Dear Curt,
This particular letter to you will be brief, my friend. It’s not my usual email, but a letter I’m posting to you through cyber space until it reaches you in heaven. Even though accolades of you should fill up the entire internet, since you’ve only been gone a couple of weeks, I can only write for a few moments as my vision is blurred by my mourning.
My journey as a Strengths Coach, began with the awe and wonder that we both shared (with millions of others) of Don Clifton’s strengths movement that began with that one simple question, “What will happen when we think about what is right with people rather than fixating on what is wrong with them?” As you well know Curt, the true fascination of knowing our strengths, begins when that first “light bulb moment” of understanding takes place. As my Strengths Instructors and Mentors at Gallup University, you and Heather were the electricity behind many of my light bulb moments and I sincerely thank you for that. Understanding ones own strengths is both a gift and a treasure and my wish is to use my own unique set of strengths to help many others discover their own light bulb moments, as you did.
I know the Strengths movement will forge on, since your dedication to this positive movement has helped reach over 11 million people around the globe to discover their strengths and over 500 certified strengths coaches learn from your wisdom. I will miss you, your laugh and the comfort of knowing you could answer and explain all of our little quirky strengths questions that you always had the perfect answer for.
The thought that clears my vision and restores my smile, is that you now reside in heaven, the ultimate place where nothing but strengths shine and all weaknesses have vanished.
God’s peace my friend, your hat is now a halo!
Connie Lea
**The photo above was taken of me with Curt Liesveld and Heather Wright during my graduation from Coaching Managers & Teams at Gallup University in Omaha, NE – April 9, 2015