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Jay Schlaegel

Mrs. Morley

BUSN 125 – 203

18 October 2016

Strengths

Our strengths, weaknesses, and values define us and diversify us, shaping our

perspectives and forming the paradigms in which we live. Above all other characteristics, our

default strengths determine how we operate within the boundaries of our individual realties. The

Gallup StrengthFinder 2.0 assessment revealed that of the thirty-four talent themes, Belief and

Woo ranked among my top five. After reflecting on the evaluation’s results, my life experiences,

and the affirmations of authority figures from recent personal history, I now understand the

resounding impact Belief has had on my life and the implications this strength has for my future,

as well as my natural inclination to win others over and the caution I must approach this

tendency with.

Belief is central to my being, the origin of my values, strengths, and pastoral aspirations.

As my high school broadcast journalism teacher, Mr. Brian Higgins, stated in affirmation of my

Belief strength, “The obvious way to describe Belief as it relates to Jay Schlaegel is via his

religious convictions, but that's too easy. The core of his essence is Belief.” My parents

introduced me to the Christian faith at a young age but the game changed when I adopted this

life-altering faith as my own in middle school. I realized that faith meant more than just

attending church on Sunday morning. Faith in Christ implied the adoption of Jesus’s lifestyle and

values, a choice I made in response to God’s calling that would forever change my day-to-day

and future-to-be. Noting my founding of an on-campus Bible study in affirmation of my Belief

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strength, my high school counselor Mrs. Alma Campo said, “[Jay] always showed everyone

around [him] that God was the number one person in [his] life and everything [he] did

demonstrated that. [Jay] started Bible study in middle school and carried it over to high school,

which ended up being one of the biggest organizations on campus.” The teachings of the Bible

undoubtedly informed the methodology of my mom and dad’s parenting, but it was truly my

personal experience with God in the pivotal years of my adolescence that established my faith as

the lens through which I saw the world, scale on which I weighed my decisions, and cornerstone

on which I built my life. In the affirming words of my own father, Mr. Wally Schlaegel, “Jay has

demonstrated his belief in the way he dates, the way he organizes his time, and the way he

presents himself.”

I consider Belief to be one my stronger talent themes, however, I have identified a

singular practice that I will focus on to further develop my Belief strength: private discipline. My

personal relationship with God and obedience to Christ’s commands through the reading of the

Bible, prayer, and service will draw me closer to the Lord than I’ve ever been before. Daily, as I

reflect upon God’s work in my life, I will overflow with joy and thanksgiving, prompting me to

share the Good News and consequently transform my Belief and Woo into legitimate strengths.

Winning others over begins with deep convictions and is executed through respecting and

understanding others. The tendency to win others over derives from a strong sense of conviction.

In describing my organization of a religious diversity forum, the senior pastor of my church, Mr.

George Feiser, said in affirmation of my Woo strength, “Jay, presenting the importance of

religious tolerance at his high school, had to persuade two presidents of other student religious

organizations to get involved in helping other students understand the beliefs of their peers. With

his warm and sincere personality, he easily accomplished this.” Emulating the character of
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Christ, as learned from my parents’ examples and the Bible’s teachings, I stand for right and

oppose wrong not with harsh debate and fruitless banter, but with love, hope, and grace. This is

the essence of Woo. When it comes to faith, I have learned not to proselytize, but to simply share

with joy how God has worked in my life. This practice extends beyond matters of faith. As

observed by my broadcast teacher Mr. Brian Higgins, “There's a reason he was Student Council

President and the host of Frisco Feasts, Foods and Fav’s: woo. Jay has the great ability to

connect easily and stay connected.” Just as I grew to believe in and stand for the Bible, I learned

to believe in and stand for myself, casting vision and inviting others to join me in the process.

Those that win others over often do so without thinking. Therein lies the weakness of this

talent theme. When called out for wrongdoing, I naturally default to Woo and my mind races as I

subconsciously develop refutations to the harmless, and often constructive, criticism of friends

and loved ones. Rather than achieving peace, the Woo in me fights feelings with facts and causes

tensions to rise in self-defense. Listening closely, clarifying statements, and responding to

feelings with feelings will fight the urge to win arguments that never have to transpire, thus

combatting the weakness that may associate with the strength of Woo.

Just as the talent theme of Belief finds its origin in my upbringing, my talent theme of

Woo finds its origin in my Belief strength. As I’ve applied my talents of Belief and Woo over the

years in the leading of Bible study, organizing of a religious diversity forum, and countless

public speaking engagements on issues so central to my core convictions, authority figures in my

life have affirmed that these talent themes truly have begun their transformation into strengths.

As I seek to one-day pastor a church, I will fall heavily upon my strengths of Belief and Woo and

the transcendent worth of self-assurance and relatability these two strengths promise to grant me

in the case that I dedicate myself to their development throughout the course of my lifetime.