Bliss takes giant step toward CSF, resilience training: May looks at ‘strengths of character’

This slide is on display at Freedom Crossing, promoting May’s core competency: Strengths of character. Courtesy graphic

Marcie C. Wright,
Monitor Staff:

“Strengths of character” is the focus for May. Tuesday began the month of looking for the best in people, as Team Bliss continues in the post-wide resilience awareness and training campaign.

The initiative was spearheaded by Maj. Gen. Dana J. H. Pittard, 1st Armored Division and Fort Bliss commander, who saw a need to focus on promoting a more balanced Army at this installation: An Army of Soldiers, family members and civilians who bounce back from adversity and flourish in high operational tempo and persistent conflict, according to the Comprehensive Soldier Fitness – Performance and Resilience Enhancement Program team.

Resilience refers to a person’s ability to bounce back from hard times and bloom during challenges.

Since January, Fort Bliss has participated in the campaign that highlights one core competency of resilience each month. January focused on self awareness and February, self control. In March optimism was the key, followed by the April focus on mental agility – which is to see others’ perspectives; and, now a look into the strengths of character in oneself and others.

Led by Drs. Martin Seligman and Chris Peterson, this field of research and practice includes exploring human virtues. These are the qualities of moral excellence that are admired across different philosophies, religions and cultures. Strengths of character can be regarded as a collection of positive dispositions. They contribute to “individual fulfillment, satisfaction and happiness broadly construed,” according to Christopher Peterson, author of A Primer in Positive Psychology.

“Strengths of character focus on what is best about people, rather than deficits and deficiencies,” said Dr. Erin Towner, performance enhancement specialist at CSF-PREP. “This competency includes knowledge and faith in one’s top strengths and how to leverage these strengths in order to accomplish goals.”

Towner said people go about a path to success in each their own way – partly because each possesses different strengths. She elaborated on how this process works to benefit individuals.

“I may rely on the strengths of humor and gratitude to be successful at work,” said Towner. “A co-worker with the same job may attain success through his strengths of zest and love of learning.

“The knowledge of our strengths, and how we put them into action, allows us to enhance our effectiveness at work and at home,” continued Towner.

The competency of strengths of character will continue to be taught at the Wellness Fusion Campus, the Family Resilience Center and at unit level for Soldiers. To learn more, call 568-6684.

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Editor’s note: This is the fifth story in a six-part series.