Editor note: this is a guest post from Zoli of Simply Will Do.
Strength has many interpretations. We’re longing for strength like we do for love, understanding and happiness. As for the latter, we tend to believe that strength is something distant from us, something that we cannot reach. What an miserable thought! If your belief in your strength is weakening or right inexistent, read on to what some of the greatest of humanity have to say about our powers and limitations. Let me show you why the things you though are your weaknesses are actually your greatest strengths.
“Great crisis produce great men and great deeds of courage.” John F. Kennedy
There are things in life which we just cannot control. A sudden death, an unpredictable drencher that just ruins your afternoon date. The list can go on. The economic instability that we’re facing now is a good example, too, and just today I have realized how grateful I am for this situation. I am a very young man, aged eighteen, who still has a lot to learn. I produced great results throughout my life without putting much effort into anything, things just came my way. The recession mixed some things up in our lives, and my economically stable family went into a state when we have to seriously think about what we spend our money on. The economic downfall taught me a lot about frugality, the value of working for something and the power of family. All these problems will probably go away in a few years but the lessons it have taught me make it one of the greatest things that have ever happened to me.
“Where there is no struggle, there is no strength.” Oprah Winfrey
This might sound contradictory, yet it isn’t by any means. Think about it: when do we struggle? What leads us to stuggle? Exactly! – it’s trying. When you try, you might just glide smoothly towards your result, but, more often than not, you face struggles, given that your goal is high enough. Trying takes courage, the courage of improving something, of bashing a problem away and bringing balance into your life. And courage is pure strength. Whenever you struggle, you should tell yourself: “I’m here because I had the strength and courage to step into this situation. I also have the strength to finish what I’m doing”.
“Some people think it’s holding on that makes one strong- sometimes it’s letting go.” ~ Anonymus
One of the greatest wisdoms of life is knowing when to hold on and resist and when to let go. You shouldn’t ever fail yourself into the belief that the longer you resist the stronger you are. You are strong when you resist for something that is worth holding on to. It’s up to you to decide what that is – it often happens that people will tell you that what you’re doing is crazy and that you’re fanatic. And so what? It’s up to you to decide when it’s time to let go. Just remember: if you feel like letting go, and you’re sure about it, don’t hesitate. Some people will think you’re weak and you’ve given up. If you know you had your reason, then you know all that matters.
“Each time we face our fear, we gain strength, courage, and confidence in the doing.” ~ Anonymus
Fear, strength, courage, confidence – concepts highly interrelated to each other. What is confidence if not the ability to control our enormous strength? Confidence is not being an asshole, quite contrary, it is the wisdom that tells us when we should show how strong our grip can be, and when we’d better back off and put some chain on the fury that is trying to make us go wild instead. What is courage if not the ability to tell yourself to stop? Just thin for a while: who is a brave man? Who beats his daughter or the one who calms himself down and sits down to talk? Obviously, the latter, and it takes a lot of courage to do so: an adult man can easily crush a little girl into powder, but facing a child’s intelligence is a very fair battle, it takes courage and the ability to admit it when you’re wrong.
Never forget it: You’re Strong
You’re strong, we all are. You might not realize it yet – many of us don’t. However and wherever you might be living now, if you’ve been down a lot, think about it: you had the power and the strength to survive, and you’re still alive! If you’ve been successful and did quite well so far, think about it: I’m sure you fought a few obstacles along the journey, and fought them with confidence and strength in your moves and thoughts and words and sight. You’re strong, and if you make me repeat it one thousand more times, I will do: this is something we all need to realize. You’re strong. You’re enough. So live like that.
Zolo Cserei is a personal growth blogger, author of Simply Will Do. He writes about productivity, simplicity in our lives, facing ourselves and our limitations. He thrives to achieve a great life the ridiculously simple way and wants to share it with you, too!
Posted on February 19 2010
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