opportunities to spend time with friends who enjoy thinking about the future. They often invite you to offer suggestions about what can and cannot be accomplished in the coming months, years, or decades. Driven by your talents, you have close companions who frequently seek your guidance. You help them find answers to their personal and professional problems. This makes you a valuable friend. Because of your strengths, you are a well-read individual. People whom you have befriended turn to you for guidance. Often you help them see a situation or problem from a different perspective because of something you discovered while surveying a book, article, letter, or Internet site. For you, reading is the key that opens the door to a world of fresh ideas. You collect them, never knowing when something you read will benefit someone else."

Input
"People who are especially talented in the Input theme have a craving to know more. Often they like to collect and archive all kinds of information.

By nature, you periodically desire to take in additional facts, data, or background information. Perhaps these insights permit you to assist certain individuals when specific kinds of opportunities present themselves. Chances are good that you might be quiet during conversations, taking in what others say. Perhaps you are particularly attentive when intelligent people toss about their ideas, theories, or concepts. Sometimes you acquire more information and gain more insights than the speakers do. When you choose to expound on a particular topic or pose specific questions, maybe some individuals listen carefully to every word you utter. Because of your strengths, you may add theoretical, intricate, technical, or difficult-to-understand words to your vocabulary. Perhaps this is an ongoing process. You might prefer to spend time with people who appreciate your mastery of language and the ease with which you use sophisticated terminology. Certain individuals feel comfortable asking you what a particular term or phrase means. Driven by your talents, you occasionally spend hours unraveling the mysteries of complicated procedures, routines, or systems. Perhaps your step-by-step descriptions help individuals understand how something operates. It’s very likely that you sometimes feel restless until you have found a better way to describe the finer points of complicated procedures. Why? When you succeed, people will begin to understand how they work. Perhaps you derive satisfaction from outlining the intricate steps of particular processes."

Empathy

"People who are especially talented in the Empathy theme can sense the feelings of other people by imagining themselves in others' lives or others' situations.

By nature, you occasionally take time to discover some of the likes, dislikes, hopes, dreams, or idiosyncrasies of individuals. You might gain satisfaction from telling people how much you value their contributions and accomplishments. Because of your strengths, you may tune in to the emotions or needs of certain individuals. Perhaps your intuitive insights tell you if a person needs to be cheered up, offered support, or given approval. Occasionally this gift of yours helps specific types of people grow personally or professionally. It also may free some of them to feel good about themselves or what they can do. Instinctively, you may have quick and ready insights into the moods and emotions of specific individuals. This awareness might enhance your effectiveness as a trainer, guide, or instructor. Perhaps your sensitivity allows you to help certain people express what they are thinking or feeling. It’s very likely that you can sometimes instill a sense of self-worth in individuals. Perhaps you are one of the people in their lives who values them, sees what they can become, and believes in them. Chances are good that you feel honored when someone entrusts his/her innermost thoughts and feelings to you. Nonetheless, the person needs to initiate the conversation. Otherwise, it is unlikely to happen. You are reluctant to bring up sensitive topics and delicate questions. You tend to worry about leaving the impression that you are prying or being nosy -- that is, unduly interested in the private affairs of the person."

Intellection

"People who are especially talented in the Intellection theme are characterized by their intellectual activity. They are introspective and appreciate intellectual discussions.

Because of your strengths, you need uninterrupted quiet time to be alone with your thoughts. Seldom do you automatically accept all the ideas of someone who has authored a book, been interviewed by the media, or been invited to address an audience. Instead, you scrutinize the theories and concepts of writers, speakers, and philosophers. You probably are a critical thinker. By nature, you characteristically read books, periodicals, documents, correspondence, or Internet sites. You are willing to be mentally stimulated by thought-provoking ideas, information, data, predictions, insights, characters, or plots. It’s very likely that you periodically engage in conversations that might allow you to showcase some of your knowledge on a wide range of topics or in a particular area of specialization. Driven by your talents, you sometimes gravitate to conversations in which intelligent, unemotional, and reasonable thoughts are freely exchanged. Perhaps these give-and-take sessions inspire you to consider a few things you need to upgrade, perfect, or raise to excellence. Chances are good that you usually give good advice. Often people's questions dictate your choice of reading materials. Whether you are studying something for the first time or revisiting a topic to refresh your memory, you enjoy reading. Making discoveries that can help others brings you much joy."

Developer

"People who are especially talented in the Developer theme recognize and cultivate the potential in others. They spot the signs of each small improvement and derive satisfaction from these improvements.

Chances are good that you may inspire individuals by telling them some of the things they do well. You occasionally look for the good in human beings. Maybe you make sure they know how much you appreciate their talents, attitude, and/or results. Certain people might thrive when you are part of their lives. Because of your strengths, you sometimes throw yourself into your work even when you are personally inconvenienced. To some extent, you place the well-being of others above your own. Instinctively, you may embolden some people so they begin believing in themselves. Perhaps you help them realize certain things they can accomplish in the future. Sometimes you remind them about certain things they already do well. By nature, you can sometimes place the needs of others ahead of your own. Driven by your talents, you occasionally tune in to the moods of specific people. You might have spent quality time together or shared some experiences. When you make a point of really knowing someone, it might be easy for you to accurately interpret the person's emotions in certain kinds of situations."

It's interesting to think about. And it's funny how often these five suggest I enjoy reading. I have been devouring books recently with my free time. My favorites so far this year, that I HIGHLY recommend for absolutely EVERYONE: The Shack by William Young and The Introvert Advantage by Marti Olsen Lancey.
Anyway back to the Strengths Finder: Two of the five suggested that I should have a career in teaching. Oh dear. That's all I'm going to say on that matter.

Lately, I've been focusing on my weaknesses and failures. It's not particularly pleasant and I don't know that it is doing an incredible amount of good. So I'd much rather be aware of and use all of my talents and strengths to the best of my ability. For those that know me and suffered through reading such a long post, please chip in your opinions on these results. Do they suit me? Are they way off mark? Thanks for your insight!