A Workshop on What it Means to be Fully Alive
By Steve Gahagen
I recently heard a speaker share about his time with a group of military chaplains. These chaplains, deeply committed to their calling, expressed their growing frustration and helplessness in the face of rising depression and suicide among soldiers. They had attended countless workshops on suicide prevention and depression—but still felt like they were losing ground.
Then the speaker asked a counterintuitive but powerful question:
“Shouldn’t there be at least one workshop on what it means to be fully alive?”
It’s a fair question.
Sometimes it is necessary to focus on problems to solve them. But at other times, it may be better to change the conversation. What if we spent less time focusing on what’s missing—and more time discovering what we already have? What if, instead of being consumed by where we are failing, we invested our energy into where we are most likely to succeed?
That’s exactly what we do at Play to Your Strengths.
We are, in essence, the Fully Alive workshop.
That’s why our team trainings are fun, energizing, and contagious. And it’s why, when working with young people, we focus on the riches of talent they already possess. We help them identify their strengths, build their confidence, and discover new possibilities.
Because when a person begins to live from their strengths, something powerful happens:
They begin to feel hope.
They imagine new futures.
They start writing their greatest story.
They become fully alive.
And that changes everything.
Questions to Consider:
Why is it important to focus more attention on strengths than weaknesses?
How can a focus on what we have instead of what we are missing have an impact on young people struggling with depression?
What brings you joy and makes you feel fully alive?