Running head: WHAT I EARNED FROM KNOWING MY STRENGTHS
What I Earned From Knowing My Strengths
Application Paper
Roy Donghyun Kim
LDS Business College
COM 122 Interpersonal Communications
Sister Bell
Feb. 11, 2015
1
WHAT I EARNED FROM KNOWING MY STRENGTHS
2
What I Earned From Knowing My Strengths
When I chose this class, I did not expect the course is going to be this much earning.
Frankly, I took this class because I have to choose one extra class that is more than two credits
except religion class. One of my friends, his name is Dongguk, recommended me to take this
class because it is easy going class. That is why I am taking this class in this semester, however,
without considering getting an A in this class, I feel that I am really earning and gaining from
this course the knowledge as well as the way of communicating. I started looking up my journals
for this paper, and I found my setups for this course. I really desire to know how to use my five
strength codes effectively and efficiently. Through this class, I am learning the way through
discussions with students, videos and homework.
I learned what the communication means not in general but in broaden meaning. We
communicate to build relationships with others, to understand other people and solve problems.
We communicate to share our feelings with other people. There are a lot of ways to
communicate and the most impressed way of communicate was “Defining Interpersonal
Communication: A communication Continuum.” And there are three categories in this section,
“I-It Communication, I-You Communication, I-Thou Communication.” It talks about
relationship’s depth between other people. I have one little desire that I always had since I was a
child. When I grow up and get married, I would like to live a wonderful life with my wife. I want
to know my wife’s thinking without talking but just looking at her eyes. I want to have a great
relationship with my spouse forever. I figured out the concept what I looked for several years
WHAT I EARNED FROM KNOWING MY STRENGTHS
3
and it was I-Thou Communication. According to Julia Wood, “When we interact on an I–Thou
level, we meet others in their wholeness and individuality. Instead of dealing with them as
occupants of social roles, we see them as unique human beings whom we know and accept in
their totality. In I–Thou communication, we open ourselves fully, trusting others to accept us as
we are, with our virtues and vices, hopes and fears, strengths and weaknesses” (1999).
There are five strength turns out to be the most powerful in my characteristic are
Harmony, Discipline, Deliberative, Communication, and Consistency. Through several
discussions we had in class with other students, I knew that all of these five corrects with my
identity. Harmony is the best strength code that I used since I was young and I can use through
my whole life. I just know how harmony is important. When I think of my high school period, it
was chaos at that time. I could not adjust to school for a semester so I wanted to stop going to the
high school and I talked to my parents. They worried about my high school life. After I adjusted
to high school, I had a fabulous time for two and a half years. I just know that when I get along
with my friend, I cannot measure how pleasant I am. The most curious one among five strength
codes was “Communication”. According to the Clifton StrengthsFinder Quick Reference Card,
Communication- People especially talented in the Communication theme, generally find it easy
to put their thoughts into words. They are good conversationalists and presenters. When I read
this, I could not agree with this because I don’t consider I am a good conversationalists or a
presenter. Actually, I tremble a lot when I talk in front of people. I don’t know where to see
while I give a talk. However, one of the friends in a class said that, “I don’t think this is not just
about giving a speech but you are also good at walk in other’s shoes.” After this conversation, I
thought about it, “Am I a good listener..? I am a good listener.”
WHAT I EARNED FROM KNOWING MY STRENGTHS
While I take this class in this semester, when I looked at my strengths and habits, I
recognized that I am kind of good at conversation. I know my strength codes and I just need to
express and develop these strengths through this semester. This is my new goal.
4
WHAT I EARNED FROM KNOWING MY STRENGTHS
References
Wood, J. (1999). Interpersonal communication: Everyday encounters (2nd ed.). Retrieved from
http://www.cengagebrain.com/content/
5