There will always be times when we are under stress and tested. These are the moments when a reminder of the good times, the very best times, can lift our spirits. People who are able to work using one or more of their personal strengths are happier and enjoy more success in their lives than people who can’t.

You may work your socks off doing a job you enjoy but come home at the end of the day feeling tired but happy. The same can’t be said for employment that is dull and unfulfilling. You’ll come home feeling shattered even if you’ve done very little.

Stress erodes self-confidence and it’s at times like this we need to remind ourselves of the things that buffer its effects. Our wellbeing is enhanced in a number of ways. A strong work ethic, honesty, diligence, social contacts, religious faith and optimism are all ways of building resilience.

If you truly invest in your strengths you will tend to seek opportunities to use them. But one of the problems we endure is our focus on perceived weaknesses over strengths. If you focus on weak points or those memories that made you cringe with embarrassment, the most you can ever achieve is satisfaction that you’ve made it through the day intact. What a way to live. Wouldn’t it be better to live in a way where no limits are set and all we can do is develop and fulfill our potential?

There are real benefits to be had in reminding ourselves of the best times in our lives when things really worked out. We should ask ourselves what it was about those times that made us feel so good. Couldn’t we apply those moments, those strengths, to new situations or even new careers? It doesn’t need to be about the future. If you’re under stress now maybe it’s worth thinking how those strengths could be applied to addressing the problems. After all, effective problem solving is often about applying our strengths to such situations in order to reduce the stress they evoke.