Future Events Such as These Will Affect You in the Future

Because I so do so love self-assessments, I have recently become obsessed with my results from Strengthsfinder 2.0. According to the test, my strengths are communication, ideation, strategy. I am also futuristic and an activator.

The book suggests that, because these five characteristics are my strengths, I should focus on them, and not worry so much about my weaknesses. To someone who is very good at trying to compensate for her own shortcomings, this is a nice sentiment. No longer should I consider how awful I am at sorting details, but instead I should try to hone in on the things in which I naturally excel, such as being able to see the big picture.

I can't help but feel that this adds a little pressure: to know that you could possibly outdo yourself and surpass even your own expectations. This assumes, of course, that the assessment is accurate, so let's just say it is. Essentially, to know you have these skills and talents, and then to take them to your fullest advantage...this is a big responsibility.

So, because of my apparent communication strength, I am writing a lot these days. Not just for writing's sake, but in an effort to be better understood and more understandable. Technically, I should be writing a lot about the future, as well, since I am supposedly, by nature, futuristic. At work, I often become frustrated with my writing, because of the quick turnaround time and the fact that I am often writing about things that I just learned about yesterday. It is hard to be clear and concise under such contraints. However, in writing about the future, I discovered that I will never be as terrible as Ed Wood. The following quote is from "Plan 9 from Outer Space". Please note, that the audience is first addressed as being interested in the future...so then, the narrator goes ahead and switches gears, and tells you all about the past:

"Greetings, my friend. We are all interested in the future, for that is where you and I are going to spend the rest of our lives. And remember, my friend, future events such as these will affect you in the future. You are interested in the unknown... the mysterious. The unexplainable. That is why you are here. And now, for the first time, we are bringing to you, the full story of what happened on that fateful day. We are bringing you all the evidence, based only on the secret testimony, of the miserable souls, who survived this terrifying ordeal. The incidents, the places. My friend, we cannot keep this a secret any longer. Let us punish the guilty. Let us reward the innocent. My friend, can your heart stand the shocking facts of grave robbers from outer space?"