Motivations

As measured by the Clifton Strengths Assessment tool, my number one core strength is that of the relator. Relators share deep connections with others, and are naturally curious about people and how people operate. Relators like to be close with people, and are often comfortable with vulnerability as a means of growth and relationship enhancement (Clifton, 2020).

As a leader, I want to relate to others and allow others to relate back to me, so people can understand my own journey, and maybe be inspired to take a journey themselves. Relators naturally want to self-improve not only for personal growth, but also so relators can help others self-improve too (Clifton, 2020).

Self-improvement is a driving factor in my life. I do not come from a family of wealth or opportunity. Overhearing conversations about money and making rent was a common occurrence in my childhood. My parents did their best to shield me from their worries and had these conversations in private, but I picked up on it. When I was in high school, I was artificially assigned a value and worth, and a ceiling was placed over my head. This is because I grew up in a very wealthy town that I feel was far more focused on reputation and appearances, in contrast to the actual needs of the children. Despite growing up in a wealthy town, I grew up in public housing and was anything but wealthy. As such, my school system brushed me aside.

I found my way though. I shattered that ceiling, and I am intrinsically motivated by my experiences from high school. I don’t like being told there is a limit to what I can do in this world. How far I can go, and choose to go, is for me to decide; and a large part of why I am so engaged as a scholar is because 19 years ago back in high school, it was implied that I would not go far in life, and that college was not for people like me. This motivation has shaped my entire outlook on life. I am competitive, but not against other people, I am competitive with myself. I see a goal, a bar, a threshold, and I challenge myself to meet it and exceed it. I want to see what I can achieve, and set my own baseline, instead of allowing someone else to predetermine that for me. Powerful motivators, emotions and feelings can be.