Strength Acceptance

We can often be as fearful of our strengths as we are of our weaknesses. As Nelson Mandela once said, quoting a passage by Marianne Williamson, "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be?"

Many of us battle with the truth of who are versus who we can be. Because our dreams seem so far away, we learn to believe that the reason is that we are not good enough. We justify our present mediocre state by admitting our own incompetence.

We deny our strengths because we're afraid that if we acknowledge them, we'd have to think about why we're not using them to become a better person, to build a better life.

People who deny their strengths usually have a low opinion of themselves, can't accept compliments graciously, shy away from opportunities, and lead unfulfilling lives because they're not getting what they truly want.

If you're serious about improving your life, you have to first acknowledge your strengths, become a more confident and self-assured person and push yourself towards your goals.

Every one of us has a unique set of talents. Before you deny this, examine more closely the person that you are. What do you love doing? What comes naturally to you? What are the good things that others say about you that you coyly brush off? You may think these things are insignificant, but each one of them can be built upon to make you a happier, more successful, and more fulfilled person. Millions of people have achieved success simply by doing what they do best and sharing it with the world.

Make a list of these strengths. Embellish them with the achievements you've made, the lessons you've learnt in life, and the knowledge you've gained. Read the list every day and really meditate on them. Think about how you can build on your key strengths to produce better results.

And you know what? Very often, the road to great success and happiness is simply achieving one small goal at a time. Nothing empowers us more than doing what we said we'd do. If let's say your talent is writing, then promise yourself to write one page a day. It's a small objective, but over time, you would have accumulated a hunk of work and improved on your writing in the process.

Connect with your strengths and work towards a better life with confidence!